Print Report

A3672 Abies lowiana - Pinus lambertiana Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance is characterized by one or more conifer species mixtures, where Abies lowiana, Calocedrus decurrens, and/or Pinus lambertiana comprise the predominant canopy. Other conifer species that may present include Pinus jeffreyi, Pinus ponderosa, or Pseudotsuga menziesii. These mixed mesic conifer forests occur in the cooler, upper elevations of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains and Sierra Nevada.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: White Fir - Sugar Pine Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance is characterized by one or more conifer species mixtures, where Abies lowiana, Calocedrus decurrens, and/or Pinus lambertiana comprise the predominant canopy. Other conifer species that may present include Pinus jeffreyi, Pinus ponderosa, or Pseudotsuga menziesii. These mixed mesic conifer forests occur in the cooler, upper elevations of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains and Sierra Nevada. They occurs on raised stream benches, terraces, slopes, and ridges at 1000-3000 m in elevation.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Abies lowiana is typically in combination with Pinus lambertiana and/or Calocedrus decurrens.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This concept is based on Sawyer et al. (2009) Abies concolor - Pinus lambertiana Forest Alliance.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These are closed, medium-statured to tall (20-50 m in height), multi-storied forests of needle-leaved evergreen trees.

Floristics: These forests are mixed conifer forests of middle elevations. At least two of three predominant conifers are dominant with Abies lowiana (= Abies concolor var. lowiana), Calocedrus decurrens, and/or Pinus lambertiana. Stands often have other conifers present such as Pinus ponderosa, Pinus jeffreyi, Pinus monophylla, Pinus contorta, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Common hardwood associates include Cornus nuttallii and Quercus kelloggii. Ericaceous or cold-deciduous shrubs include Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Chrysolepis sempervirens (= Castanopsis sempervirens), Ceanothus prostratus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Rubus parviflorus, Prunus emarginata, and Salix scouleriana. The herbaceous layer is composed largely of forbs, including Asarum hartwegii, Clintonia uniflora, Lupinus latifolius, Adenocaulon bicolor, Sarcodes sanguinea, and Osmorhiza berteroi (= Osmorhiza chilensis).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  They occurs on raised stream benches, terraces, slopes, and ridges at 1000-3000 m in elevation.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found throughout mid-elevations of California in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains, Modoc Plateau, southern Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges and southern California mountains, and north into southern Oregon in the Cascades and Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, OR


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

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.Nd Vancouverian Forest & Woodland Division D192 1.B.2.Nd
Macrogroup 1.B.2.Nd.2 Incense-cedar - Jeffrey Pine - Sierra White Fir Forest Macrogroup M023 1.B.2.Nd.2
Group 1.B.2.Nd.2.a Incense-cedar - Sugar Pine - Sierra White Fir Forest & Woodland Group G344 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Alliance A3672 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine Forest Alliance A3672 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL000016 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine - Ponderosa Pine / Greenleaf Manzanita Forest CEGL000016 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL003155 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine - Jeffrey Pine / Sparse Understory Forest CEGL003155 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008675 Sierra White Fir - Incense-cedar - Sugar Pine / Bush Chinquapin / Many-stem Sedge Forest CEGL008675 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008676 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine - Incense-cedar / Creeping Snowberry / Milky Kelloggia Forest CEGL008676 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008677 Sierra White Fir - Incense-cedar - Sugar Pine / Pacific Dogwood / California Hazelnut Forest CEGL008677 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008678 Sierra White Fir - Incense-cedar - Sugar Pine / American Trailplant Forest CEGL008678 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008679 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine Forest CEGL008679 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL008680 Sierra White Fir - Sugar Pine / Feathery False Lily-of-the-Valley - Drops-of-Gold Forest CEGL008680 1.B.2.Nd.2.a
Concept Lineage: A.2560

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Abies concolor - Pinus lambertiana (White fir - sugar pine forest) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [88.510.00]
= Abies concolor-Pinus lambertiana Forest Alliance (CNPS 2017) [88.510.00]
? Big Tree Forest (#84250) (Holland 1986b) [This synonym was used by Robert Holland and is widely quoted in literature.]
? Giant Sequoia Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995) [This name is a synonym for the Alliance used by the California Heritage Division.]
>< Interior Douglas-fir: 210 (Eyre 1980)
? Sierra Nevada Mixed Conifer type-SAF (Burns and Honkala 1990a) [Giant sequoia groves lie entirely within this Society of American Foresters cover type 243.]
>< Sierra Nevada Mixed Conifer: 243 (Eyre 1980)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 20: Spruce-Fir-Douglas fir Forest (Picea-Abies-Pseudotsuga) (Küchler 1964)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 5: Mixed Conifer Forest (Abies-Pinus-Pseudotsuga) (Küchler 1964)
>< White Fir: 211 (Eyre 1980)
Concept Author(s): G. Kittel after Sawyer et al. (2009)

Author of Description: G. Kittel and J. Evens

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by J. Evens.

Version Date: 12-18-14
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