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CEGL005645 Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum / Cercocarpus ledifolius Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ponderosa Pine / Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This woodland association occurs on benches, plateaus and ridges in the highlands of southeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. Elevations of documented stands range from 2070 to 2590 m (6800-8500 feet), on gentle to moderate slopes with north and east aspects. Exposed bedrock, large rocks and litter cover much of the unvegetated surface. Soils tend to be shallow, skeletal and extremely well-drained. This woodland association is characterized by an open canopy of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum with a subcanopy or tall-shrub layer of Cercocarpus ledifolius. The Cercocarpus shrubs often take an "arboreal" form, in which individuals have a single trunk and a distinct canopy. Scattered Pseudotsuga menziesii or Abies concolor may also occur in the canopy, and the subcanopy layer may also contain Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum and Pinus edulis. Shrubs other than Cercocarpus ledifolius tend to be sparse, but Amelanchier utahensis, Purshia tridentata, or Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana may be present. The sparse herbaceous layer tends to be dominated by graminoids, including Carex rossii, Leymus salinus, Hesperostipa comata, Elymus elymoides, and Poa fendleriana. Forbs are inconsistent among sites and contribute little cover.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This is a distinct and well-documented woodland type. A few stands may intergrade with ~Pseudotsuga menziesii / Cercocarpus ledifolius Woodland (CEGL000897)$$. Taxonomists (Kartesz 1999) recognize two varieties of Pinus ponderosa, a Pacific form, Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa, and an interior form, Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum. This association is dominated by Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This woodland association is characterized by an open canopy up to 20 m tall of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum with a subcanopy or tall-shrub layer of Cercocarpus ledifolius up to 5 m tall. The Cercocarpus shrubs often take an "arboreal" form, in which individuals have a single trunk and a distinct canopy. Scattered Pseudotsuga menziesii or Abies concolor may also occur in the canopy, and the subcanopy layer may also contain Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum, and Pinus edulis. Shrubs other than Cercocarpus ledifolius tend to be sparse but may include Amelanchier utahensis, Purshia tridentata, or Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana. The sparse herbaceous layer tends to be dominated by graminoids, including Carex rossii, Leymus salinus, Hesperostipa comata, Elymus elymoides, and Poa fendleriana. Forbs are inconsistent among sites and contribute little cover.
Dynamics: The dominant species in this association are adapted to fires; mature Pinus ponderosa routinely survive surface fires, and Cercocarpus ledifolius is capable of resprouting even after relatively hot fires. However, most of the sampled stands used in this description do not report any evidence of fire, and the large size of the Cercocarpus shrubs indicates that these stands have not experienced any fire in at least several centuries. Cercocarpus ledifolius is somewhat shade-tolerant; it will grow under an open tree canopy, but as the canopy closes shrub density decreases.
Environmental Description: This woodland association occurs on benches, plateaus and mountain ridges in the highlands of northwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. Elevations of documented stands range from 2070 to 2590 m (6800-8500 feet) in Colorado and Utah. Sites occur on gentle to moderate slopes with north and east aspects. Exposed bedrock, large rocks and litter cover much of the unvegetated surface. Soils are derived from a variety of sources, including sandstone, andesite and basalt, but tend to be shallow, skeletal and extremely well-drained.
Geographic Range: This association has been documented in southern Utah and northwestern Colorado. It has also been reported from central Utah (Youngblood and Mauk 1985).
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.959215
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.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division | D194 | 1.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nb.1 White Fir - Douglas-fir - Blue Spruce Forest Macrogroup | M022 | 1.B.2.Nb.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.1.b Ponderosa Pine Southern Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Group | G228 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.b |
| Alliance | A3398 Ponderosa Pine Southern Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3398 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.b |
| Association | CEGL005645 Ponderosa Pine / Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland | CEGL005645 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus ponderosa / Cercocarpus ledifolius Habitat Type (Youngblood and Mauk 1985)
= Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum / Cercocarpus ledifolius Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland (Clark et al. 2009)
= Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum / Cercocarpus ledifolius Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland (Clark et al. 2009)
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- Coles, J., D. Cogan, D. Salas, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, J. Von Loh, and A. Evenden. 2008a. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Dinosaur National Monument. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR-2008/112. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 814 pp.
- Romme, W. H., K. D. Heil, J. M. Porter, and R. Fleming. 1993. Plant communities of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. USDI National Park Service, Technical Report NPS/NAUCARE/NRTER-93/02. Cooperative Park Studies Unit, Northern Arizona University. 37 pp.
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- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
- Youngblood, A. P., and R. L. Mauk. 1985. Coniferous forest habitat types of central and southern Utah. General Technical Report INT-187. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. 89 pp.