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A3464 Pinus ponderosa Dry-Mesic Black Hills Forest & Woodland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This Black Hills forest and woodland alliance has a tree canopy dominated by Pinus ponderosa but may include a sparse to relatively dense subcanopy of Juniperus scopulorum and Populus tremuloides with an understory composed of relatively dry shrub species such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, and Mahonia repens without mesic to wet indicator species. Stands occur at foothill and montane elevations on all aspects on gentle to steep dry to mesic slopes.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ponderosa Pine Dry-Mesic Black Hills Forest & Woodland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Dry-Mesic Forest & Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This forest and woodland alliance occurs on dry to mesic sites at montane and foothill elevations in the Black Hills. Stands are primarily dominated by Pinus ponderosa but may include a sparse to relatively dense subcanopy of Juniperus scopulorum. The understory is variable. Shrubs may form a sparse to moderately layer or be absent. Characteristic species can include Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, Mahonia repens, Rhus trilobata, Spiraea betulifolia, and Symphoricarpos albus. The herbaceous understory can range from a sparse to moderately dense layer. Common species include Carex siccata, Danthonia spicata, Galium boreale, Nassella viridula, Oryzopsis asperifolia, and Schizachne purpurascens. This alliance has been found on flat to moderately sloping topography (2-24%) below 1280 m (4200 feet) elevation on sandy loam, silt loam to clay loam soils often derived from weathered sandstone, limestone, and scoria. Stands occur on all aspects. At montane elevations, it often occurs on warmer, drier south-facing slopes, but at lower elevation, it is generally found on cooler northerly aspects.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is characterized by the dominance of Pinus ponderosa in the tree canopy with an understory characterized by species common on dry to mesic sites such as the short shrubs Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, and Mahonia repens, and herbaceous species such as Oryzopsis asperifolia.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: These Great Plains ponderosa pine woodlands do show some floristic similarities to those found within the forested mountains of the Rockies, but have herbaceous floristics related to dry to mesic sites in the Great Plains "mixedgrass" prairie. Some broadly defined component associations that range into the southern or central Rocky Mountains need further review.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The vegetation structure of stands in this alliance vary from open woodlands to closed-canopy forests composed of needle-leaved evergreen trees typically less than 25 m in height and less than 15 m on dry rock outcrops. Associated trees are primarily needle-leaved evergreen species, but cold-deciduous and broad-leaved evergreen trees may be present in the subcanopy. The understory is dry, often shrubby, with either tall or short layers, and sclerophyllous or cold-deciduous species dominant. Where there is no shrub layer, grassy understories are common, but perennial forbs are important in some stands.

Floristics: This alliance is primarily dominated by Pinus ponderosa but may include a sparse to relatively dense subcanopy of Juniperus scopulorum or Populus tremuloides on disturbed sites. Important or common shrub species with ponderosa pine can include Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, Mahonia repens, Rhus trilobata, Spiraea betulifolia, and Symphoricarpos albus (Pfister et al. 1977, Hoffman and Alexander 1987). The herbaceous understory can range from a sparse to moderately dense layer Common species include Carex siccata (= Carex foenea), Eurybia conspicua (= Aster conspicuus), Monarda fistulosa, Nassella viridula, Oryzopsis asperifolia, Schizachne purpurascens, Thalictrum occidentale, and Viola canadensis (Marriott and Faber-Langendoen 2000). Higher-elevation stands often have herbaceous species more typical of the Rocky Mountains, such as Achillea millefolium, Antennaria rosea, Balsamorhiza sagittata, Cerastium arvense, Danthonia intermedia, Fragaria spp., Galium boreale, Lathyrus ochroleucus, and Pulsatilla patens. The invasive grass Poa pratensis is present in some stands of this type.

Dynamics:  Marriot and Faber-Langendoen (2000) report different fire regimes for ponderosa pine communities in the Black Hills, with their "Dry Group" more typically having frequent surface fires and the "Mesic Group" having infrequent catastrophic fires (every 100-200 years). Stands in this alliance behave more like the mesic group somewhat higher elevation, north-slope, swale associations.
Environmental Description:  This forest and woodland alliance occurs in the Black Hills and along escarpments, buttes, canyons, rock outcrops or ravines in the surrounding northwestern Great Plains. Stands are found on dry to mesic sites on flat to moderately sloping topography (2-24%) and occur on all aspects. At montane elevations, it often occurs on warmer, drier south-facing slopes, but on at lower elevation, it is generally restricted to cooler northerly aspects (Hoffman and Alexander 1987). Soils are often shallow and rocky, sandy loams, silt loams or clay loams often derived from weathered sandstone, limestone, and scoria (Pfister et al. 1977).
Geographic Range: The forest and woodland alliance occurs on dry to mesic site at foothill and montane elevations in the Black Hills along escarpments, buttes, canyons, rock outcrops or ravines and can grade into the surrounding northwestern Great Plains.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO, MT, SD, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 1 Forest & Woodland Class C01 1
Subclass 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass S15 1.B
Formation 1.B.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation F008 1.B.2
Division 1.B.2.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division D194 1.B.2.Nb
Macrogroup 1.B.2.Nb.2 Ponderosa Pine - Douglas-fir - Limber Pine Central Rocky Mountain Dry Forest Macrogroup M501 1.B.2.Nb.2
Group 1.B.2.Nb.2.e Ponderosa Pine Northwestern Great Plains Forest & Woodland Group G216 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Alliance A3464 Ponderosa Pine Dry-Mesic Black Hills Forest & Woodland Alliance A3464 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL000187 Ponderosa Pine / Creeping Barberry Forest CEGL000187 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL000859 Ponderosa Pine / Common Juniper Woodland CEGL000859 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL000860 Ponderosa Pine / Creeping Juniper Woodland CEGL000860 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL000878 Ponderosa Pine Scree Woodland CEGL000878 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL002123 Ponderosa Pine / Roughleaf Ricegrass Woodland CEGL002123 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Association CEGL003752 <i>Carya (glabra</i>, <i>tomentosa) - Fraxinus americana - (Juniperus virginiana)</i> Open Woodland CEGL003752 1.B.2.Nb.2.e
Concept Lineage: This alliance includes one association from Old Alliance I.A.8.N.b. Pinus ponderosa Forest Alliance (A.124) and 3 associations from Old Alliance II.A.4.N.a. Pinus ponderosa Woodland Alliance (A.530). A.124 (in part) and A.530 (in part).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Pinus ponderosa / Juniperus communis Habitat Type (Hoffman and Alexander 1976)
> Pinus ponderosa / Juniperus horizontalis Plant Association (DeVelice et al. 1995)
> Pinus ponderosa / Mahonia repens Forest (Marriott and Faber-Langendoen 2000)
> Pinus ponderosa / Oryzopsis asperifolia Woodland (Marriott and Faber-Langendoen 2000)
< Interior Ponderosa Pine - Black Hills (Mehl 1992)
Concept Author(s): K.A. Schulz, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by Marion Reid and Hollis Marriott.

Version Date: 01-08-14
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