Print Report

CEGL005531 Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir / Salal - Oceanspray Forest

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association occurs from sea level to about 610 m (2000 feet) elevation in the Puget Lowland, Washington, and in the Georgia Basin of British Columbia. This is an evergreen needle-leaved forest dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii; other tree species are absent or present in small amounts, Pinus contorta being the most frequent. The understory is dominated by a relatively continuous layer of the evergreen broad-leaved shrub Gaultheria shallon, typically 0.5-1 m tall. The deciduous broad-leaved Holodiscus discolor is usually present and forms an open layer 2-5 m tall, sometimes codominated by Corylus cornuta. Herbaceous species typically occupy little cover. Other frequent species include Rosa gymnocarpa, Mahonia nervosa, Goodyera oblongifolia, Polystichum munitum, Festuca occidentalis, Pteridium aquilinum, Rubus ursinus, and Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia. This association occurs on dry, nutrient-poor sites, with soils that are shallow to bedrock or very coarse and deep glacial outwash. It tends to occur on upper slopes or south to west aspects. This association is distinguished from similar ones by >10% cover of Gaultheria shallon, and >5% cover of Holodiscus discolor, Corylus cornuta, or Vaccinium ovatum, combined with <10% cover of Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, and Abies grandis, <20% cover of Arbutus menziesii, and <5% cover of Polystichum munitum.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This is an evergreen needle-leaved forest dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii; other tree species are absent or present in small amounts, Pinus contorta being the most frequent. The understory is dominated by a relatively continuous layer of the evergreen broad-leaved shrub Gaultheria shallon, typically 0.5-1 m tall. The deciduous broad-leaved Holodiscus discolor is usually present and forms an open layer 2-5 m tall, sometimes codominated by Corylus cornuta. Herbaceous species typically occupy little cover. Other frequent species include Rosa gymnocarpa, Mahonia nervosa, Goodyera oblongifolia, Polystichum munitum, Festuca occidentalis, Pteridium aquilinum, Rubus ursinus, and Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia (= Trientalis latifolia).

Dynamics:  No Data Available

Environmental Description:  This association occurs from sea level to about 610 m (2000 feet) elevation in the Puget Lowland, Washington, and in the Georgia Basin of British Columbia. This association occurs on dry, nutrient-poor sites, with soils that are shallow to bedrock or very coarse and deep glacial outwash. It tends to occur on upper slopes or south to west aspects.

Geographic Range: This association is found in Washington and British Columbia.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  BC, CA, OR, WA




Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: > Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor (Chappell 1997)
> Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor (Chappell 2001)
> Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor (Chappell 2006b) [35 plots]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor Forest (Copass and Ramm-Granberg 2016a)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon - Holodiscus discolor Forest Association (Rocchio et al. 2012)
< Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon (Henderson et al. 1989)
> Pseudotsuga menziesii / Gaultheria shallon (Fonda and Bernardi 1976)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii/Gaultheria shallon-Holodiscus discolor (Meidinger et al. 2005) [PNWCOAST_121]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii/Gaultheria shallon-Holodiscus discolor Forest (Crawford et al. 2009) [PNWCOAST_121]

Concept Author(s): Meidinger et al. (2005)

Author of Description: No Data Available

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 06-12-15

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