Print Report
A3729 Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Rubus lasiococcus Cascadian Forest Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance covers stands where Abies lasiocarpa is always dominant. Picea engelmannii or Pinus contorta may sometimes occur in the canopy. These are spruce-fir forests found in the Cascade Range with mostly Cascadian understory species that makes it floristically distinct from its Rocky Mountain counterpart. Stands occur on cold, exposed, steep upper slopes or ridgetops on well-drained soils with northern or southern aspects at 1500 to 2150 m (4900-7050 feet) elevation.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Rough-fruit Berry Cascadian Forest Alliance
Colloquial Name: Cascadian Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Forest
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance covers stands where Abies lasiocarpa is always dominant and where Picea engelmannii and/or Pinus contorta may sometimes occur in the canopy. Dwarf-shrubs include non-Rocky-Mountain species such as Rubus lasiococcus. The herb layer can vary from abundant and species-rich to very poor with little cover. Species representative of the Cascades include Lupinus arcticus ssp. subalpinus, Lupinus latifolius, Lomatium martindalei, Hieracium albiflorum, and Luzula glabrata var. hitchcockii. This alliance is a dry, low-statured forest or woodland, with a very limited range in the Cascades. It may occasionally form tree islands in parklands. Most stands occur on cold, exposed, steep upper slopes or ridgetops on well-drained soils with northern or southern aspects. Elevations range from 1500 to 2150 m (4900-7050 feet).
Diagnostic Characteristics: Forests of high montane elevations of the Washington and Oregon Cascades and Olympic Peninsula dominated by Abies lasiocarpa.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance is a spruce-fir forest in the Cascades that has mostly representative Cascadian understory species and is floristically distinct from its Rocky Mountain counterpart. In contrast, the Rocky Mountain alliance is an abundant and widespread forest type, and forms extensive matrix forests of the subalpine elevations in the northern and central Rocky Mountains.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: It is of relatively short stature.
Floristics: Abies lasiocarpa is always dominant. Picea engelmannii or Pinus contorta may sometimes occur in the canopy. Dwarf-shrubs such as Juniperus communis, Vaccinium scoparium, Paxistima myrsinites, Rubus lasiococcus, and Phyllodoce empetriformis can be prominent. The herb layer can vary from abundant and species-rich to very poor with little cover. Species include Lupinus arcticus ssp. subalpinus, Lupinus latifolius, Arnica cordifolia, Arnica latifolia, Lomatium martindalei, Orthilia secunda (= Pyrola secunda), Hieracium albiflorum, Valeriana sitchensis, Luzula glabrata var. hitchcockii, Xerophyllum tenax, and Polemonium pulcherrimum. Lichens are often very common.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This alliance is a dry, low-statured forest or woodland, with a very limited range in the Cascades. It may occasionally form tree islands in parklands. The Cascadian spruce-fir alliance is a cold and dry forest or woodland, limited to dry sites at high elevations in the extreme rainshadow of the northeastern Olympic Mountains. Most stands occur on cold, exposed, steep upper slopes or ridgetops on well-drained soils with northern or southern aspects. Elevations range from 1500 to 2150 m (4900-7050 feet).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Cascade Range and Olympic Peninsula of Oregon and Washington.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: MT, OR, WA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899781
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.Nd Vancouverian Forest & Woodland Division | D192 | 1.B.2.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nd.4 California Red Fir - Mountain Hemlock - Sierra Lodgepole Pine Forest Macrogroup | M025 | 1.B.2.Nd.4 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nd.4.c Mountain Hemlock - Pacific Silver Fir - Alaska-cedar Wood Group | G849 | 1.B.2.Nd.4.c |
| Alliance | A3729 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Rough-fruit Berry Cascadian Forest Alliance | A3729 | 1.B.2.Nd.4.c |
| Association | CEGL000316 Subalpine Fir - (Lodgepole Pine) / Arctic Lupine Woodland | CEGL000316 | 1.B.2.Nd.4.c |
| Association | CEGL000920 Subalpine Fir / Pink Mountain-heath Woodland | CEGL000920 | 1.B.2.Nd.4.c |
Concept Lineage: A.NCCN-012
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii Series (Johnston 1987)
>< Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir: 206 (Eyre 1980)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 15: Western Spruce-Fir Forest (Picea-Abies) (Küchler 1964)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 21: Southwestern Spruce-Fir Forest (Picea-Abies) (Küchler 1964)
>< Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir: 206 (Eyre 1980)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 15: Western Spruce-Fir Forest (Picea-Abies) (Küchler 1964)
>< Western Needleleaf Forests: 21: Southwestern Spruce-Fir Forest (Picea-Abies) (Küchler 1964)
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