United States

Department

of Agriculture

Forest Service

Rocky Mountain

Research Station

General Technical

Report RMRS-GTR-85

October 2001

Riparian and Wetland Plant

Community Types of the

Shoshone National Forest

Gillian Walford

George Jones

Walter Fertig

Sabine Mellman-Brown

Kent E. Houston

Cody

Conservation

District

Natural Resources

Conservation Service
Abstract 

Walford, Gillian; Jones, George; Fertig, Walt; Mellman-Brown, Sabine; Houston, Kent E. 2001. Riparian 

and wetland plant community types of the Shoshone National Forest. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRSGTR-85. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research 

Station. 122 p. 

This classification of riparian and wetland plant communities in the Shoshone National Forest was a 

cooperative project between the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) of The Nature Conservancy and the Shoshone National Forest. This project identifies groups of plant species that commonly 

occur together in particular environmental settings, Each such group of species, or plant community type, 

is identified by the structure of the vegetation and by the species contributing the most canopy cover. The 

classification identifies physiognomic types based on the amounts of trees, tall shrubs, low shrubs, and 

herbaceous plants; and dominance types within each physiognomic type. The term "community type" is 

used in a broad sense to mean both seral or successional vegetation types and potential or climax 

vegetation types. 

Key words: vegetation classification, riparian, community type, Shoshone National Forest 
Riparian and Wetland Plant 

Community Types of the 

Shoshone National Forest 

Gillian Walford 

George Jones 

Walt Fertig, 

Sabine Mellman-Brown 

Kent E. Houston 
RIPARIAN AND WETLAND PLANT COMMUNITY TYPES 

OF THE 

SHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST 

Project Credits: 

Authors 

Gillian Walford, George Jones, Walt Fertig, Sabine Mellman-Brown, and Kent E. Houston 

Wyoming Natural Diversity Database 

Gillian Walford, former natural heritage riparian ecologist: organizing, overseeing, and conducting the 

collection and analysis of vegetation data; writing sections of the report (introduction, methods, forest & 

woodland community types, willow community types, and non-willow shrub community types). 

Dr. George Jones, natural heritage ecologist: writing the section of the report on herbaceous 

community types, editing the report. 

Walter Fertig, botanist: identification of plant specimens, collection of 1996 field data. 

Field workers: 

Sandra Gottschlich , German botany graduate student, volunteer 

Ann Dillemuth, Botany Student, Bryn Mawr University, volunteer 

Sabine Mellman-Brown , Ecologist, University of Muenster, Germany 

Robert Bechtoff, German botany graduate student, volunteer 

Shoshone National Forest 

Kent Houston, soil scientist, supervisor's office: overall management of the project, writing the 

sections of the report on soils and type distribution, field data collection, and final edit of report. 

Shelia Tillotson, database management, supervisor's office: data entry, GPS locations, and final 

report editor. 

Field workers: 

Michele Weider, Ecology graduate student, Utah State University 

Mike Wendel, Ecology graduate student, Utah State University 

Calli Daume, Geology graduate student, University of Wyoming 

Gary Garlick, Range science student, University of Wyoming 

Eileen Rowan, soil scienctist, supervisor's office: field data collection, soil taxonomy 
Contents 

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5 

STUDY AREA .......................................................................................................... 5 

METHODS .............................................................................................................. 6 

FIELD METHODS ..................................................................................... 6 

VEGETATION METHODS ....................................................................... 6 

SOIL METHODS ....................................................................................... 7 

VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION .......................................................... 8 

KEY TO RIPARIAN PLANT COMMUNITY TYPES ............................................ 9 

DECIDUOUS WOODLAND TYPES ..................................................... 18 

Populus angustifolia1Recent Alluvial Bar Community Type ................... 19 

Populus angustifolidBetula occidentalis Community Type .................... 21 

Populus balsamiferaKornus sericea Community Type ........................... 23 

Populus balsamifera/Symphoricarpos occidentalis Community Type .... 25 

CONIFEROUS FOREST RIPARIAN TYPES ......................................... 27 

Picea engelmannii/Salix boothii Community Type .................................. 28 

Picea engelmanniilsenecio triangularis Habitat Type ............................. 30 

Picea engelmanniKarex disperma Habitat Type ................................... 31 

Picea engelmanniilEquisetum arvense Habitat Type ............................... 32 

Picea engelmanniilGalium triiflorunz Habitat Type .................................. 33 

Abies lasiocarpa/Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type ...................... 34 

WILLOW SHRUB TYPES ................................................................................... 35 

LOW WILLOW COMMUNITY TYPES ................................................. 36 

Salix wolfii/Carex aquatilis Community Type ........................................ 37 

Salix wolfii/Mesic forb Community Type ................................................. 40 

Salix wolfii/Deschampsia cespitosa Community Type ............................. 42 

Salix wolfii/Poa pratensis Community Type ............................................ 44 

Salix barclayi - Salix wolfii dominated stand ........................................... 46 

Salix wolfii (Wolf's willow) unclassified stand ........................................ 47 

Salix eastwoodiaelMesic graminoid Community Type (tentative) ........... 48 

Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis Community Type ............................... 50 

Salix planifoliaKarex aquatilis Community Type ................................... 52 

Salix planifoliaKarex scopulorum Community Type .............................. 54 

Salix planifoliaKa1tha leptosepala Community Type ............................. 56 

Salix planifoliaLDeschampsia cespitosa Community Type ...................... 58 

Salix candidaKarex rostrata Community Type ....................................... 60 

Salix glauca (Grayleaf willow) Vegetation ............................................... 62 

TALL WILLOW COMMUNITY TYPES ................................................ 64 

Salix boothii (Booth's willow) Series ...................................................... 65 

Salix boothii/Carex rostrata Community type ......................................... 66 

Salix boothiihlesic graminoid Community Type .................................. 68 

Salix boothiihlesic forb Community Type .............................................. 70 

Salix boothii/Salix wolfii Type .................................................................. 72 

Salix boothii Salix . farriae Type .............................................................. 74 

Salix geyeriana (Geyer's willow) Series ................................................ 76 

Salix geyeriand Carex rostrata Community Type ................................... 77 
Salix geyeriana/Mesic graminoid Community Type ................................ 79 

Salix geyeriana/Mesic forb Community Type .......................................... 81 

Salix geyerianaKalamagrostis canadensis CommunityType .................. 83 

OTHER TALL WILLOW DOMINANCE TYPES .................................. 85 

Salix exigua/Poa pratensis Community Type ......................................... 86 

Salix lasiandra Community Type ............................................................. 88 

Salix drummondiana Series ...................................................................... 90 

NON-WILLOW SHRUB TYPES ........................................................................... 92 

Betula occidentalis/Cornus sericea Community Type ............................. 93 

Alnus incandEquisetum arvense Community Type ................................. 95 

Alnus incana/Mesic graminoid Community Type .................................... 97 

Pentaphylloides jloribunda/Poa pratensis Community Type .................. 99 

HERBACEOUS TYPES ................................................................................... 101 

Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type ......................................... 102 

Carex aquatilis Community Type ........................................................... 104 

Carex limosa Community Type ............................................................. 106 

Carex rostrata Community Type ............................................................ 108 

Carex scopulorum Community Type ...................................................... 110 

Carex simulata Community Type ........................................................... 112 

Deschampsia cespitosa Community Type .............................................. 114 

Juncus balticus Community Type ........................................................... 116 

Elymus cinereus Community Type ......................................................... 118 

REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 120 
INTRODUCTION 

This classification of riparian and wetland plant communities in the Shoshone National Forest was a 

cooperative project between The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) of The Nature Conservancy 

and the USDA Forest Service. The goal of this project is to identify groups of plant species that commonly occur 

together in particular environmental settings. Each such group of species, or plant community type, is identified 

by the structure of the vegetation and by the species contributing the most canopy cover. Hence our classification 

identifies physiognomic types based on the amounts of trees, tall shrubs, low shrubs, and herbaceous plants; and 

dominance types within each physiognomic type. We have sought to identify and name as community types those 

combinations of species that occur repeatedly, as shown by our stand data or by information from other studies 

elsewhere; we have tried to avoid naming every unique combination of species as a community type. We use the 

term "community type" in a broad sense to mean both sera1 or successional vegetation types and potential or 

climax vegetation types. We have sought to distinguish between plant associations, plant community types, ecological types, and habitat types, as have the authors of other studies. 

This project fits into long-term activities of both the WYNDD and the Forest Service. WYNDD has been 

working since 1990 on developing a statewide riparian vegetation classification system. Previous projects have 

identified the major riparian community types of eastern Wyoming's plains and basins (Jones and WBlford 1995) 

and the Bighorn Basin (Walford 1996). Other organizations and individuals also have completed or are working 

on classification projects in Wyoming: the Forest Service in western Wyoming (Youngblood et. al. 1985) and the 

Bighorn National Forest (Girard et. al. 1999, David Mattson (1 984) on the Yellowstone Plateau, and Potkin and 

Munn (1989) on the western slope of the Wind River Range. It is the intent of WYNDD to eventually produce, 

through cooperation of state and federal agencies and private organizations, a statewide classification of riparian 

vegetation types by combining the results from these studies. 

Data collected in this project are provided to Shoshone National Forest for incorporation in the Shoshone 

Ecological Survey Project, which will result in a map of ecological units (combinations of soil and vegetation) on 

the Forest.However, due to the scale of this ecological survey this riparian classification is utilized at a higher level 

of classification. In vegetation classification work, the classification is completed prior to a mapping process. The 

Forest has completed a photo interpretation mapping exercise that can now be attributed using mapping units 

developed from this classification. These polygons are embedded into the Ecological Survey GIs 1ayer.This 

ecological inventory was developed for use in revision of the Forest Management Plan, thereby benefitting all 

resource programs on the Forest. Identification of high-quality riparian areas is important in determining special 

management designations and in providing baseline data for monitoring the effects of different management 

strategies. 

This report provides descriptions of riparian plant community types identified on the Shoshone National 

Forest. A key to these associations has been included to allow identification of these community types in the field. 

Many of these types have been described in other classifications and inventories, primarily from the Rocky Mountain 

region. A comparison is made of the community types that we identified on the Shoshone National Forest with 

those vegetation and habitat types described elsewhere. This comparison allows us to include a more complete 

picture of each community type and its ecological attributes. We hope that the information in this report will prove 

usehl to land managers by allowing them to identify riparian plant associations, by providing them with information that they can use in management and conservation, and by steering them to other sources for additional 

information. 

STUDY AREA 

The Shoshone National Forest, located in northwestern Wyoming, covers approximately 2.5 million acres of 

diverse land types which exist over a variety of granitic, sedimentary, and volcanic substrates. The Beartooth 

Mountains and Plateau of the northernmost end border Montana while the southern end includes the Wind River 

Range north of the Continental Divide. Also included are the Absaroka Mountains which cover much on the 

central portion of the Forest and form the western side bordering Yellowstone National Park. The Shoshone Forest 

is administratively divided, from north to south, into five Ranger Districts: Clarks Fork, Wapiti, Greybull, Wind 
River, and Washakie. Riparian classification work was limited on the Washakie Ranger District due to lack of 

funds. It is anticipated by the authors that there are at least 4 to 8 types here that are new to the forest. 

Within the National Ecological Hierarchy of Ecological Classification (McNab and Avers. 1994), the Shoshone 

National Forest is part of the Yellowstone Highlands Section (M33 1 A), Bighorn Basin Section (342a), Wind River 

Mountains Section (M33 1 J), and Central Basin and Hills Section (342F). 

The Forest is further divided into the following subsections: Beartooth, North Absaroka, Bighorn Basin, 

Foothills, Absaroka, Southern Wind River, Upper Wind River, and Wind River. This level of classification 

contains repeating patterns of more specific Landtype Associations (LTA). The LTA is based on similarities and 

repeating patterns at the landscape level in characteristics such as geomorphic processes, geology, landforms, and 

climate. Using this hierarchical system aids in the interpretation of landscape attributes at different scales. This 

also emphasizes the connectedness of the resource base and greatly increases the effectiveness of management 

decisions. 

METHODS 

To develop a classification of riparian vegetation types on Shoshone National Forest, we collected 

information on species composition, soil properties, and other characteristics of the physical environmental from 

a variety of sites in riparian areas on the Wind River, Greybull, Wapiti, and Clarks Fork Ranger Districts on the 

Forest. In this project, we defined riparian vegetation to mean the plants growing along water courses, around 

lakes, and in depressions where subsurface water provides more moisture throughout the growing season than 

precipitation provides to the upland, or non-riparian, plants. 

FIELD METHODS 

During the summers of 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1997, vegetation ecologists fiom the WYNDD and soil 

scientists from the Shoshone National Forest selected 125 sites for sampling vegetation, soils, and environmental 

characteristics. Selections were based either on the recommendations of Forest Service personnel, who identified 

sites because of their good condition and representativeness of associations on the Forest; or on review of 

color-infiared aerial photographs that show areas of riparian and wetland vegetation. Most sites contained more 

than one type of riparian vegetation, and we generally collected information from one stand of each riparian 

vegetation type at the site. We defined a stand as an area of vegetation with relatively homogeneous species 

composition, vegetation structure, and environment, that differed in these characteristics from other areas of 

vegetation. A stand was sampled if it was large enough to contain a 0.1 ha (0.25 acres) sampling plot, and had not 

been drastically altered by the effects of human land uses. For example, stands with roads, or composed primarily 

of exotic plant species, were not sampled. 

VEGETATION METHODS 

In each stand, we collected information on plant canopy cover by life-form, canopy cover by species, height 

of each species, and ground cover using the methods of the General Field Data Form and the Plant Composition 

Form of the Shoshone National Forest SRI Vegetation Handbook (Houston 1993). This methodology consists, 

basically, of delineating a circular study plot with a radius of 37.25 feet and an area of 4,356 square feet (0.1 acre), 

recording the species present in the plot, and estimating the canopy cover of each species (by cover classes) and 

the height of each species in the plot. Types of ground cover are recorded to the nearest percent. At the sites along 

streams, we also measured the height of the stand above the bankfull stream channel. This information about the 

stand was augmented with notes about such topics as the sizes and arrangement of stands of different types in the 

riparian vegetation mosaic and the types of nearby upland vegetation. 

Plants were identified to species in the field when possible. Specimens were collected throughout the study 

to confirm the identifications made in the field, and to identify unknown species. Scientific names are from Dorn 

(1992), and common names are from USDA Soil Conservation Service (1994a) and Hitchcock and Cronquist 

(1 973). 
SOIL METHODS 

Soils were classified and described using Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 6th edition (USDA Soil Conservation 

Service 1994b). Box samples of each site were collected for verification and maintaining consistency between 

soil scientists. 

Although vegetation is often the easiest feature to recognize in riparian ecosystems, characteristics of the 

soil, particularly soil moisture, ultimately influence the plant species composition. Soils of riparian ecosystems 

are usually more diverse than those of adjacent uplands. Textural and particle-size classes, organic matter 

accumulation decomposition, and water table may be strongly contrasting, often resulting from past changes in 

stream channel width and position. Differences are usually more gradual around lakes or pond margins. A 

seasonally high water table is required for soils to be considered riparian. This situation may range from a few 

days annually to year-round. The depth at which soils are wet may also vary depending on both free water and 

capillary fringe. Where soils remain saturated for extended periods of time, biological activity (nutrient cycling 

and oxidation-reduction rations) may be functioning in an anaerobic state. These gleyed soils, characterized by 

the presence of ferrous iron and neutral gray colors, often change color rapidly when exposed to oxygen. When 

water tables fluctuate more frequently between alternating wet-dry periods, oxidation and reduction reactions may 

produce mottling with high chroma. However, at high elevations these chemical reactions are slowed, because of 

cold temperatures, resulting in soil that do not display mottling. 

Soils textural and particle-size classes are often indicative of the type and degree of fluvial activity that has 

taken place. Surface horizons usually grade from coarse to fine. Buried horizons that are strongly contrasting may 

indicate channel positions or stream flows different from current conditions. Structural development also is 

helpful in hypothesizing the degree of in-situ pedogenesis. 

Organic matter accumulation and decomposition proceed rapidly near the soil surface within the riparian 

ecosystem. Material is produced on-site or may be transported by fluvial processes. However, under anaerobic 

conditions, decomposition rates are almost negligible, and thick organic matter layers may develop over time. 

Recent fluvial deposition usually results in soils with irregular decreases in organic matter with depth. This 

contrasts with most upland soils containing a regular decrease with depth. 

Sampled riparian soils within the Shoshone National Forest belong to five soil "orders", based upon the 

presence or absence of diagnostic horizons or broad features characteristic of the formative processes. Six 

suborders are recognized, based on major moisture or temperature regimes for the order. Great groups also 

involve differences of moisture and temperature, but are based on soil properties rather than processes. Subgroups 

are named after characteristics that modify the previously-named features. Finally, the family taxa are used to 

group soils having similar physical and chemical properties that affect their responses to management. 

Mollisols are the most frequently encountered soils within the riparian zones on the Shoshone National 

Forest. This order includes those soils having a dark brown to black surface horizon (the mollic epipedon) that is 

relatively thick, has a high base saturation, and usually well developed structure. The mollic epipedon is primarily 

the result of the underground decomposition of organic residues in the presence of bivalent cations such as 

calcium. These soils have formed under relatively stable conditions and have supported dense vegetation that 

usually includes graminoids. Sites are commonly found on alluvial terraces, broad valley bottoms, and gentile 

toeslopes away from the disruptive fluvial action of active streams. At the suborder level, mollisols that are 

usually saturated, with little or no free dissolved oxygen for prolonged periods during the growing season (a 

reducing regime) have an aquic moisture regime, and are classified as Aquolls. Mean soil temperatures on the 

Shoshone National Forest are between 0 and 8 C (32 and 47 F); therefore, our Aquolls have cryic temperature 

regimes and belong to the Cryaquoll great group. Subgroups on the forest are differentiated into Typic and Histic, 

based upon the presence or absence of an histic epipedon. Mollisols that are not saturated, have chroma more than 

2, and lack distinct or prominent mottles, belong to the Boroll suborder. These soils all have a mean annual soil 

temperature lower than 8 C (47 F), and are thus classified as Cryoborolls. At the subgroup level, our soils belong 

to the Fluventic, Fluvaquentic, Typic, Aquic, and Pachic taxa, depending upon the presence or absence of mottles 

in the lower horizon, and thickness of the mollic horizon. These Cryoborolls often occur in the driest extremes of 
the riparian zone, and may extend up and outward, supporting non-riparian vegetation. 

Histosols are soils that contain surface horizon of organic material that is usually at least 40 cm (1 6 inches) 

thick. Suborders are distinguished by the degree of decomposition of organic material and the presence of 

sphagnum fibers. Most Histosols on the Forest are hemic, indicating that approximately one half of the material 

has decomposed enough that the botanic origin can not be determined; or fibric, with only partially decomposed 

wood and remains of herbaceous plants. Most Histosols on the Shoshone belong to the Cryofibrist suborder. 

These soils are usually permanently saturated with water and have developed cryic temperatures and very little 

free oxygen, resulting in slow decompositions. Pergelic Cryofibrists have been found in the area known as the 

"Peatbeds" on the Beartooth plateau. In these soils ice has been found at approximately 20 inches. Histosols are 

usually found on sites with permanent bogs and seeps, small drainages influenced by beaver dams, and broad 

valley bottoms with meandering streams. 

Riparian Inceptisols on the Shoshone National Forest are soils that lack the mollic epipedon, and have high 

available water throughout the growing season, textures finer than loamy sand, and altered horizons that have lost 

bases but retained some weatherable minerals. The Aquic moisture regime and cryic temperature regime classifies 

these soils as Cryaquepts. 

Entisols are those soils that have little or no evidence of pedogenic horizons, normally as a result of recent 

deposition by fluvial action. These soils on the Forest are within the Cryic temperature regime. Where slopes are 

less than 25 percent and organic-carbon content decreases irregularly with depth, soils are classified as Fluvents. 

They may be frequently flooded, or have great fluctuations in the water table. Depth of ground water and the 

presence of mottles of low chroma distinguish the Aquic or Typic subgroup of the Cryofluvents. Aquents are soils 

that are saturated for a longer period and are commonly bluish or gray mottled. Fluvents with extensive 

stratification can be found along the major river systems and debris flow fans in the Absaroka range. The typic 

subgroup of Cryaquents occur on a wide variety of sites, including broad valley bottoms that flood occasionally, 

gentle toeslopes and terraces in close proximity to high gradient streams, and narrow V-shaped drainages 

containing order 1 or 2 streams. 

The level of soil classification used throughout the project has been the family. Family differentia for 

mineral soils are based on particle size. Organic soils within the Histisol order are differentiated by particle size 

and mineral soil depth. 

VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION 

In this classification, stands are grouped together based on similarity in structure and composition of the 

existing (as opposed to the putative potential) vegetation, as well as some non-vegetation attributes such as soil 

properties and position on the landscape. The classification is a hierarchy. On the most general level, the 

physiognomic types contain stands having dominant species of the same life-form: trees, shrubs, or herbaceous 

plants. Within each physiognomic type, stands that share the same major species (the species contributing the bulk 

of the canopy cover) in each vegetation layer are grouped together into the same community type. 

Our community types are generally dominance types, in that they share the same dominant species (the 

species contributing the most canopy cover) in each layer. But in some cases, diagnostic species that indicate a 

particular habitat, but do not contribute the most canopy cover, are used to group stands together. We use the term 

"cornmunity type" in a broad sense to mean both sera1 or successional vegetation types and potential or climax 

vegetation types. We have not sought to distinguish between plant associations, plant community types, 

ecological types, and habitat types, as have the authors of other studies. We have, however, tried to identify the 

successional status of each community type based on the structure and composition of the stands and on 

information about similar vegetation types from other studies. 
KEY TO RIPARIAN PLANT COMMUNITY TYPES 

This key can be used to place a stand of riparian or wetland vegetation into one of the plant community types 

described in this report. If a stand keys to a series or other vegetation type, we have not yet described the plant 

community type to which it belongs. 

The key is based on the amount of certain plant species in the stand. Classification of plant communities 

reveals similarities in abiotic parameters as well as biotic parameters; these ecological attributes of a 

community's site are included in the description but are not used in the key. 

Select a stand of relatively homogeneous vegetation and environmental characteristics; that is, your stand 

should be relatively uniform in species composition, vegetation structure, and site characteristics. The classification is developed from these kinds of stands; ecotones are avoided and will be difficult to key out. You will 

need to accurately identify and estimate the canopy cover of the indicator species used in this key. You will 

also need to identify other species when checking the stand against the description. 

Start with the key to the physiognomic types, which will lead you to the forest & woodland, shrub, or herbaceous types. The dichotomous key offers two choices at each junction. Read both choices before selecting the 

more appropriate of the two. Your choice will either lead you to another pair of choices, or will tell you what 

plant community type your stand likely belongs in, or will tell you that your stand belongs in a vegetation type 

that we did not sample and describe. Once you identify your stand using the key, read the description of the 

type in the classification. You must validate the determination you made in the key by comparing your stand's 

vegetation and site characteristics with those in the descriptions. 

Key to Physiognomic Types 

1. Trees (excluding seedlings and saplings) dominate the overstory with at least 15% combined canopy cover. 

...................................................................................................................... ST & WOODLAND GROUP 

1. Trees (pole size and larger) not present or with canopy cover less than 15% .................................................... 2 

2. Shrubs (including tree seedlings and saplings) dominate the over story with at least 25% canopy 

cover.. .................................................................................................................................... SHRUB GROUP 

2. Shrubs (including tree seedlings and saplings) with combined canopy cover less than 25% and herba 

ceous species with combined canopy cover greater than 25% .............................. HERBACEOUS GROUP 
RIPARIAN / WETLAND FOREST & WOODLAND PHYSIOGNOMIC TYPES 

1. Deciduous trees compose the tree overstory: conifers are absent, or contribute less than 10% of the tree 

canopy cover .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 

1. Conifers contribute at least 50% of the tree canopy cover ............................................................................. 8 

2. Populus balsamifera is the dominant overstory tree with at least 25% canopy cover ............................ 3 

2. Not as above ........................................................................................................................................... 5 

3. Cornus sericea is well represented in the shrub layer with at least 25% canopy cover 

.................................................................................. POPULUS BALSAMIFERA / CORNUS SERICEA C.T. 

3. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................... 4 

4. Symphoricarpos species (S. occidentalis, S. oreophilus, or S. albus) andlor Rosa species (R. sayi or R. 

woodsii) are well represented in the shrub layer with individual or combined canopy cover of at least 

15% ................... .POPULUS BALSAMIFERA / SYMPHORICARPUS OCCIDENTALIS C.T. 

4. Not as above .................................................. UNDESCBED POPULUS BALSAMIFERA TYPE 

5. Populus angustifolia is the dominant overstory tree with at least 25% canopy cover ................................... 6 

5. Not as above: ................................................................................................................................................. 7 

6. Betula occidentalis is well represented in the understory treelshrub layer with at least 15% canopy 

cover .................................................... .POPULUS ANGUSTIFOLIA / BETULA OCCIDENTALIS C.T. 

6. Not as above .................................................. UNDESCBED POPULUS ANGUSTIFOLIA TYPE 

7. Populus tremuloides is a major component of the tree canopy with at least 25% cover ................................... 

......................................................... POPULUS TREMULOIDES TYPES, REFER TO FOREST KEY 

7. Not as above ................................................ UNDESCRIBED DECIDUOUS FOREST OR WOODLAND 

8. Picea engelmannii (or, rarely, P. pungens) dominate or codominate the tree canopy; Abies lasiocarpa, 

Pinus contorta, and Pseudotsuga menziesii may be present but are restricted to hummocks and other dry 

micro sites and contribute little cover .............................................................................................................. 9 

8. Picea engelmannii (or P. pungens) are minor species; other trees dominate the tree canopy ................ 14 

9. Salix boothii dominates a tall shrub layer ....................... PICEA ENGELMANNI / SALIX BOOTH11 C.T. 

9. Tall shrubs may be present but do not form a distinct layer (canopy cover <lo%) ..................................... 10 

10. Carex disperma dominates the understory, which may contain a variety of wet-site forbs and grasses 

................................................................................. PICEA ENGELMANNII / CAREX DISPERMA H.T. 

10. Carex disperma is absent or present in only small amounts ................................................................ 1 1 
11. Equisetum arvense dominates the herbaceous understory, which may also contain a variety of wet-site 

forbs ...................................................................... PICA ENGELMANNII / EQUISETUM ARVENSE H.T. 

11. Equisetum arvense is absent or present only in small amounts ................................................................... 12 

12. Senecio triangularis dominates the herbaceous understory, which may be rich in wet-site forbs and 

grasses ..................................................... PICEA ENGELMANNII / SENECIO TEUANGULARIS C.T. 

12. Senecio triangularis is absent, or is present in small amounts on wet micro sties ................................ 13 

13. Galium trzflorum, Actaea rubra, or Maianthemum stellatum, individually or together, contribute at least as 

much cover to the herbaceous understory as do other species, and often dominate ................................................. 

................................................................................ PICEA ENGELMANNII / GALIUM TRIFLORUM H.T. 

13. Not as above.. ............................................................... UNDESCBED PICEA ENGELMANNII TYPE 

14. Abies lasiocarpa dominates the tree canopy.. ......................................................................................... 15 

14. Not as above ............................ UNDESCRIBED CONIFEROUS FOREST & WOODLAND TYPE 

15. Calamagrostis canadensis dominates or co-dominates the herbaceous understory; shrubs may be present 

but are restricted to dry micro sites on hummocks or tree bases and do not form a distinct layer ........................... 

.............................................................. ABIES LASIOCARPA / CALAMAGROSTIS CANADENSIS H.T. 

15. Not as above ..................................................................... UNDESCBED ABIES LASIOCARPA TYPE 
WETLAND RIPARIAN SHRUB PHYSIOGNOMIC TYPE 

1 Willows (Salix sp.) dominate the overstory, usually with at least 25% combined canopy cover .................. 2 

1. Shrubs other than willows dominate the overstory ...................................................................................... 35 

2. Salix geyeriana is the dominant willow, usually with at least 15% canopy cover (Salix boothii may be 

present in equal amounts, but Salix geyeriana creates the taller willow canopy).. .......................................... 3 

2. Not as above .......................................................................................................................................... 7 

3. Carex rostrata (or C. vesicaria) present with at least 25% cover ..................................................................... 

..................................................................................... SALIX GEYERIANA / CAREX ROSTRATA C.T. 

3. Not as above .................................................................................................................................................... .4 

4. Calamagrostis canadensis present with at least 25% cover ....................................................................... 

........................................................... SALIX GEYERIANA 1 CALAMAGROSTIS CANADENSIS C.T. 

4. Not as above ............................................................................................................................................ 5 

5. Understory dominated by graminoids, with Carex praticola, Juncus balticus, Poa pratensis, and/or Carex 

microptera typically present in varying amounts.. ..... SALIX GEYERIANA / MESIC GRAMINOID C.T. 

5. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................... 6 

6. Understory dominated by forbs, with Aster foliaceus, Pedicularis groenlandica, Fragaria virginiana, 

and/or Equisetum awense typically present in varying amounts ...................................................................... 

................................................................ SALIX GEYERIANA / MESIC FORB COMMUNITY TYPE 

6. Not as above ................................................................. UNDESCRIBED SALIX GEYERIANA TYPE 

7. Salix boothii is the dominant willow, usually with at least 15% canopy cover; Salix farriae may be present 

in equal or slightly greater amounts, but Salix boothii creates the taller willow canopy ............................... 8 

7. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 12 

8. Carex rostrata or C. vesicaria present with at least 25% cover ............................................................... 

........................................................................................... SALIX BOOTH11 / CAREX ROSTRATA C.T. 

8. Not as above ............................................................................................................................................ 9 

9. Salix farriae canopy cover equal or greater than Salix boothii .......................................................................... 

.................................................................................................. SIX BOOTH11 / SALIX FARRIAE C.T. 

9. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 10 

10. Understory dominated by graminoids, with some combination of Carex species (C. praticola, C. 

norvegica, C. microptera, C. lanuginosa, or C. aquatilis), Juncus balticus, Deschampsia cespitosa , 

Calamagrostis canadensis, or Poa pratensis typically present in varying amounts .......................................... 

.................................................................................... SALIX BOOTH11 / MESIC GRAMINOID C. T. 

10. Not as above ......................................................................................................................................... 11 
11. Understory dominated by forbs, with some combination of Asterfoliaceus, Fragaria virginiana, 

Maianthemum stellaturn, Mertensia ciliata, Equisetum awense, and/or Epilobiurn angustifoliurn typically 

present in varying amounts .................................................................. SALIX BOOTH11 / MESIC FORB C. T. 

1 1. Not as above ............................................................................. UNDESCRIBED SALIX BOOTH11 TYPE 

12. Salix candida dominates, or co-dominates with Salixplanifolia, and has at least 15% canopy cover ... 13 

12. Not as above .......................................................................................................................................... 14 

13. Carex rostrata and/or C. aquatilis dominates the herbaceous layer with at least 35% combined canopy 

cover .............................................................................. SALIX CANDIDA / CAREX ROSTRATA C.T. 

13. Not as above ............................................................................. UNDESCRIBED SALIX CANDIDA TYPE 

14. Salix eastwoodiae dominates the shrub layer or co-dominates with Salixplanifolia ......................... 15 

14. Not as above ......................................................................................................................................... 17 

15. Salix eastwoodiae dominates the shrub layer or co-dominates with S. planifolia AND Carex aquatilis is the 

major graminoid in the understory .............................. SALIX EASTWOODIAE / CAREX AQUATILIS C.T. 

15. Not as above .................................................................................................................................................. 16 

16. Salix eastwoodiae dominates the shrub layer or co-dominates with S. planifolia, AND grasses or 

sedges other than Carex aquatilis (especially Deschampsia cespitosa, Juncus balticus, and Carex 

praegracilis) dominate the understo ry... ............. SALIX EASTWOODIAE 1 MESIC GRAMINOID C.T. 

16. Salix eastwoodiae dominates the shrub layer or co-dominates with S. planifolia, AND forbs contribute 

at least as much canopy cover as do graminoids, with Caltha leptosepala, Trollius laxus, Antennaria 

corymbosa, or Senecio triangularis contributing at least 10% canopy cover 

.......................................................................... SALIX PLANIFOLIA / CALTHA LEPTOSEPALA C.T. 

17. Salixplanifolia dominates the canopy with at least 25% cover ................................................................... 18 

17. Salixplanijolia is absent or contributes less canopy cover than do other willows ....................................... 24 

18. Carex scopulorum contributes at least 35% canopy and usually dominates the herbaceous layer, which 

includes more canopy cover of graminoids than of forbs ................................................................................... 

.............................................................................. SALIX PLANIFOLIA / CAREX SCOPULORUM C.T. 

1 8. Not as above .......................................................................................................................................... 19 

19. Carex aquatilis contributes at least 25% canopy cover to the herbaceous layer ................................................ 

................................................................................... SALIX PLANIFOLIA / CAREX AQUATILIS C.T. 

19. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................. 22 
22. Deschampsia cespitosa dominates or codominates the herbaceous layer, which contains more canopy 

cover of graminoids than of forbs; Carex aquatilis and C. scopulorum are absent, or present in small 

amounts ...................................................... SALIX PLANIFOLIA / DESCHAMPSIA CESPITOSA C.T. 

22. Not as above .......................................................................................................................................... 23 

23. Forbs contribute at least as much canopy cover as do graminoids, with Caltha leptosepala, Trollius laxus, 

Antennaria corymbosa, or Senecio triangularis contributing at least 10% canopy cover ........................................ 

......................................................................... SALIX PLANIFOLIA / CALTHA LEPTOSEPALA C.T. 

Not as above ..................................................................... UNDESCRIBED SALIX PLANIFOLIA TYPE 

24. Salix drummondiana is the dominant willow, usually with at least 25% canopy cover ............................. 

............................................................................................................ SALIX DRUMMONDIANA SERIES 

24. Not as above ....................................................................................................................................... 24 

Salix exigua or S. melanopsis dominates the shrub layer ........................................................................... 25 

Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 26 

25. Poa pratensis or Agrostis stolonifera, separately or together, dominate the understory species with at 

least 25% canopy cover ........................................................... SALIX EXIGUA / POA PRATENSIS C.T. 

25. Not as above ....................................................................... UNDESCRIBED SALIX EXIGUA TYPE 

Salix lasiandra dominates the shrub layer or codominates with S. lutea ............ SALIX LASIANDRA C.T. 

Not as above .............................................................................................................................................. 27 

27. Salix barclayi is the dominant willow, usually with at least 25% canopy cover and Salix wo@i is 

present in nearly equal amounts ........................................ SALIX BARCLAYI - SALK WOLF11 TYPE 

27. Salix barclayi is absent or present in small amounts ............................................................................. 28 

Salix wo@i is the dominant willow, usually with at least 25% canopy cover and Salix boothii is present in 

nearly equal amounts ............................................................... SIX BOOTH11 - SALIX WOLF11 TYPE 

Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 29 

29. Salix wovi is the dominant willow, usually with at least 25% canopy ............................................... 30 

29. Not as above ....................................... UNDESCRIBED SALIX BOOTH11 - SALIX WOLF11 TYPE 

Carex aquatilis, C. rostrata, or C. vesicaria, individually or in combination, contribute at least 25% canopy 

coverage .............................................................................. SALIX WOLF11 / CAREX AQUATILIS C.T. 

Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 3 1 

3 1. Deschampsia cespitosa dominates or co-dominates the herbaceous layer ................................................. 

............................................................................. SALIX WOLF11 1 DESCHAMPSIA CESPITOSA C.T. 

3 1. Not as above ......................................................................................................................................... 32 
32. Poapratensis dominates the herbaceous layer .......................... SALIX WOLF11 / POA PRATENSIS C.T. 

32. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................ 33 

33. Forbs dominate the herbaceous layer, and Aster foliaceus, Caltha leptosepala, or Lupinus polyphyllus 

individually or in combination, contribute at least 25% canopy cover .............................................................. 

........................................................................................................... SALIX WOLF11 / MESIC FORB C.T. 

33. Not as above ......................................................................... UNDESCBED SALIX WOLF11 TYPE 

34. Seedlings of Populus angustifolia equally or more abundant than Salix exigua, S. melanopsis, S. lasiandra 

and/or S. lutea Populus angustifolia .......................... .RECENT ALLUVIAL BAR COMMUNITY TYPE 

34. Not as above ........................................................................ UNDESCBED WILLOW (Salix sp.) TYPE 

35. Betula occidentalis dominates or codominates the tall shrub layer AND Cornus sericea dominates or 

codominates a lower shrub layer ....................... BETULA OCCIDENTALIS / CORNUS SERICEA C.T. 

35. Not as above .......................................................................................................................................... .36 

36. Alnus incana dominates or codominates a tall shrub layer ........................................................................... 37 

36. Alnus incana is present but does not dominate or codominate the shrub layer .......................................... 39 

37. Grasses and sedges (typically Calarnagrostis canadensis, Poa pratensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, and 

Glyceria grandis) contribute more canopy cover to the understory than do forbs ............................................. 

...................................................................................... ANUS INCANA / MESIC GRAMINOIDS C.T. 

37. Not as above ........................................................................................................................................... 38 

38. Equisetum arvense contributes at least 15% canopy cover, and usually dominates or codominates the 

herbaceous layer .......................................................... ALNUS INCANA / EQUISETUM ARVENSE C.T. 

38. Equisetum arvense is absent, or is a minor species in the herbaceous layer, which consists primarily of 

forbs, or of sedges of wet habitats (such as Carex aquatilis and C. rostrata) .................................................... 

................................................................................................ UNDESCBED ALNUS INCANA TYPE 

39. Potentilla fruticosa (syn: Pentaphylloidesfloribunda) dominates the shrub layer with at least 25% 

canopy cover .................................................................................................................................................. 40 

39. Not as above ...................................... -BED OTHER NON-WILLOW TYPE 

40. Moist site Carex sp.(C. hoodii, C. haydeniana, C. albonigra) andlor Deschampsia cespitosa common 

(drop D. cespitosa cover class one value if intensively grazed) ........................................................................ 

....................................................... POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA / DESCHAMPSIA CESPITOSA H.T. 

40. D. cespitosa and moist site Carex sp. scarce ................................................................................................... 41 

4 1. Festuca idahoensis well represented or the dominant graminoid ............................................................... 

................................................................ POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA / FESTUCA IDAHOENSIS H.T. 

41. Poa pratensis well represented and the dominant graminoid (disturbed sites) ............................................ 

............................................................................ POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA / POA PRATENSIS C.T. 
HERBACEOUS GROUP 

1. Sedges (Carex sp.) dominate or codominate the vegetation .......................................................................... 2 

1. Grasses, rushes, or forbs are more abundant than sedges ............................................................................. 1 1 

2. Carex rostrata, C. vesicaria, or C. atherodes, individually or together, dominate or co-dominate with 

at least 45% canopy cover .................................................................................. CAREX ROSTRATA C.T. 

2. Not as above ........................................................................................................................................... ..3 

3. Carex aquatilis dominates the vegetation, or codominates with other sedges or with grasses (especially 

Deschampsia cespitosa) .................................................................................................................................. 4 

3. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................... -8 

4. Carex aquatilis dominates or codominates, and Carex limosa, C. scopulorum, and C. simulata are 

absent or are present with less than 40% canopy cover each ............................. CAREX AQUATILIS C.T. 

4. Not as above ............................................................................................................................................. 5 

5. Carex scopulorum contributes at least 40% canopy cover, or is the sedge with the greatest canopy cover 

....................................................................................................................... CAREX SCOPULORUM C.T. 

5. Not as above ................................................................................................................................................... .6 

6. Carex limosa contributes at least 40% canopy cover ....................................... CAREX LIMOSA C.T. 

6. Not as above ........................................................................................................................................... 7 

7. Carex simulata contributes at least 40% canopy cover ...................................... CAREX SIMULATA C.T. 

7. Not as above ............................................................................................. UNDESCRIBED SEDGE TYPE 

8. Grasses dominate the vegetation, contributing more canopy cover than sedges, rushes, or forbs .......... .9 

8. Not as above ........................................................................................................................................... 12 

9. Deschampsia cespitosa contributes at least 25% canopy cover ......... .DESCHAMPSIA CESPITOSA C.T. 

9. Deschampsia cespitosa contributes less than 25% canopy cover ................................................................. 10 

10. Elymus cinereus dominates the herbaceous layer with at least 50% canopy cover .................................... 

.............................................................................................................................ELYMUS CINEREUS C.T. 

10. Not as above: .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1 

1 1. Calamagrostis canadensis dominates or codominates the vegetation ............................................................... 

.................................................................................................... CALAMAGROSTIS CANADENSIS C.T. 

1 1. Not as above ............................................................................................... UNDESCBED GRASS TYPE 
12. Rushes (Juncus sp.), bulrushes (Scirpus), or spikerushes (Eleocharis sp.) contribute more cover than 

do forbs ................................................................................................................................................... 13 

12. Not as above ..................................................................................................... UNDESCBED TYPE 

13. Juncus balticus contributes at least 30% canopy cover ..................................... JUNCUS BALTICUS C.T. 

13. Not as above ................................. GRAMINOID TYPE UNDESCRIBED IN THIS CLASSIFICATION 
DECIDUOUS WOODLAND TYPES 
Populus angustifolia/Recent Alluvial Bar Community Type 

(Narrowleaf CottonwoodlRecent Alluvial Bar Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(1 44VWNO 17, l44V93NOO9) 

General Description 

This community type consists of stands of Populus angustifolia seedlings and saplings growing on 

recently-deposited alluvial (usually gravel or cobble) bars. The herbaceous understory is usually sparse and 

typically contains a high proportion of exotic plant species adapted to disturbance. 

Location and Environment 

Sample plots in this type occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection. Parent material consists of 

unconsolidated volcanic alluvium. We sampled two stands of this community type, both on streamside gravel and 

cobble bars within 2.5 ft. of the bankfull channel height. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderately wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Alluvial bars 

Elevation (ft.) 5,960 - 6,025 

Precipitation (in.) 10- 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

One of our two stands consisted of a moderately-dense stand of cottonwood seedlings with scattered low 

shrubs (Elaeagnus commutata, Rosa woodsii, Salix exigua, S. lutea), and an understory of the exotic Trifolium 

hybridum with numerous other graminoids and forbs of mesic habitats. The second stand was a shrub layer of 

cottonwood saplings and Salix melanopsis, a lower shrub layer of Rosa sayi, and a sparse herbaceous layer with 

numerous species typical of mesic habitats, all in small amounts. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo Yo 

TREES 2 5 20 - 30 

Seedlings 10 0 - 20 

Saplings 15 0 - 30 

SHRUBS 2 5 20 - 30 

LOW 15 10-20 

Medium 2 5 20 - 30 

GRAMINOIDS 15 10-20 

FORBS 20 10 - 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

% MEAN 

Bare Soil 12 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 20 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 22 

Stones (10 - 24 in) 3 

Litter & Duff 2 3 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 8 

Moss & Lichen 5 

Basal Vegetation 9 

RANGE 

5 - 20 

10 - 30 

20 - 25 

1-5 

16- 30 

2- 15 

0- 10 

8- 10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofluvent 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Sandy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 59% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at the surface; mottling at 10 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 4 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Stands of this community type are short-lived: they either are destroyed when the stream erodes away the 

bar on which they grow, or the trees mature and shmb and herbaceous layers develop, forming a new plant 

community type. According to Hansen et al. (1 999, these stands become part of the Populus angustifolia/Cornus 

sericea community. The future composition of our two stands is difficult to predict due the unpredictable nature of 

channel movement. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Hansen et al. (1995) describe this community type from Montana as an early sere of the P angustifolia/ 

Cornus sericea association. It has not been described explicitly in other riparian studies, but vegetation very much 

like this must be present and included in other communities. 

Figure 1 Along North Fork of the Shoshone River, Wapiti Ranger District. 
Populus angusti$olia/Betula occidentalis Community mp e 

(Narrowleaf cottonwood/Water birch Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

( 144V93N023) 

General Description 

This community type includes stands of mature Populus angustifolia trees (sometimes with other trees) 

above a tall shrub layer with substantial amounts of Betula occidentalis, a moderately-dense low shrub layer of 

Rosa and Ribes, and a diverse herbaceous layer. 

Location and Environment 

The sample of this type occurred in the North Absaroka subsection sites are characterized by river 

flood-plains and adjacent terraces. The parent material is developed from unconsolidated volcanic alluvium. The 

one stand sampled was growing on a terrace ca. 3.5 ft. above the bankfull channel height at low elevation on the 

South Fork of the Shoshone River. The soil surface was largely covered by litter, with areas of exposed 

fine-textured alluvium. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 6,180 

Precipitation (in.) 15-20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The stand that we sampled had a taller tree overstory of Populus angustifolia and a lower tree layer of 

Juniperus scopulorum; an open tall shrub layer of Betula occidentalis with a small amount of Salix lasiandra; a 

sparse low shrub layer of Rosa, Ribes, and Symphoricarpos occidentalis; and a dense herbaceous layer dominated by the exotic grasses Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis, and containing many other graminoid and forb 

species. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

TREES 20 

Medium 20 

SHRUBS 20 

Low 10 

Medium 10 

Tall 20 

GRAMINOIDS 40 

FORBS 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 

Litter & Duff 78 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 4 

Moss & Lichen 10 

Basal Vegetation 14 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryoboroll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 40 inches; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 14 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Our stand apparently represents a cottonwood woodland that will eventually be replaced by a juniper I 

woodland, as described by Hansen et al. (1995) for Populus angustifolia woodlands in Montana. The 

cottonwoods are not reproducing and, as the overstory trees die, the Juniperus scopulorum and possibly Douglas 

Fir and Limber Pine in the low tree layer will become the overstory trees. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stand is similar to the Populus angustlfolia/Betula occidentalis community type described by Padgett 

et al. (1989) from Utah, and the I! angustifolia/B. occidentalis plant association and the I! angustlfolia/Cornus 

sericea plant association, Betula occidentalis phase in central Colorado (Kittel et al. 1994, Kittel et al. 1996). 

Hansen et al. (1 995) describe a Populus angustifolia/Cornus sericea community type from Montana, the stands of 

which may contain substantial amounts of Betula occidentalis. Padgett et al. (1 989) also describe a P angustifolia/ 

C. sericea community from Utah, but they felt that the vegetation structure in stands with a B. occidentalis layer is 

so different from stands without this tall shrub that they placed stands with B. occidentalis into a separate 

community. 

Figure 2 South Fork Shoshone River below Valley School House, Wapiti 

Ranger District. 
Populus balsamifedCornus sericea Community Qpe 

(Balsam poplar/Red-osier dogwood Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(144V93NO11) 

General Description 

The Populus balsamifera/Cornus sericea type includes stands of mature balsam poplars with a dense 

medium-height shrub layer of Cornus sericea, Salix sp., Rosa, and Ribes, and a herbaceous layer containing a 

mixture of grasses and forbs typical of mesic habitats. 

Location and Environment 

The sample plot occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection. The parent material is composed of 

unconsolidated volcanic alluvium. We sampled one stand of this community type growing on a bar with a sandy 

surface horizon less than 2 ft. above the height of the bankfull channel. This stand was on the North Fork of the 

Shoshone River at low elevation. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Stream bar 

Elevation (ft.) 5,940 

Precipitation (in.) 10- 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

In our stand, Populus balsamifera forms a tall tree overstory that contains a small amount of Pseudotsuga 

menziesii. Alnus incana and Juniperus scopulorum form a sparse shrub layer 15 ft. to 20 ft. tall, and Salix sp. form 

an intermediate shrub layer ca. 10 ft. tall. Rosa woodsii and several other shrubs form a low shrub layer, and the 

herbaceous understory is made up of Calamagrostis canadensis, the exotic Bramus inermis, and other species of 

grasses and forbs of mesic habitats. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

940 

TREES 40 

Saplings 10 

Pole 20 

Medium 20 

Large 30 

SHRUBS 50 

Low 20 

Medium 40 

Tall 20 

GRAMINOIDS 40 

FORBS 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Litter & Duff 84 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 1 

Moss & Lichen 1 

Basal Vegetation 10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Fluventic Cryoboroll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 40 inches; mottling occurring at 32 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 14 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

The balsam poplar in our stand are not reproducing, and the stand apparently will become a shrub stand with 

a sparse Douglas fir overstory if the site is not disturbed. Like other cottonwoods, Populus balsamifera is a 

short-lived tree, and stands that it dominates are sera1 to other vegetation types. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Kettler and McMullen (1 996) described a Populus balsamifera deciduous forest series on the Routt National 

Forest in north-central Colorado. No other P balsamifera types have been described in the region, and stands 

dominated by this species may be included in Populus angustifolia types. For example, if P angustifolia is 

substituted for P balsamifera, our stand keys to the Populus angustifolia/Cornus sericea community type of 

Hansen et al. (1995). It should be noted, though, that none of the descriptions of P angustlfolia/C. stolonifera 

types or related types are noted from the region (Padgett et al. 1989, Hansen et al. 1995, Girard et al. 1995, 

Kittel et al. 1993, Kittel et al. 1996) include P balsamifera. 

Figure 3 Elk Fork Campground, Wapiti Ranger District. 
Populus balsamifera/Symphoricarpos occ iden talis Community Type 

(Balsam poplar1Western snowberry Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(1 44V%NOO2,144VBNOO7) 

General Description 

The stands of this community type consist of a tree overstory dominated by Populus balsamifera, a 

medium-height shrub layer, and a herbaceous understory dominated by exotic grasses and containing a variety of 

graminoids and forbs. 

Location and Environment 

Samples of this type are included within the Northern Absaroka subsection. Parent material in the area 

consists of unconsolidated volcanic alluvium. The two stands that we sampled occurred at low elevation along the 

North Fork of the Shoshone River. Both grew on stream terraces within ca. 5 ft. of the bankfull channel height. 

Nearby riparian vegetation on wetter sites includes Carex rostrata and Juncus balticus herbaceous types, and Salix 

exigua and S. lasiandra shrub stands. A stand of the Elymus cinereus herbaceous type occurs on a drier riparian 

surface near one stand. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 5,900 - 6,100 

Precipitation (in.) 10-20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Populus balsamifera formed an open tree overstory in our stands. A few tall shrubs were present in each 

stand. An open to dense shrub layer of Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Rosa sayi, Elaeagnus commutata, and Ribes 

oxyacanthoides was present above a dense herbaceous layer dominated by the exotic grasses Bromus inermis and 

Poapratensis. Several other graminoids and forbs of mesic habitats were present in substantial amounts in one or 

the other of the stands. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo % 

TREES 30 30-30 

Pole 10 10- 10 

Medium 20 10-30 

Large 5 0-10 

Very Large 10 0 - 20 

SHRUBS 40 30 - 50 

LOW 30 20 - 40 

Medium 25 20 - 30 

Tall 5 0-10 

GRAMINOIDS 40 40 - 40 

FORBS 30 30- 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 20 5 - 35 

Litter & Duff 47 45 - 50 

Wood (> 1/4 in diam.) 16 2 - 30 

Moss & Lichen 5 0- 10 

Basal Vegetation 15 13 - 18 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Fluventic Cryoboroll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 10 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 30 inches; mottling occurring at 30 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Like other cottonwoods, Populus balsamifera is a short-lived tree, and both of our stands (which lack more 

than a trace of other trees in the overstory) apparently will become shrub stands as the cottonwoods die. The 

dominance of Symphoricarpos in the shrub layer and exotic grasses in the herbaceous layer may indicate a history 

of moderately heavy grazing, as suggested by Hansen et al. (1995) for Populus angustifolia stands. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Only Kettler and McMullen (1996) have described a Populus balsamifera series from the region. Stands 

dominated by this species may be included in Populus angustifolia types. For example, if P angzistifolia is 

substituted for P. balsamifera, our stand keys to the Populus angustifolia/Symphoricarpos occidentalis 

community type of Hansen et al. (1 995). It should be noted, though, that none of the descriptions of P angustifolia/ 

S. occidentalis types or related types from the region (Padgett et al. 1989, Hansen et al. 1995, Girard et al. 1995, 

Kittel et al. 1993, Kittel et al. 1996) include P. balsamifera. 

Figure 4 Vicinity of Wapiti Ranger Station 
CONIFEROUS FOREST RIPARIAN TYPES 

Forest Riparian Communities 

Coniferous riparian communities were not emphasized in this study. Descriptions by Steele et al. 1983 have 

been copied for use in this report. Further work is needed to refine this classification on the Shoshone National 

Forest. Soils usually have high water tables and include Cryaquolls, Cryofluvents, Fluventic Cryoborolls, and 

Cryaquepts. A concern in these types is windthrow when adjacent communities have been disturbed. These types 

are noted for their extemely high value for wildlife, especially grizzly bear on the Shoshone National Forest. 
Picea engelmanniUSalk boothii Community Type 

(Engelmann spruce/Booth willow Community qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(l45V95NO41, 142V95N005) 

General Description 

This is a coniferous woodland type with a dense tall shrub layer and a dense, species-rich herbaceous 

understory. 

Location and Environment 

Plots of this type were sampled in both the Upper Wind River and Absaroka subsections. Parent material is 

derived primarily precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks, and unconsolidated volcanic alluvium. We sampled 

two stands of this community type, one on a terrace ca. 2 ft. above the bankfbll channel height and the other on a 

terrace ca. 4 ft. above the channel. Other riparian vegetation at the sites included Salix wo@i/Deschampsia cespitosa 

stands, Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata stands, small Populus angustifolia stands, and small Populus tremuloides 

stands. The nearby upland vegetation is spruce forest, lodgepole pine forest, and big sagebrush shrubland. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanics, granite alluvium 

Landform Moderate and wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terraces 

Elevation (ft.) 7,390 - 9,060 

Precipitation (in.) 15-30 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Picea engelmannii and Pinus contorta form a tree overstory above a dense shrub layer dominated or 

codominated by Salix boothii. Other common willows are S. drummondiana, and S. geyeriana. The dense, 

species-rich herbaceous layer contains substantial amounts of Bromus ciliatus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Juncus 

balticus, Phleum pratense, Antennaria sp., Aster foliaceus, Astragalus sp., Fragaria virginiana, Lupinus polyphyllus, 

and Taraxacum officinale. Numerous other graminoids and forbs may be present as well. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

TREES 

Seedlings 

Saplings 

Pole 

Medium 

SHRUBS 

Low 

Medium 

Tall 

GRAMINOIDS 

FORBS 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

25 20- 30 

1.5 0-3 

3 3-3 

20 20- 20 

5 0.5 - 10 

65 60- 70 

20 20- 20 

35 10-60 

15 0-30 

50 40 - 60 

60 40 - 80 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 28 0-57 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 1.5 0-3 

Stones (1 0 - 24 in) 2 0 - 4 

Litter & Duff 41 25 - 58 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 1 0 - 2 

Moss & Lichen 2 0.5 - 3 

Basal Vegetation 25 9 - 42 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 15 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface to 8 inches; mottling occurring at 7 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 15 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Girard et al. (1 995) suggest that stands of this community type can be a result of disturbed examples of Salix 

boothii vegetation, in which trampling by animals has compacted the soil and lowered the water table, allowing 

conifers to move in. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stands resemble the vegetation of the Picea engelmannii/Salix boothii community type that Girard et al. 

(1995) describe from the Bighorn National Forest. The Picea/Calamagrostis canadensis community type 

described by Hansen et al. (1 995) in Montana would also include ow stands, and one or both of them key to their 

Picea/Cornus stolonVera habitat type. Information from more stands on the Shoshone National Forest would help 

to establish the relationship with vegetation types described in other studies. 

Figure 5 Frontier Creek, Wind River Ranger District. 
Picea engelmanniUSenecio triangularis Community Type 

(Engelmann spruce/Arrowleaf groundsel Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 0. This type is described from Steele et al. (1983), on the Abies lasiocarpa/ 

Streptopus amplexifolius habitat type. 

Location and Environment 

This type can be expected around 8,000 ft. elevation as a narrow stringer along streams and seeps. These 

sites appear influenced by a high water table most of the year. The habitat type supporting this community type 

occurs in western Wyoming but is more common in Central Idaho and northeastern Utah, Steele et al. (1983) 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Picea usually dominates the stand as a long-lived seral species. In openings, seral undergrowths normally 

appear as lush tall-forb communities that usually include Senecio triangularis. Beneath a tree canopy, these forbs 

become more sparse and the shade-tolerant Streptopus becomes more evident. Rivulets bordered by high 

coverages of Saxifraga arguta are common. 

Geographic Distribution and Other Studies 

See Steele et al. (1983), the Abies lasiocarpa/Streptopus amplexifolius habitat type. 
Picea engelrnanniKarex disperma Community qpe 

Engelmann spruces/softleaved sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sample = 0. This type is described from Steele et al. (1983), on the Picea engelmannii/ 

Carex disperma habitat type. 

Location and Environment 

This type occurs locally in the Beartooth, Absaroka, and Wind River Ranges, from about 7,200 ft. to 7,900 

fi. elevation and usually occupies stream terraces. Soils are saturated most of the year and support an organic 

layer that can reach at least 12 in. thick. Roots are mostly confined to this layer, which is usually considered muck. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Usually, Picea engelmannii is the dominant tree (one stand in the Wind River Range was dominated by 

Picea pungens.) Occasionally a few Abies lasiocarpa appear on raised micro sites. Undisturbed undergrowths, 

rare due to trampling by cattle, are dominated by a layer of Carex disperma. A diverse assemblage of wet-site 

forbs also occurs throughout the stand. This type is similar to the Picea engelmanii/Equisetum awense type, and 

the two contain many of the same-wet herbs and shrubs. 

Geographic Distribution and Other Studies 

See Steele et al. (1983), the Picea engelmannii/Carex disperma habitat type. 
Picea engelmanniiEquisetum awense Community Type 

Engelmann spruce/Common horsetail Community Type 

Number of Stands Sample = 0. This type is described from Steele et al. (1983), on the Picea engelrnannii/ 

Equiseturn arvense habitat type. 

Location and Environment 

This is a minor type that can be expected at elevations of 6,200 ft. to 8,700 ft., as small patches on saturated 

soils of stream terraces, benches, or seeps. Soils are largely alluvial, with a mixture of parent materials, and often 

have a surface layer of mor humus, in some cases to 11 in. thick. This type is one of the most common coniferous 

riparian types on the Forest. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Picea engelrnannii is usually the dominant tree of any successional stage on these sites, but T! pungens may 

be important in low-elevation stands. Pinus contorta is a minor sera1 species, and small numbers ofAbies lasipcarpa 

often appear in the stand but are usually restricted to raised micro sites. The undergrowth is dominated by Equiseturn arvense and a rich assortment of wet site forbs, such as Streptopus arnplexifolius, Parnassiafirnbriata, and 

Senecio triangularis, and the graminoids Carex sp., Juncus sp., and Luzula pawlflora. The shrub component is 

relatively depauperate. The sometimes extreme micro-relief generated by root crown hummocks and windthrow 

mounds accounts for the high species richness. 

Geographic Distribution and Other Studies 

See Steele et al. (1983), the Picea engelrnannii/Equiseturn awense habitat type. 
Picea engelmannir;/Galium trijlorum Community vpe 

(Engelmann spruce/Sweetscented bedstraw Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sample = 0. This type is described from Steele et al. (1 983), on the Picea engelmannii/ 

Galium trijlorum habitat type. 

Location and Environment 

This apparently is an uncommon type on alluvial terraces or bottomlands between 6,100 ft. and 8,200 ft. 

elevation. Stands occasionally are associated with seeps. Soils are developed in alluvial deposits of various 

origins. Water tables are near the surface most of the year. Bare soil and rock are virtually absent but the coarse 

fraction content is relatively high (25%). Average litter depth can reach 4 in. Some sites have wet organic layers 

that can exceed 50 cm (20 in). Adjacent sites are most frequently moist habitat types of the Abies lasiocarpa 

series. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Normally Picea engelmannii dominates the stand, but in scattered locations in the Wind River Range and 

along the Greys River in western Wyoming, P pungens is sometimes dominant or codominant. Occasionally 

Abies lasiocarpa may achieve a minor foothold, and minor amounts of Pinus contorta and Pseudotsuga menziesii 

may invade following disturbance. Undergrowths vary considerably as a reflection of site history ahd adjacent 

plant communities. Galium trflorum, Actaea rubra, and Maianthemum stellatum are common throbhout the 

type. Streptopus amplexifolius, Senecio triangularis, and Calamagrostis canadensis may dominate the wetter 

microsites. 

Geographic Distribution and Other Studies 

See Steele et al. (1983), the Picea engelmannii/Galium trijlorum habitat type. 
Abies lasiocarpa/Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type 

(Subalpine fir1Bluejoint Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sample = 0. This type is described from Steele et al. (1983), on the Abies lasiocarpa/ 

Calamagrostis canadensis habitat type. 

Location and Environment 

This type can be expected in the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park, on stream terraces, pond margins, 

and moist toeslopes from 6,800 fi. to 9,100 ft. elevation. It occupies some of the wettest sites supporting subalpine 

fir forests. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Pinus contorta and Picea engelmannii are the major sera1 conifers. Abies lasiocarpa eventually dominates 

the old- growth stands. Usually Calamagrostis canadensis is conspicuous in the undergrowth but may codominate 

with different species. Shrubs characteristic of drier sites may grow on hummocks or at the bases of trees. 

Wet-site forbs and various Carex species are common in the low spots. 

Geographic Distribution and Other Studies 

See Steele et al. (1983), the Abies lasiocarpa/Calamagrostis canadensis habitat type. 
WILLOW SHRUB TYPES 
Low Willow Community Qpes 

Low willow plant community types dominated by Salix wolJii were sampled between 6,870 ft. and 9,260 

ft. elevation in the Clarks Fork and Wind River Ranger Districts. The stands generally occupy large areas either 

adjacent to small- or medium-sized channels or in swales wet from seeps or high water tables. 

Plant community types dominated by Salix eastwoodiae occur in similar environments but generally at 

higher elevations. Sites supporting Salix eastwoodiae community types were sampled between 8,125 ft. and 9,920 

ft. elevation on the Wind River and Clarks Fork Ranger Districts. The community types of Salix wo@ and Salix 

eastwoodiae often have a similar appearance, and the two willow species are difficult to distinguish from one 

another. This difficulty has led to confusion between the two species in previous studies. 

Salixplanifolia dominates stands of low or medium height willow community types. Two varieties are 

present; Salixplanifolia var. monica tends to be shorter and to grow at higher elevations than Salixplanifolia var. 

planifolia. The four community types dominated by Salixplanifolia that we sampled on the Shoshone National 

Forest had an elevational range from 8,980 ft. to 9,920 ft. One high elevation community type that we sampled 

four times was codominated by Salixplanfolia and Salix eastwoodiae. The stands are most often found in very 

wet swales or on hillslopes dissected with small channels from seeps. 

Salix candida dominates a final low willow community sampled only once on the Shoshone National 

Forest in the Clarks Fork Ranger District. It occurred on an anchored floating mat near an open lake. The 

persistence of this community type depends on the water regime remaining stable (Chadde 1988). 
Salk wolfiiCarex aquatilis Community Type 

(Wolf's willow/Water sedge Community 'Qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 5 

(145V95N002, l45V95NOl5, 145V95N020, 14 1 V93NO24, 141V96N060, l4lV93NO26) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest the Salix wolfii/Carex aquatilis community type is found on saturated soils 

in depressions of sediment-filled lake basins or along small, meandering stream channels. The stands are 

dominated by a patchy canopy of low Salix wolfii shrubs with a dense graminoid layer (dominated by Carex 

aquatilis or Carex rostrata) and few forbs. 

Location and Environment 

Samples for this type were found in the Beartooth, Wind River and Upper Wind River subsections. Occuring 

on montane to subalpine lakebed and till deposits in granitic and volcanic valley bottom landscapes. Parent 

material is derived from primarily unconsolidated, mixed alluvium.. 

Stands of the Salix wolJii/Carex aquatilis community type were sampled in the Clarks Fork and Wind River 

Ranger Districts. Sites were located along Charlie Creek, Clint Creek, Parque Creek, near Lily Lake, and at a 

wetland west of Lily Lake. Our five stands of this community type were located beside narrow or medium-sized, 

low gradient, meandering channels or in wet basins of narrow to wide valleys. In the alluvial basin sites, small 

channels often run through the stand. One site is near a lake that is filling with sediment and vegetation. All our 

stands have saturated soils with patches of water at the surface. The micro topography is hummocky with mounds 

created around the low shrubs. Moss occurs on the saturated soil but not in the water. 

Stands of the Salix wol$i/Carex aquatilis community type typically occur as patches within a mosaic of 

other ripariadwetland community types and often dominate the mosaic. Adjacent ripariadwetland community 

types include: Carex rostrata wet meadow, Salix boothii/Carex rostrata stands, Deschampsia cespitosa wet meadows, Carexsimulata meadows, and Salix boothii-Salixgeyeriana stands. Upland hillslopes contain Pentaphylloides 

jloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa)/Poa pratensis stands or conifer forests, often with Picea engelmannii. At 

one site the Salix wolfii/Carex aquatilis community type is replacing a wet Carex rostrata meadow, and an adjacent Picea engelmannii forest is slowly encroaching on the community type. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granitic alluvium 

Landform Narrow to wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Basin, floodplain, terrace 

Elevation (ft) 7,670 - 9,140 

Precipitation (in.) 15-50 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Stands of the Salix wolfii/Carex aquatilis community type are dominated by moderately spaced patches of 

low willows, predominantly Salix wolfii. Other common low shrubs include Betula glandulosa and Pentaphylloides 

floribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa). The shrub heights range from 1 ft. to 4 ft. 

The herbaceous layer is dense in the openings between the shrubs and averages 1.5 ft tall. Graminoids are 

dominant, particularly Carex aquatilis and Carex rostrata. Three of our five stands had more Carex aquatilis than 

Carex rostrata. There was also equal or slightly greater amounts of one other sedge (Carex praegracilis, Carex 

rnicroptera, or Carex haydeniana) in these three stands. Two stands of the Salix wolJii/Carex aquatilis community 

type had equal or greater amounts of Carex rostrata dominating the herbaceous layer. Other common graminoids 

are Deschampsia cespitosa, Juncus balticus, and Poapratensis. Forbs are less common, with Aster foliaceus and 

Fragaria virginiana present in moderate amounts. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 2 0- 10 

Seedlings 2 0- 10 

Saplings 2 3-10 

SHRUBS 6 3 40 - 80 

LOW 52 20 - 80 

Medium 15 0 - 50 

GRAMINOIDS 53 30 - 80 

FORBS 18 10 - 30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 15 1-54 

Litter & Duff 24 5 - 54 

Moss & Lichen 32 20- 40 

Basal Vegetation 12 9-15 

Water 9 0 - 24 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofibrists; Fluvaquentic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 20% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling absent to 

occurring between 24 to 34 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 15 to 3 1 inches of rooting zone 

Succession /Management Implications 

Youngblood and others (1 985) suggest a gradual conversion from the Salix wo@i/Carex rostrata type to the 

Salix wo@i/Carex aquatilis type, as organic layers build from the contribution of litter, and free oxygen becomes 

available with the lateral movement of water. The site becomes more suitable for Carex aquatilis to gradually 

replace Carex rostrata (Padgett et al. 1989). If the Salix wo@i/Carex aquatilis community type becomes drier, 

there may be a transition toward the Salix wo@ilMesic forb type or the Salix wo@i/Deschampsia cespitosa type. 

Heavy grazing may lead to the replacement of the sedges by graminoids such as Juncus balticus and Poapratensis 

(Hansen et al. 1995). The wet soils of the Salix wo@i/Carex aquatilis stands are easily compacted by livestock. 

Sheep may browse the willows and cattle are likely to graze the Carex aquatilis in the wetter areas. Evidence of 

use by cattle, moose and elk was present in our stands of this community type. Over browsing could lead to 

elimination of Salix wo@i and dominance of sedges (Hansen et al. 1995). 
Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stands of the Salix wo@i/Carex aquatilis community type are most similar to the Salix wo&i/Carex 

aquatilis habitat typed described from central and southwestern Montana (Hansen et al. 1995). (There was no 

Carex vesicaria in our stands of this community type, but cover of Carex rostrata was occasionally equal to or 

greater than that of Carex aquatilis.) They are also similar to the vegetation from the S. wolfzi/C. aquatilis habitat 

type of Mattson (1984) from the Yellowstone Plateau. Other researchers have separated a Salix wolJii/Carex 

rostrata type from the Salix wolJii/Carex aquatilis type. Most of our stands agree with the Salix wo&i/Carex 

aquatilis community described from eastern Idaho and western Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 1985), northeastern 

Utah (Padgett et al. 1989), and Colorado (Kittel et al. 1994; Kettler and McMullen 1996). 

Figure 6 Clint Creek area, Wind River Ranger District. 
Salk wolfiliRlesic forb Community Type 

(Wolf's willowlMesic forb Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(145V95N035) 

General Description 

The single stand of this community type that we sampled on the Shoshone National Forest occurred next to 

a small, meandering subalpine channel in the Wind River Ranger District. A dense, mixed low-shrub layer dominated by Salix wolfii and a dense herbaceous layer with a variety of forbs common to mesic environments characterize the Salix wolfiiMesic forb community type. There is no single forb that dominates the herbaceous layer. 

Location and Environment 

This sample was taken from within the Southern Wind River subsection in an area of unconsolidated granitic 

alluvium. 

One stand of the Salix woljiihlesic forb community type was sampled along the South Fork of Warm Spring 

Creek at 9,260 ft elevation, along a stream channel 9 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep. The banks were well stabilized by 

sedges and rocks with some undercutting and bankfull. The occurrence is separated from the channel by a narrow 

fringe of Carex. The Salix wolfiihlesic forb community type occupies most of the riparian zone, ca. 300 ft. wide. 

The occurrence slopes toward the channel on hummocky ground with old dry channels throughout. Surrounding 

the riparian zone are low, rolling sagebrush hills. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft) 9,260 

Precipitation (in.) 40-45 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The stand of the Salix wolfzilrvlesic forb community type is dominated by a shrub layer of Salix wolJii with 

small amounts of PentaphylloidesfIoribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa) and Betula glandulosa. The shrub layer is 

2 to 3 ft tall. Most shrubs are vigorous with few dead stems. The herbaceous layer is fairly dense and is dominated 

by forbs of mesic environments. Lupinus polyphyllus, Potentilla gracilis, Aster foliaceus, and Caltha leptosepala 

are the most important species, but no single forb dominates the stand. Graminoids are represented by a mix of 

sedges and grasses. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 8 0 

Low 8 0 

GRAMINOIDS 30 

FORBS 60 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Bare Soil 9 

Stones (10 - 24 in) 3 

Boulders (> 24 in) 7 

Litter & Duff 40 

Moss & Lichen 28 

Basal Vegetation 13 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 21 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 6 inches; mottling occurring at 6 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 1 1 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Padgett and others (1989) consider the Salix wolfiilMesic forb community type to be a stable type. Wild 

ungulates may have an easier time than domestic livestock in browsing the Salix wolJiilMesic forb community 

type, due to the dense shrub layer (Youngblood et al. 1985). Game trails and scat of cows and moose were present 

in our occurrence of this community type. There were few exotic species in the stand, but there were some forbs 

that are considered to increase with disturbance, including Taraxacum officinale, Trifolium longipes, and Fragaria 

virginiana. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

This community is similar to the Salix wolJiiA4esic forb communities described from eastern Idaho and 

western Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 1985), from northern Utah (Padgett et al. 1989), and from the Routt 

National Forest in northern Colorado (Kettler and Mc Mullen 1996). Some of the forbs in our stand differed from 

those of the other studies. 

Figure 7 Southfork Warm Spring Creek, Wind River Ranger District 
Salix wolfiI%Deschampsia cespitosa Community Type 

(Wolf's willow/Tufted hairgrass Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 3 

(145V95N005, 145V95N040, 14 1 V93NO33) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, the Salix wolJii/Deschampsia cespitosa community type occurs along 

small, low gradient streams and along perennial rivers with moderate gradients. These water courses are found in 

moderately-wide and wide valleys. A low, usually dense shrub canopy of Salix wolJii, often with large amounts of 

Pentaphylloides flaribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa), creates the upper canopy. A mixture of graminoids and 

forbs are present, most of which are not restricted to wet or mesic environments. Deschampsia cespitosa is the 

dominant, or one of the dominant, herbaceous species. 

Location and Environment 

Samples of this type occurred in three subsections on the Forest. Within the Beartooth subsection, the plot 

was located in a granitic valley bottom landscapes on river floodplains in montane to subalpine areas. Geology is 

primarily unconsolidated, mixed alluvium. Within the Upper Wind River subsection, a plot occurred within an 

area of precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks. In the Wind River subsection, a sample with a parent 

material derived fiom unconsolidated, mixed volcanic alluvium was observed. 

Stands of the Salix wolJii/Descharnpsia cespitosa community type were sampled along the Clarks Fork of 

the Yellowstone River in the Clarks Fork Ranger District and along Charlie Creek and Canyon Creek in the Wind 

River Ranger District. These are small to medium-sized. single channels ranging in width from 3 ft. to 10 ft. 

Elevations of the sites range from 6,870 ft. to 9,070 ft. One site contains a small pond that is filling with sedges, 

and the Salix wolfii/Deschampsia cespitosa community type occurs adjacent to this wet meadow, on saturated soil 

with standing water. At another site, the Salix wolJii/Deschampsia cespitosa community type is separated from the 

channel by a narrow Salix boothii/Carex aquatilis stand. At the third site the occurrence is on a wet terrace next to 

an overflow channel and is influenced by hillside runoff in addition to the river. The floodplains and terraces 

containing the community type are up to 4.8 ft above bankfull channel height. The patches are generally 40 m by 

50 m in area. 

The micro topography of these stands is uneven, with hummocks beneath the low shrubs, particularly the 

PentaphylloidesJloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa). Moss is common to all three stands. Litter and exposed 

soil contribute substantially to the ground cover. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic, volcanic alluvium 

Landform Medium - wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Floodplain, terrace 

Elevation (ft) 6,870 - 9,070 

Precipitation (in.) 15-30 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Low and medium shrubs dominate the vegetation of the Salix wo@i/Deschampsia cespitosa community 

type. The shrub canopy can be moderately open to dense. Salix wo&i is the most abundant shrub, and 

Pentaphylloides jloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa) can be codominant. Other shrubs may include Betula 

glandulosa and Salix boothii. Scattered conifers may be present. The shrubs overlie a dense herbaceous layer of 

mixed graminoids and forbs. Deschampsia cespitosa is the dominant graminoid, and Carex microptera and Poa 

pratensis may also be abundant. The common forbs include Aster foliaceus, Fragaria virginiana, and Geum 

macrophyllum. One stand had large amounts of Senecio pseudaureus and Senecio pauperculus. 
.Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 3.3 0-10 

Pole 3.3 0 - 10 

Medium 3.3 0 - 10 

SHRUBS 67 50 - 80 

LOW 63 40- 80 

Medium 13 0-30 

GRAMINOIDS 37 30 - 50 

FORBS 37 30-40 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 2 3 5 - 53 

Litter & Duff 24 14 - 35 

Moss & Lichen 34 20 - 60 

Basal Vegetation 12 11 - 13 

Water 13 0 - 40 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 5% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 0 to 11 inches; mottling occurring at 6 to 11 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 8 to 23 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

The Salix wo&i/Deschampsia cespitosa community type can be a stable type. Over a long time, there may 

be a very gradual shift toward the Pentaphylloides JIoribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa)/Deschampsia cespitosa 

community type (Chadde 1988). Two other successional directions for this community type have been suggested. 

Our three sampled stands of the Salix wolfii/Deschampsia cespitosa community type may be shifting toward the 

Salix wo&iMesic forb community type. Padgett and others (1989) felt that these two types are closely related 

because of the strong similarity of their soil and water features. Another scenario, with prolonged grazing, is an 

increase of Poa pratensis over Deschampsia cespitosa. 

Salix wo@i can reach 6 ft. tall when intermingled by other shrubs that prevent it from being heavily grazed 

(Brunsfeld and Johnson 1985). These stands are usually well drained, which may lead to heavier grazing pressure 

(Hansen et al. 1995). At our three sampled stands, the height of Salix wo@i was maintained at 2 ft. Browse on the 

past year's willow stems and grazing to the herbaceous layer was evidenced at the stands. Scat and trails of moose, 

cow, and elk were present. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix wo@i/Deschampsia cespitosa community type has been described from western Wyoming 

(Youngblood et al. 1985), the northern Yellowstone region (Chadde 1988), northern and central Utah (Padgett 

et al. 1989), and central and southwestern Montana (Hansen et al. 1995). 
Salk wolfifloa pratensis Community Type 

(Wolf's willow/Kentucky bluegrass Community qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(145V95N013,141V93N028) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, the Salix wolfii/Poa pratensis community can be found beside small or 

medium- sized channels in both the Clarks Fork and Wind River Ranger Districts. The shrub layer can be patchy 

to dense, with Salix wo@i dominating. The herbaceous layer consists of a mix of graminoids and forbs. Poa 

pratensis is dominant or co-dominant in the graminoid layer. These stands have a large amount of non-native 

grasses and forbs. 

Location and Environment 

A sample of this type occurred within the Beartooth subsection within river floodplains in granitic till valley 

bottoms. The other sample was located in the Upper Wind River subsection with parent material influenced by the 

sedimentary Aycross Formation. 

Stands of the Salix wolfii/Poa pratensis community were sampled near a side channel of the Clarks Fork of 

the Yellowstone River at 6,990 ft. elevation and along Warm Spring Creek at 8,820 ft. elevation. The channels are 

3 ft. to 10 ft. wide, ca. 1 ft. deep, meandering, and low gradient. Banks are stable and well vegetated. There are 

undercuts and higher erosion at the outside meanders. 

The floodplain surfaces containing the community type are ca. 0.8 ft above bankfull channel height. The 

ground surface is relatively level, with abandoned stream channels up to 3 ft. deep. Adjacent communities are 

conifer stands with herbaceous understories or wet Carex aquatilis meadows. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 9 Warm Spring Creek, Wind River Ranger District 

The Salix wo@/Poa pratensis community consists of a low shrub layer dominated by medium to dense 

Salix wo@i. At the dense stand, Salix wolfii and small amounts of Salix drummondiana and Salix boothii are all 4 

ft. tall. At the more open stand, the Salix wo@i have been maintained by browsing at height averaging 1 ft tall. 

The herbaceous vegetation is indicative of heavy grazing. The dominant graminoid is Poa pratensis. 

Important native species are Carex microptera and Carex nowe,&ica. The forbs vary between stands: Fragaria 

virginiana is the dominant species in one stand, and Trifolium repens has the highest cover in the other stand. Both 

these forbs increase with grazing or disturbance. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 55 30 - 80 

LOW 25 20- 30 

Medium 35 0 - 70 

GRAMINOIDS 40 40 

FORBS 45 30-60 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 26 10-42 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 8 0-15 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 5 0-10 

Litter & Duff 55 21-88 

Basal Vegetation 12 12 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 50 TO 65% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at the surface to 8 inches; mottling occurring at 

0 to 2 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 7 to 12 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Stands of the Salix wo&i/Poa pratensis community type apparently result from heavy grazing that has 

shifted dominance of the herbaceous layer from wet sedge species (Carex microptera, Carex nowegica and Carex 

petasata in our stands) to species tolerant of drier, more compact soils, such as Poapratensis (Hansen et al. 1995). 

Girard et al. (1995) note that Salix wolfii may decrease with continued disturbance, leading to a Poa pratensis/ 

Taraxacum officinale type. 

Evidence of use by cattle was present at both stands. The stand with patchier willow also showed evidence 

of horse and human use. The more dense willow site on the smaller channel has signs of current and past beaver 

activity: cut willows, dams, and slides into the water. There also are signs of use by moose in this stand. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix wo&i/Poapratensis community from the Shoshone National Forest is similar to a Salix wolJii/Poa 

community type described from the Bighorn National Forest (Girard et al. 1995), which also is a disturbed type in 

which Poapratensis is the dominant grass with low amounts of Carex species. 
Salk wolfiPoa pratensis Community Type 

(Wolf's willow/Kentucky bluegrass Community vpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(145V95N013,141V93N028) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, the Salix wolJii/Poa pratensis community can be found beside small or 

medium- sized channels in both the Clarks Fork and Wind River Ranger Districts. The shrub layer can be patchy 

to dense, with Salix wolJii dominating. The herbaceous layer consists of a mix of graminoids and forbs. Poa 

pratensis is dominant or co-dominant in the graminoid layer. These stands have a large amount of non-native 

grasses and forbs. 

Location and Environment 

A sample of this type occurred within the Beartooth subsection within river floodplains in granitic till valley 

bottoms. The other sample was located in the Upper Wind River subsection with parent material influenced by the 

sedimentary Aycross Formation. 

Stands of the Salix wolJii/Poa pratensis community were sampled near a side channel of the Clarks Fork of 

the Yellowstone River at 6,990 ft. elevation and along Warm Spring Creek at 8,820 ft. elevation. The channels are 

3 ft. to 10 ft. wide, ca. 1 ft. deep, meandering, and low gradient. Banks are stable and well vegetated. There are 

undercuts and higher erosion at the outside meanders. 

The floodplain surfaces containing the community type are ca. 0.8 ft above bankfull channel height. The 

ground surface is relatively level, with abandoned stream channels up to 3 ft. deep. Adjacent communities are 

conifer stands with herbaceous understories or wet Carex aquatilis meadows. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 9 Warm Spring Creek, Wind River Ranger District 

The Salix wolJii/Poa pratensis community consists of a low shrub layer dominated by medium to dense 

Salix wolJii. At the dense stand, Salix wolfii and small amounts of Salix drummondiana and Salix boothii are all 4 

ft. tall. At the more open stand, the Salix wo@i have been maintained by browsing at height averaging 1 ft tall. 

The herbaceous vegetation is indicative of heavy grazing. The dominant graminoid is Poa pratensis. 

Important native species are Carex microptera and Carex norvekica. The forbs vary between stands: Fragaria 

virginiana is the dominant species in one stand, and Trifolium repens has the highest cover in the other stand. Both 

these forbs increase with grazing or disturbance. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 55 30 - 80 

LOW 25 20 - 30 

Medium 35 0 - 70 

GRAMINOIDS 40 40 

FORBS 45 30-60 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 26 10-42 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 8 0-15 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 5 0-10 

Litter & Duff 55 21 - 88 

Basal Vegetation 12 12 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 50 TO 65% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at the surface to 8 inches; mottling occurring at 

0 to 2 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 7 to 12 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Stands of the Salix wolfii/Poa pratensis community type apparently result from heavy grazing that has 

shifted dominance of the herbaceous layer from wet sedge species (Carex microptera, Carex norvegica and Carex 

petasata in our stands) to species tolerant of drier, more compact soils, such as Poapratensis (Hansen et al. 1995). 

Girard et al. (1 995) note that Salix wolfii may decrease with continued disturbance, leading to a Poa pratensis/ 

Taraxacum offieinale type. 

Evidence of use by cattle was present at both stands. The stand with patchier willow also showed evidence 

of horse and human use. The more dense willow site on the smaller channel has signs of current and past beaver 

activity: cut willows, dams, and slides into the water. There also are signs of use by moose in this stand. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix wolfii/Poapratensis community from the Shoshone National Forest is similar to a Salix wolfii/Poa 

community type described from the Bighorn National Forest (Girard et al. 1995), which also is a disturbed type in 

which Poapratensis is the dominant grass with low amounts of Carex species. 
Salk barclayi - Salk wolfii dominated stand 

Barclay willow - Wolf's willow dominated stand 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(l4lV93NO3 1) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, we sampled one willow stand dominated by Salix barclayi and Salix 

wolJii. This small stand was located in the wide valley of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River at 6,950 ft. 

elevation, at the base of a hillslope where a small creek spreads across a low area. The soil of the occurrence is 

saturated peat. The stand occupies a small area contained within a Salix wolJii/Carex rostrata stand. The stand is 

also adjacent to a spruce forest on the hillside. Scattered spruce in the stand appear to be unhealthy. The open 

shrub layer is composed of low Salix barclayi and Salix wolj?i. The herbaceous layer contains few species 

(primarily graminoids) and is at least as tall as the shrubs. Juncus balticus is dominant, and Carex rostrata and 

Carex aquatilis are also abundant. The most common forb is Aster foliaceus. 

Location and Environment 

This plot was found in the Beartooth subsection occuring in river floodplains developed from mixed granitic 

till. 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofibrist 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: none 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 inches of rooting zone 

Figure 10 Clarks Fork River, 

Clarks fork Ranger District. 
Salk wolfii 

Wolf's willow unclassified stand 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(l45V95NO 19) 

General Description 

We sampled one Salix woIJii stand that fits none of the community types from the Shoshone National Forest 

or from other study areas. The stand is in the Wind River Ranger District near Parque Creek at 9,140 ft elevation, 

in a wide valley on a large section of floodplain inside a meander of a medium-sized channel. The substrate is very 

coarse. This stand occurred next to a younger Salix wolfii bar community, a more mature Salix wolJii/Carex 

aquatilis stand, and a Deschampsia cespitosa meadow. 

Location and Environment 

This sample, from the Wind River subsection, occurred in alluvium influenced by the Bighorn Dolomite 

Formation. 

The stand is characterized by an open canopy of small clumps of Salix wolfii 1.5 ft tall. The herbaceous 

layer is rather open, and is thin beneath the willows. Forbs contribute more cover than do grasses and sedges, but 

the presence of non-riparian species causes this stand to fit poorly into named communities. The ground surface 

is mostly bare, with a thin layer of duff and mosses in spots. 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofluvent 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 40 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 28 inches; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 6 inches of rooting zone 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Valley bottom 

Plot Position Flood plain 

Elevation (ft) 9100 

Precipitation (in.) 30 - 40 

Figure 11 Parque Creek, Wind 

River Ranger District. 
Salix eastwoodiaelMesic graminoid Community Type (tentative) 

Eastwood's willow/Mesic graminoid Community Type (tentative) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(145V95N045, 141 V96NO 19) 

General Description 

Two examples of shrub stands dominated by Salix eastwoodiae were sampled on the Shoshone National 

Forest, one along a wide stream channel and the other along a narrow, alpine stream channel. In both stands, the 

willow forms a shrub layer ca. 3 feet tall above a dense herbaceous layer. These stands are tentatively considered 

part of a Salix eastwoodiaeA4esic graminoid community type, which has not been described in other studies from 

nearby areas. 

Salix eastwoodiae is difficult to distinguish from Salix wolfii: both have silvery pubescence on similarlyshaped leaves, both generally are short, and both have pubescent capsules. The two species may hybridize where 

they meet (Brunsfeld and Johnson 1985). Hence some willow stands identified in other studies as Salix wolfii 

types may actually have been Salix eastwoodiae stands. This may explain why so few Salix eastwoodiae community types have been described to date. 

Location and Environment 

A sample from the Beartooth subsection occuring in a granitic alpine landscape, occurring on the Beartooth 

Mountains Formation. The sample from the Wind River subsection occurred in parent material derived from the 

Tepee Trail Formation. 

One stand was sampled at 9,580 fi. elevation on the Beartooth Plateau, and occurred along narrow stream 

channels on the lower slopes of a subalpine valley. This willow occurrence includes several patches of shrubland 

mixed with Carex scopulorum wet meadows and drier graminoid meadows, in a mosaic across the valley floor and 

lower slopes. 

The other stand of a tentative Salix eastwoodiaeA4esic graminoid community type was sampled at 8,125 ft. 

elevation along Frontier Creek, a braided stream ca. 200 ft. wide flowing through a wide valley vegetated 

primarily with coniferous forest. The riparian zone occupies the floodplain, is ca. 700 ft. wide, and supports a 

mosaic of coniferous forest and meadows. The Salix eastwoodiaeMesic graminoid stand occupies an open meadow 

with a hummocky surface, and is bordered by coniferous forest. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic 

Landform Wide valley 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft) 8,125-9,600 

Precipitation (in.) 30-65 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salix eastwoodiae forms an open canopy of small, widely spaced shrubs averaging 1 ft. tall. Smaller amounts 

of Salix planifolia, S. boothii, S. geyeriana, and Pentaphylloides floribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa) may be 

present. The herbaceous layer is dense and dominated by graminoids, primarily Carexpraegracilis, Deschampsia 

cespitosa (2 ft. tall), and Juncus balticus. Common forbs are Aster foliaceus, Fraguria virginiana, and Senecio 

sphaerocephalum. The ground surface is covered with a thin layer of duff, with some areas of moss and bare soil. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 1.5 0-3 

Saplings 1.5 0-3 

Poles 

SHRUBS 

Low 

Medium 

GRAMINOIDS 

FORBS 

-ound Cover 

Percent cover of 

Bare Soil 

Litter & Duff 

Wood (> 114 in. 

1.5 

40 

35 

6 

55 

30 

features ( 

MEAN 

% 

7 

55 

1 

0-3 

30 - 50 

30 - 40 

3-10 

30 - 80 

20 - 40 

In plot sur 

RANGE 

% 

5- 10 

30 - 80 

0- 1 

diam.) Figure 12 Little Rock Creek, below Christmas Lake, 

Moss & Lichen 20 10 - 30 Clarks Fork Ranger District. 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryaquepts 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 20% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring at 4 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

More stands of the Salix eastwoodiae type must be sampled before we can identi@ community types within 

this dominance type and before we can understand successional relationships between the community types. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Communities dominated by Salix eastwoodiae are uncommon. They have been described from central 

Idaho (Mutz and Queiroz 1983) and from the Teton Range of Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 1995). 
Salk eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis Community Type 

(Eastwood's willow1Water sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 4 

(145V95N033, 145V95N044, 145V95N047, 141 V93NO43) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis community type can be found at 

high elevations, above 8,900 ft. Salix eastwoodiae generally dominates a shrub layer 3 ft. to 5 ft. tall, and Salix 

planifolia usually contributes nearly as much cover. The herbaceous layer is dense and dominated by sedges, 

particularly Carex aquatilis. 

Location and Environment 

Two plots were located in the Upper Wind River subsection. Parent material in these areas is derived from 

volcanic landslide deposits and the Wiggins Formation consisting of volcanic sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate, 

and breccia. Within the Southern Wind River subsection, this type occurred on parent material derived from 

primarily granitic moraine deposits. Within the Beartooth subsection, a plot occurred within glacial scoured 

granitic uplands in subalpine areas. Parent material is derived from the Precambrian granitic Beartooth Mountains 

Formation. 

Stands of the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis community type are found along Bonneville Creek at the 

inlet to Brook's Lake, at Bonneville Pass, along Snowshoe Creek, and below Clay Butte at elevations between 

8,900 ft. and 9,920 ft. They are located in depressions or on wet hillsides, near small, low-order stream channels 

or seeps. At the more level sites, the ground is hummocky and cut with small, marshy channels. Litter, moss, bare 

soil, and water cover most of the soil surface. 

These stands were located adjacent to a Carex aquatilis meadow, a low Salix planfolia/Carex aquatilis 

stand, another Salix eastwoodiae riparian community along the channel which has received much heavier cattle 

grazing, and Picea engelmannii upland forests. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 13 Bonneville Pass area, Wind River Ranger District. 

Most stands of the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis community type have dense shrub canopies of Salix 

eastwoodiae and Salixplanfolia, ranging from 3 ft. to 5 ft. tall. The willows are mostly vigorous with few dead 

stems. The herbaceous layer is usually dominated by sedges. Carex aquatilis is always present, and other species 

that may contribute substantial cover are Cauex rostrata, C. norvegica, and C. rnicuoptera. Forbs are diverse but 

usually less abundant. One stand has a large amount of Erigeron peregrinus. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 

Seedlings 2.5 0 - 10 

Poles 2.5 0-10 

SHRUBS 85 70 - 90 

LOW 23 10-50 

Medium 65 20 - 90 

GRAMINOIDS 60 20 - 80 

FORBS 28 10- 50 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 13 2-25 

Litter & Duff 41 8-64 

Wood (> 1 14 in. diam.) 2 0-7 

Moss & Lichen 24 10-50 

Basal Vegetation 11 10-12 

Water 10 5-20 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofibrists; Fluvaquentic Cryofibrists; Typic Cryaquepts 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy, Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 2 1% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling absent to 

ranging from 6 to 38 inches depending on Histic horizon depth 

ROOTING DEPTH: 33 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Soil texture can determine which sedge species are present in stands of the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis 

community type. Carex aquatilis is present on relatively coarse textured soils close to streams, while Carex 

rostrata occurs on poorly drained, fine-textured soils (Mutz and Queiroz 1983). The roots of the sedges and 

willows stabilize the otherwise erodible soils. Overgrazing of the herbaceous component would lead to 

accelerated erosion. 

Evidence of animals using our stands included cow and elk scat, some willow browsing, and some grazing 

to the herbaceous layer. The willow stands are relatively tall and not heavily browsed. The hillslope stand is much 

less impacted than the adjacent stream bottom community. 

The Salix eastwoodiae - Salix plani$olia/Carex aquatilis community type is a wet, high elevation 

community. Its elevation suggests that Salixplanifolia var. monica rather than var. planifolia would be the variety 

present, but our four stands contained either variety. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Salix eastwoodiae is difficult to distinguish from Salix wolJii: both have silvery pubescence on similarlyshaped leaves, both generally are short, and both have pubescent capsules. The two species may hybridize where 

they meet (Brunsfeld and Johnson 1985). Hence some willow stands identified in other studies as Salix wo@i 

types may actually have been Salix eastwoodiae stands, and the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex aquatilis community 

type may be more common than is suggested in the literature. 

The stands in this community type from the Shoshone National Forest are similar in species composition to 

the Salix eastwoodiae/Carex rostrata-Carex aquatilis community type described from the South Fork of the Salmon 

River in Idaho (Mutz and Queiroz 1983). Keeping in mind the difficulty of distinguishing Salix eastwoodiae from 

S. wo@i, our stands resemble in species composition and vegetation structure the Salix wo@i Salixplanifolia var. 

monica community described from the Bighorn Mountains (Girard et al. 1995). 
Saliuplanifolia/Carex aquatilis Community Vpe 

(Planeleaf willow1Water sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 4 

(145V96N023,145V95N034,141 V96NO54,14lV96NO59) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type can be found next to 

narrow, meandering streams, in abandoned meanders, and near lake shores. Salix planlfolia var. monica 

dominates a shrub layer less than 4 ft. tall. The dense herbaceous layer is dominated by sedges of wet areas, 

particularly Carex aquatilis and C. rostrata. 

Location and Environment 

Sample plots from the Beartooth subsection occurred in areas characterized by montane granitic till deposits 

and montane to subalpine granitic valley bottoms and lakebed deposits. Parent material is derived from 

undifferentiated granitic moraine deposits, and the Beartooth Mountains Formation. Plots in the Southern Wind 

River subsection occurred on parent material derived fi-om primarily granitic moraine deposits. 

Stands of the Salix planifolia/Carex aquatilis community type were sampled along Geyser Creek, above 

Grandy Reservoir, at the south end of Little Moose Lake, and in the valley of Muddy Creek, between elevations of 

7,980 ft. and 9,380 ft. These stands occupy stream floodplains and flats near lakes. The micro-topography in the 

stands is hummocky, and standing water fills small depressions. Litter, moss, some bare soil, and open water 

cover the surfaces of the stands. 

The Salix planifolia/Carex aquatilis stands are adjacent to Carex aquatilis meadows, Salix boothiih4esic 

graminoid stands, and Calamagrostis canadensis meadows. Picea engelmannii forests occur on the adjacent 

upland terrain. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium 

Landform Medium to wide valleys bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains 

Elevation (ft.) 7,980 - 9,380 

Precipitation (in.) 20-45 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 14 Geyers Creek, Wind River Ranger 

District. 

Salixplanifolia var. monica dominates a patchy, woody canopy of low shmbs, which may also contain small 

amounts of Salix boothii and Pentaphylloides jloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa). The herbaceous layer is 

dense and dominated by sedges, of which Carex aquatilis is most abundant. Carex rostrata is also present and C. 

canescens may be abundant. Forbs, particularly Aster occidentalis and Senecio sphaerocephalum, may contribute 

substantial cover or may be present in small amounts. Conifer seedlings and saplings may grow in the stands. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% yo 

TREES 1 0-3 

Seedlings 1 0-3 

Saplings 1 0 - 3 

SHRUBS 50 20 - 80 

LOW 50 20- 80 

GRAMINOIDS 65 40 - 80 

FORBS 9 1-30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 26 0-80 

Litter & Duff 29 10-43 

Moss & Lichen 33 0 - 60 

Basal Vegetation 13 9 - 25 

Water 4 0- 15 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Histic and Typic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy, Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 30% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring 

between 4 and 18 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 18 to 29 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Sites with the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type are often the wettest terrestrial sites available 

for willow species (Hansen et al. 1995). Beaver can play a vital role in maintaining a high water table and thus 

allowing the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type to persist. If the channel downcuts, the water table 

will drop, with a resulting increase of Juncus balticus, Poa pratensis, and forbs (Hansen et al. 1995). Succession 

toward other Salixplanlfolia types would require drying and decomposition of organic materials, and probably is 

an extremely slow process (Padgett et al. 1989). 

Cow and moose scat were present in two stands of the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type. 

Utilization of the sedge species of the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type is variable and depends on 

the condition of nearby upland graminoids. The willow species are more vulnerable to pruning damage during 

late summer and fall grazing; rest and deferred rotation is recommended (Myers 1989 in Hansen et al. 1995). 

Wildlife use of Salixplanifolia in the winter can be heavy if snow does not cover the shrubs. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type is a major type in the Uinta Mountains of Utah (Padgett 

et al. 1989) and a minor type at middle to high elevations in Montana (Hansen et al. 1995). It has also been 

described from the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming (Girard et al. 1995), the Routt National Forest of 

Colorado (Kettler and McMullen 1996), and the Yellowstone Plateau (Mattson l984), on the C. aquatilidSalix 

phyllicifolia habitat type. 
Salk planifoliaKarex scopulorum Community Type 

(Planeleaf willowMountain sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 4 

(141V93N037, 141V96N017, 141V96N031, 141V96N018) 

General Description 

Four stands of the Salix planfolia/Carex scopulorum community type were sampled on the Beartooth 

Plateau at elevations above ca. 9500 ft., all in wetlands supporting a mosaic of low willow shrub stands and Carex 

scopulorum wet meadows. Dominance of the shrub layer by Salixplanfolia var. monica and dominance by Carex 

scopulorum in the herbaceous layer characterize stands of this community type. 

Location and Environment 

All samples of this type occurred in the Beartooth subsection in granitic alpine landscapes with an underlying geology of the Beartooth Mountains Formation. 

This community type is a high-elevation type, occurring in subalpine wetlands with streams up to ca. 10 ft 

wide. Soils are saturated and may be wet at the surface. Adjacent vegetation types are Carex scopulorum wet 

meadows, Deschampsia cespitosa mesic meadows, and Salix plan folia/Caltha leptosepala stands. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium 

Landform Glaciated trough bottom moderate valley 

Plot Position Wide valley bottom 

Elevation (ft.) 9,480 - 10,680 

Precipitation (in.) 45-65 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The Salixplanifolia/Carex scopulorum community type is characterized by a low (1 ft. to 3 ft. tall), often 

patchy shrub layer in which Salixplanfolia var. monica is a major species. Other high-elevation willows (Salix 

eastwoodiae, S, reticulata) may also contribute substantial cover. The herbaceous understory is relatively poor in 

species, and is dominated by Carex scopulorum. Carex rostrata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Caltha leptosepala, and 

mosses may contribute substantial cover. Stands with sparse shrub layers grade into the Carex scopulorum 

herbaceous type. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 45 10-80 

LOW 45 10-80 

GRAMINOIDS 50 30 - 80 

FORBS 8 1 - 20 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo % 

Bare Soil 10 0 - 20 

Gravel 1 0 - 2 

Stones 0.5 0 - 1 

Boulders 0.5 0 - 1 

Litter & Duff 6 0- 10 

Wood (>I14 in. 0.3 0 - 1 

diam.) 

Moss & Lichen 43 1 - 80 

Basal Vegetation 16 0- 18 

Water 21 2 - 40 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: none 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 28 inches of rooting zone 

SuccessionIManagement Implications 

Girard et al. (1995) describe a Salix plan$olia/Carex sp. from the Bighorn Mountains, and state that 

disturbance in stands of that type will lead to decrease in cover of the sedges and increases in Deschampsia 

cespitosa and Poa pratensis. That type may also be converted to woodlands as Picea engelmannii and Pinus 

contorta become established on hummocks. This information on succession may also apply to the Salixplanlfolia/ 

Carex scopulor~im community type described here. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salixplan$olia/Carex scopulorum habitat type is considered to be a major type of low to middle alpine 

regions of the White River and southwestern Arapaho National Forests of Colorado (Hess and Wasser 1982). Our 

stand resembles the vegetation from their habitat type, although our stand has more Carex scopulorurn. 

Figure 15 Tributary of Little Rock Creek, Beartooth Plateau, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
Salk planifolidCaltha leptosepala Community Type 

(Planeleaf willow/Marsh marigold Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 6 

(145V95N026, 145V95N030, 145V95NO42,145V95NO48, 14lV93NO36,14 lV96NO47) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest the Salixplanifolia/Caltha leptosepala community type is found high in 

glacial valleys. It occurs on wet soils next to narrow channels or in depression. The vegetation consists of a shrub 

layer dominated by Salix planifolia and an understory dominated by forbs and graminoids common to wet soils, 

such as Caltha leptosepala and Trollius laxus. 

Location and Environment 

Two of the plots for this type occurred in the Beartooth subsection. Two plots occurred within the Southern 

Wind River subsection, on granitic moraine deposits. Another two plots were found in the Upper Wind River 

subsection on volcanic landslide deposits and the Wiggins Formation. 

Stands of the Salixplanifolia/Caltha leptosepala community type were sampled along Bonneville Creek at 

the inlet to Brook's Lake, at Bonneville Pass, along the South Fork of Warm Spring Creek and at nearby kettle 

ponds, and above Chain Lakes. Elevation of the sampled stands ranged fiom 9,060 ft. to 9,920 ft. The stands 

occupy wide strips along narrow stream channels, or large areas in valley bottoms or on adjacent hillslopes, or 

smaller areas surrounding kettle ponds. The areas are wet from late-melting snow patches. The ground surface 

generally slopes gently and is hummocky. Most of the stands have gravel, stones, cobbles, and boulders on the 

surface. Bare soil, litter, and usually moss are present. 

Associated communities are Carex aquatilis meadows, Deschampsia cespitosa meadows, Salix eastwoodiae/ 

Carex aquatilis stands, and sagebrush uplands. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic, volcanic alluvium 

Landform Medium - wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains, toeslopes 

Elevation (ft.) 9,060 - 9,920 

Precipitation (in.) 40-70 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salix planifolia dominates or codominates the patchy shrub canopy, which may also contain substantial 

amounts of Salix eastwoodiae (often a codominant) or Salix wolJii, or both. The willows range from 1 ft. to 5 ft. 

tall. The dense herbaceous understory contains large amounts of forbs, especially Caltha leptosepala, Trollius 

laxus, Antennaria corymbosa, and Aster foliaceus. Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex microptera, and Phleum alpinum 

are the most common graminoids. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo Yo 

TREES 1 0-3 

Saplings 1 0-3 

SHRUBS 58 30-70 

LOW 38 20-70 

Medium 25 0-60 

GRAMINOIDS 35 20 - 50 

FORBS 55 40-90 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surfa 

MEAN 

Yo 

Bare Soil 15 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 2 

Stones (10 - 24 in) 3 

Boulders (> 24 in) 7 

Litter & Duff 29 

.ce. 

RANG 

% 

1 - 54 

0-5 

0-7 

0 - 27 

8 - 72 

Figure 16 Kettle Ponds at Union Pass, Wind River 

Ranger District. 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 2 0- 10 

Moss & Lichen 20 0-72 

Basal Vegetation 12 10- 12 

Water 3 0-5 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryaquolls; Histic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryaquents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy, Coarse loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 21% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring at 0 

to 6 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 9 to 23 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

The Salix planz~olia/Caltha leptosepala community type occurs in swales or on gentle slopes that are 

saturated throughout the growing season. The soils are easily compacted by livestock. Overgrazing could open up 

the willow canopy, leading to increased evaporation. A lower water table could allow Salix brachycarpa or Salix 

wolfii to establish (Kittel and Lederer 1993). 

Caltha leptosepala is found near seeps or in areas with a continual supply of fresh water (Padgett et al. 

1989). It is unclear what factors lead to dominance of the understory by forbs (the Salixplanijolia/Caltha leptosepala 

community type) or to dominance by sedges (the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis community type or the S. planifolia/ 

C. scopulorurn community type). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix planifolia/Caltha leptosepala community type has been described from the San Miguel/Dolores 

River Basin of Colorado (Kittel and Lederer 1993) and from the Routt National Forest (Kettler and McMullen 

1996). The Salix planifolia/Caltha leptosepala habitat type is extensive at the higher elevations of White River 

Plateau in Colorado (Hess and Wasser 1982). 
Salixplanz~olia,Deschampsia cespitosa Community Type 

(Planeleaf willow/Tufted Hairgrass Community vpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(141V96N057) 

General Description 

The single stand sampled on the Forest is in the upper subalpine zone on the Beartooth Plateau. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Beartooth subsection in subalpine to alpine cirque land. Parent material is 

from granitic moraine deposits. 

This stand occupies a hummocky site on a terrace in a glacial cirque. A small stream meanders from a 

snowfield through the stand. Higher, drier slopes support Salix glauca vegetation, and lower, wetter sites support 

dense vegetation of tall forbs. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granite alluvium 

Landform Moderate valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 9980 

Precipitation (in.) 65 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salixplanifolia var. monica strongly dominates a shrub layer ca. 1 ft. tall, and a small amount of Salixglauca 

is present. Deschampsia cespitosa and Carex paysonis dominate a relatively open understory, and mosses are 

thick on hummocks. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 50 

Low 50 

GRAMINOIDS 30 

FORBS 20 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Yo 

Bare Soil 15 

Litter & Duff 30 

Moss & Lichen 40 

Basal Vegetation 15 

Water 10 
Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Humic Cryaquept 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: LOSK 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 65% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table occurring at 14 inches; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 17 inches of rooting depth 

Succession/Management Implications 

Padgett et al. (1989) suggest that this is a stable vegetation type, probably not derived from the S. 

planifolia/Carex aquatilis type, where the composition of the vegetation is determined by the amount of 

grazing. Girard et al. (1995), though, postulate that this type is derived from their S. planifolia/Carex sp. 

ecological type, through a decline in the water table, and that heavy grazing will lead to a decrease in the cover 

of Deschampsia and an increase in species such as Poa pratensis. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

S. plani$olia/D. cespitosa types similar to one another, and to our stand, have been described by Padgett et al. 

(1 989) from the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, the western slope of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming 

by Potkin and Munn (1989), and from the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming by Girard et al. (1995). Our stand 

appears to fall within the limits of the vegetation described from the S. planfolia/Carex aquatiIis habitat type of 

Montana (Hansen et al. 1995). 
Salix candida/Carex rostrata Community qpe 

(Hoary willowIBeaked sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(14 lVWNO39) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, one stand of the Salix candida/Carex rostrata community type was found 

on an anchored floating mat. The open shrub canopy of Salix candida and Salix planifolia grows above a wet 

herbaceous layer of Carex rostrata and Carex aquatilis. 

Location and Environment 

Sampled within the Beartooth subsection, this plot occurred in montane areas characterized by granitic till 

deposits within the Beartooth Mountains Formation. 

The example of the Salix candida/Carex rostrata community type was found west of Lily Lake at an 

elevation of 7,700 ft. The stand occurred on an anchored organic mat near a small open lake that is gradually 

filling with sediments. Floating mats of Carex rostrata separate the occurrence from the open lake. Conditions 

are continually wet and anaerobic. 

This community is adjacent to a Carex rostrata community, most of which is on a wet meadow with standing 

water, but part of which is on the floating vegetation mat. With increasing distance from the lake, the amount of 

Salix candida decreases and that of Salix wolfii increases, shifting the vegetation to a Salix wolfiilCarex aquatilis 

community. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium 

Landform Lake bed deposit 

Plot Position Floating mat in lake 

Elevation (ft.) 7,700 

Precipitation (in.) 20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Clumps of the short willows Salix candida and Salix planifolia are scattered on the fen surface. The 

herbaceous layer is codominated by Carex rostrata and Carex aquatilis. Deschampsia cespitosa and Glyceria 

striata are present in smaller amounts. The major forbs are Aster foliaceus, Senecio streptanthifolius, and 

Gentianopsis detonsa. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 30 

Low 30 

GRAMINOIDS 50 

FORBS 20 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Bare Soil 2 

Litter & Duff 45 

Moss & Lichen 15 

Basal Vegetation 10 

Water 28 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: none 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 35 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

The Salix candida/Carex rostrata community type can be stable provided the water regime is constant 

(Chadde 1988). In Idaho, Salix candida occurs on quaking fens (Brunsfeld and Johnson, 1985). Heavy browsing 

can eliminate Salix candida and cause a change to a Carex rostrata or Carex aquatilis community (Hansen et al. 

199 1). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stand is similar to the vegetation described from the Salix candida/Carex rostrata habitat type in the 

mid- elevation mountains of central and southwestern Montana (Hansen et al. 199 1). Salix candida is present in 

part of the Carex rostrata vegetation type at Swamp Lake Botanical Area in the drainage of the Clarks Fork of the 

Yellowstone River (Fertig and Jones 1 992), and that part of Swamp Lake may be an early stage of this community. 

Figure 17 Fen east of Lily Lake, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
Salk glauca (Grayleaf willow) Vegetation 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(14 1 V96NO56) 

General Description 

One stand of vegetation dominated by Salix glauca was sampled on the Beartooth Plateau. The shrub layer 

contains some Salixplanifolia var. monica. The herbaceous understory consists of scattered graminoids and forbs, 

with considerable moss cover. 

Location and Environment 

This type was sampled within the Beartooth subsection in areas characterized as subalpine to alpine cirque 

land. The parent material is derived from granitic moraine deposits. 

This stand occupies a wide bench above a stream floodplain. A ridge encloses the bench on three sides, and 

snow apparently accumulates on the site. The adjacent vegetation in the riparian zone is a Salix planifolia/ 

Deschampsia cespitosa stand, into which this Salix glauca stand merges. This type may best be considered 

transitional to the uplands, or an upland type of snowdrift areas, as indicated by Cooper and Lesica (1992) and 

Lesica (1993). Better examples of this community can be found by the Montana state line on the Beartooth 

Plateau. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium 

Landform Cirque basin 

Plot Position Terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 9,980 

Precipitation (in.) 65 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salix glauca forms a shrub layer ca. 2 ft. tall. Salix planijolia var. monica is present in the shrub layer, 

especially on the lower margin of the stand. Mosses growing on hummocks contribute the greatest cover to the 

herbaceous layer. The main vascular plants are Calamagrostis canadensis and Mertensia ciliata. Small amounts 

of other graminoids and forbs are present. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 70 

Low 70 

GRAMINOIDS 20 

FORBS 20 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Bare Soil 3 

Litter & Duff 50 

Moss & Lichen 30 

Basal Vegetation 17 
Soils 

(information not available) 

Succession/Management Implications 

We discovered no information on vegetation dynamics in Salix glauca vegetation and inferences could not 

be made from the limited data. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Alpine and subalpine willow stands dominated by Salix glauca have been described from the Line Creek 

Plateau in Montana (Lesica 1993), Snowcrest and Gravelly Ranges in southwestern Montana (Cooper and Lesica 

l992), and the western side of the Wind River Range in Wyoming (Potkin and Munn 1989). The vegetation from 

those studies differs from the vegetation in this stand, and no plant community type is apparent from the data. 

Figure 18 Beartooth Plateau, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
TALL WILLOW COMMUNITY TYPES 
Salk boothii (Booth's willow) Series 

Tall willow stands dominated by Salix boothii occur throughout the study area and were sampled most 

frequently in the Wind River Ranger District, ranging in elevation from 6,660 ft. to 9,480 ft. Salix boothii is 

common on floodplain surfaces adjacent to the channel or set back ca. 20 ft, and ranging from 0.2 ft. to 3.8 ft. 

above the channel. It is also found infrequently in valley bottoms that are wet with seeps instead of distinct 

channels. 

Salix boothii is the most abundant medium-height to tall willow of these plant community types, 

averaging 5 ft. tall but reaching 13 ft. tall in some stands. Salix geyeriana, S. drummondiana, S. lasiandra, or 

S. exigua can also be present in substantial amounts. Stands are generally dense with medium to tall willows. In 

some community types a low willow species, such as Salix wolfzi, growing beneath the tall willows may be equally 

or more abundant than the Salix boothii. 

Salix boothii stands have been treated differently in different classifications. Hansen et al. (1995) in 

Montana include in their S. geyeriana habitat type those stands with all combinations of S. boothii and S. geyeriana, 

citing similarities between the two species in the environments they occupy and in management concerns. Padgett 

et al. (1989), on the other hand, place stands with at least 25% cover of S. boothii into their S. boothii community 

types, even if the stands have more cover of S. geyeriana, because that much S. boothii cover significantly alters 

the structure of the vegetation. 

A continuum of Salix boothii - dominated plant community types along a moisture gradient follows: 

wet > mesic < > dry 

SALBOOICARROS -> SALBOOICARAQU -> SALBOOIMesic grrn ->SALBOO/CALCAN -> 

SALBOOIPOAPRA or SALBOOiMesic forb(and back to SALBOOICARROS under wet conditions). 
Salk boothiXarex rostrata Community Type 

(Booth's willow/Beaked sedge Community Qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(145V95N003, l45V95NOl7) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, the Salix boothii/Carex rostrata plant community type is found in valley 

bottoms near small channels and seeps on saturated soils. The community type has a dense, tall shrub layer 

dominated by Salix boothii with a herbaceous layer dominated by sedges, particularly Carex rostrata. 

Location and Environment 

One sample of this type occurred in the Wind River subsection on parent material derived from volcanic 

moraine deposits. The other sample was found within the Upper Wind River subsection where parent materials 

are influenced the Wind River Formation. 

Stands of the Salix boothii/Carex rostrata plant community type were sampled near Charlie Creek and near 

Clint Creek, in valley bottoms next to multiple, small, moss-lined channels and on gently sloping seeps. Both 

stands were influenced by high water tables that saturate the soil surface. The plot surface is irregular with 

hummocks and saturated areas cut by channels of slowly-moving water. 

Adjacent riparian communities are Salix wolfii/Carex aquatilis stands or stands of mixed Salix geyeriana 

and Salix boothii. An adjacent upland hillside contained a conifer-aspen stand. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderate valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains and swales 

Elevation (ft.) 7,800 to 8,385 

Precipitation (in.) 20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 19 Clint Creek, Wind River Ranger District 

Stands of the Salix boothii/Carex rostrata plant community type have a dense tall shrub layer averaging 4 ft. 

in height, with some shrubs reaching 6 ft. tall. This upper canopy is dominated by Salix boothii. Small amounts 

of Salix drummondiana can also be present in the canopy. A low shrub layer includes Salix wolJii, Ribes inerme, 

Betula glandulosa, Lonicera involucrata and Pentaphylloides floribunda (syn. PotentillaJi-uticosa). 

The herbaceous layer is dominated by sedges, the most abundant of which is Carex rostrata. Also present in 

lower amounts are Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex disperma and Juncus balticus. Forbs are sparse to 

moderate and may include Aster foliaceus, Epilobium angustifolium, Castilleja miniata, and Fragaria virginiana. 

Substantial moss and litter cover the ground surface. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class 

TREES 

Seedlings 

Saplings 

Pole 

SHRUBS 

Low 

Medium 

Tall 

GRAMINOIDS 

FORBS 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

2 0.5 - 3 

0.3 0 - 0.5 

1.5 0-3 

1.5 0-3 

85 80 - 90 

30 20. - 40 

65 50 - 80 

10 0-20 

75 70 - 80 

25 10-40 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 5.5 5 - 6 

Cobbles(3-10in)2.5 0-5 

Stones(10-24 1 0-2 

in) 

Litter & Duff 29 27 - 30 

Moss & Lichen 38 3 1 - 45 

Basal Vegetation 12 11 - 13 

Water 13 10- 16 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 30 to 40% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring 

between 12 and 23 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 to 23 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

This plant community type may develop by changing from a community type with a mesophytic understory 

(Norton et. al. 198 1) if the water level rises from, for example, construction of beaver ponds (Padgett et. al. 1989) 

because Carex rostrata and Glyceria striata are capable of establishing in standing water. As the site becomes 

drier the understory will be replaced by less hydrophilic species (Padgett et. al. 1989). 

At our sites, animals using this community type include moose, elk, cattle and horses. Evidence of animal 

use at these occurrences included game trails, some browsing, and scat. Saturated soils of this community type are 

susceptible to compaction by large animals or heavy machinery (Padgett et. al. 1989). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

This plant community type is common throughout eastern Idaho and western Wyoming (Youngblood et. al. 

1985); in the Wasatch mountains and Wasatch Plateau, Utah (Padgett et. al. 1989); in the Grey's River drainage, 

Wyoming (Norton et. al. 198 1); and in the Yampa River drainage, Colorado (Kittel & Lederer 1993). In Montana, 

this type is included with stands of all combinations of Salix geyeriana and Salix boothii in which the understory 

is dominated by Carex rostrata (Hansen et. al. 1995). We described community types of both Salix boothii/Carex 

rostrata and Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata because one of the two willows was consistently dominant. 
Salk boothiilMesic graminoid Community Type 

(Booth's willow/Mesic graminoid Community Type 

Number of Stands Sampled = 7 

( 142V95N008,145V95N036,145V95N037, 145V95N038, 145V95NO46,14 lV93NO29, 145V95N029) 

General Description 

The Salix boothiilMesic graminoid community type can be found along small, meandering channels or 

beside medium-sized, braided channels. A dense, mixed-shrub layer dominated by Salix boothii and a dense 

herbaceous layer with a variety of grasses and sedges common to mesic environments characterize this Salix 

boothiilMesic graminoid community type. There is no single graminoid or forb that dominates the herbaceous 

layer. 

Location and Environment 

Two samples, occurring within the Southern Wind River subsection were found on parent material derived 

from granitic moraine deposits and residuum. Two other samples occurred within the Upper Wind River 

subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. One plot in the Absaroka subsection is characterized by volcanic alluvial 

depositsand the he Beartooth subsection on mixed alluvial deposit flood plains. 

We sampled stands of Salix boothiilMesic graminoid along the Wood River, the Wind River, Wiggins Creek, 

Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, Geyser Creek, and Little Warm Spring Creek, between elevations of 6,980 

and 9,480 fi. These channels range from wide, low gradient, braided channels to narrow, moderate gradient, 

meandering channels. Stands occurred adjacent to the channel and ranged from ca. 100 ft. to 400 ft. wide. Along 

the smaller channels, the plant community type tends to occupy the width of the riparian zone, but next to the 

larger channels, it occurs within a small to large patch adjacent to the channel. The floodplain surfaces on which 

the community type occurred averaged 1.3 ft. above the bankfull channel height. The ground surface was usually 

irregular and contained little or no open water. There was usually substantial litterlduff at the surface, as well as 

small areas of bare soil. 

These stands were usually next to upland coniferous vegetation. Adjacent riparian communities included 

Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid, and Salix planifolia/Carex aquatilis stands. 

e Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granitic alluvium 

Landform Wide - moderate valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplain, 1 st terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 6,980 to 9,480 

Precipitation (in.) 15-35 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 20 Geyser Creek, Wind River Ranger District. 

In stands of the Salix boothiilMesic graminoid community type, the mixed shrub layer is 2 ft. to 6 fi. tall 

and dense. Salix boothii is the most abundant willow, and Salix geyeriana or S. drummondiana may be present 

in smaller amounts. Shorter shrubs - Salixplanifolia, S. wolfii, or, PentaphylloidesJloribunda (syn. Potentilla 

fruticosa) - were common to half of our stands. Scattered conifer seedlings or saplings can be present. 
The herbaceous layer is dense in openings between the willow clumps. Juncus balticus was always present 

in our stands. Also common to stands of this community type is one or more mesic graminoids, including Carex 

microptera, Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex aquatilis, Calarnagrostis canadensis, C. nowegica, C. praticola, and 

C. lanuginosa. Forbs contribute less cover than do graminoids. Achillea millefolium was present in small amounts 

at all our stands. Usually more abundant are Aster sp. and Fragaria virginiana. 

Community Structure Ground Cover 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 6 0 - 30 

Seedlings 3 0 - 20 

Saplings 2 0- 10 

Pole 1 0-3 

SHRUBS 63 50 - 90 

LOW 30 10- 50 

Medium 30 10-70 

Tall 13 0-60 

GRAMINOIDS 49 30 - 70 

FORBS 37 30- 50 

Bare Soil 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 

Stones (10 - 24 in) 

Boulders (> 24 in) 

Litter & Duff 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 

Moss & Lichen 

Basal Vegetation 

Water 

MEAN RANGE 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofluvents; Typic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal, Coarse loamy, Sandy Skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 13 to 85% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring at the 

surface to 8 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 9 to 27 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

It seems that some of our stands of the Salix boothiilMesic graminoid community type had previously 

belonged to other community types such as Salix boothii/Carex aquatilis, or Salix boothii/Calamagrostis canadensis. 

Alluvial deposition at these stands has caused them to become drier and this trend will likely continue (Padgett 

et. al. 1989). Or, this plant community type may represent a grazing disclimax of the previous community types 

(Hansen et. al. 1995). If this is the case, the dominance of Salix boothii rather than Salix geyeriana at our stands 

may support the hypothesis that Salix geyeriana is less tolerant than Salix boothii of grazing pressure (Hansen 

et. al. 1995). 

In the seven stands of the Salix boothiilMesic graminoid plant community type that we sampled, browsing 

on the willows and grazing on the herbaceous layer was moderate, while browsing on the Salix geyeriana was 

sometimes heavy. Use of the area by moose, cow, deer, and horse was evident. Two stands of this community type 

(145V95N037 and 145V95N038) were next to each other; one (145V95N037) within a 10-foot tall exclosure and 

the other (145V95N038) outside the exclosure. The stand within the exclosure contained Salix geyeriana along 

with the Salix boothii. Outside the exclosure Salix geyeriana was absent, suggesting that grazing pressure is 

stronger on the Salix geyeriana than on the Salix boothii. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix boothiilMesic graminoid type was first described from Utah and Idaho (Padgett et. al. 1989). It 

also occurs in Montana (Hansen et. al. 1995), where it is synonymous with the Salix geyeriana community type, 

which includes all combinations of Salix geyeriana and Salix boothii. The Salix geyeriana plant community type 

is a grazing disclimax (Hansen et. al. 1995). 
Salix boothiilMesic forb Community Type 

(Booth's willow/Mesic forb Community type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 5 

(145V95N018, 144V93N019, 142V95N001,142V95N003,141V96N027) 

General Description 

Stands of the Salix boothiilMesic forb plant community type can be found in a variety of riparian settings on 

the Shoshone National Forest. This community type is composed of two to three shrub layers, with Salix boothii 

most abundant in the tall shrub layer. The herbaceous layer is composed of forbs common to mesic environments 

and a variety of grasses and sedges. 

Location and Environment 

The Bighorn Basin subsection was represented by two plots occurring in areas of river floodplains and 

terraces derived from volcanic parent materials. The Beartooth subsection is included by a sample on mixed 

sedimentary landscapes and landslide deposits in subalpine to alpine areas. In the Absaroka subsection one plot 

occurred on parent material developed from volcanic landslide deposits. Within the Upper Wind River 

subsection, a sample occurred in an area which is influenced primarily by the Wind River Formation. 

Stands of the Salix boothiilMesic forb plant community type were sampled along Wind River, Timber Creek, 

West Timber Creek and at the base of Carter Mountain between elevations of 7,460 and 8,050 ft. The riparian 

environments where we sampled this community type include a hillside seep; a small, meandering creek; a high 

gradient channel of moderate width just below the foothills; and a moderate gradient, single channel river. The 

community type is either adjacent to the channel or set back slightly and above a small bar community. The 

average height of the surface where this community type occurs is 2 ft. above the bankfull channel. 

Surface topography usually is irregular with higher mounds at the willow patches. Much litter accumulates 

at the surface, with soil being more exposed at one stand. Riparian stands adjacent to the sampled Salix boothiil 

Mesic forb stands are Populus tremuloides woodlands or Cavex aquatilis wet meadows. Adjacent upland 

communities are dominated by Artemisia tridentata, Picea engelmannii, and upland grasses. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, sedimentary alluvium 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 21 Below Beartooth Butte, Clarks Fork 

Ranger District. 

Stands of the Salix boothiilMesic forb community type are dominated by willows. Salix boothii is most 

abundant and ranges in height from 4 ft. to 13 ft. Other tall shrubs that may be present in smaller amounts are Salix 

drummondiana, S. bebbiana, and Betula occidentalis. Common medium-height and low shrubs include Rosa sp., 

Ribes oxyacanthoides, Pentaphylloides Joribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa), and Betula glandulosa. 
Common to all of our stands were Aster foliaceus, Fragaria virginiana, and Maianthemum stellaturn. Other 

mesic forbs often present are Mertensia ciliata, Equisetum arvense, and Epilobium angustifolium. Grasses and 

sedges are less abundant, and include Juncus balticus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex microptera, EIymus 

trachycaulus, and Poa pratensis. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 1.4 0-3 

Seedlings 0.6 0 - 3 

Saplings 0.8 0 - 3 

Medium 0.6 0 - 3 

SHRUBS 72 40 - 90 

LOW 16 0-40 

Medium 38 10-90 

Tall 32 0-70 

GRAMINOIDS 34 10 - 60 

FORBS 46 20 - 70 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 26 1-65 

Litter & Duff 48 9-78 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 5 0- 15 

Basal Vegetation 12 5- 16 

Water 0.6 0 - 2 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Mollic Cryofluvents; Typic Cryoflu ,vents; Ox 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 TO 60% 

.yaquic Cryofluvents 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at the surface to 32 inches; mottling occurring 

at the surface to 18 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 to 22 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

With excessive grazing, this community type will likely change towards the Salix boothii/Poa pratensis 

community type (Padgett et al. 1989). Evidence of animal use in stands of the Salix boothiilMesic forb 

community type included elk tracks, moose scat, old beaver cut stumps, and browsed willows. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Shoshone National Forest stands of the Salix boothiilMesic forb community type are similar to the 

Utah community of the same name (Padgett et al. 1989) and to the Salix boothii/Smilacina stellata of Idaho and 

Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 1985). In agreement with Padgett et al. (1985), we do not emphasize any single 

species in the herbaceous layer, because many forbs have high cover and constancy. The Salix boothii/Mertensia 

ciliata community type (Norton et al. 198 1) also strongly resembles our community type. Stands of the Salix 

boothiilMesic forb community type have also been described from Routt National Forest in Colorado (Kettler 

and McMullen 1996). 
Salk boothii/Salk wolfii Type 

(Booth's willow/Wolf's willow Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 4 

(l45V95NO 1 1, 145V95N027, 14 1 V96NO20, l45V95NOO 1) 

General Description 

Salix boothii and Salix wolfii create the shrub layer in stands of this type. Salix wolfii is usually more 

abundant, but Salix boothii has a strong presence due to its height. This is probably a transitional type, which 

precludes finding consistent patterns of species composition in the understory; hence, we do not name this as a 

plant community type. 

On the Shoshone National Forest, stands of the Salix boothii/Salix wolJii type were found on floodplains of 

small and medium channels. The sites are often affected by flooding or by grazing. 

Location and Environment 

One plot occurred within the Upper Wind River subsection in an area of volcanic landslide deposits. The 

Wind River subsection contains two samples in areas influenced by the Tepee Trail Formation. One other sample 

occurred within the Beartooth subsection, where they were influenced by the Gros Ventre and Flathead Formations. 

Stands of the Salix boothii/Salix wolfii type were sampled along the East Fork of Wind River, Middle Long 

Creek, and Horse Creek between elevations of 7,780 ft. and 8,420 ft., and on the Beartooth Plateau near Clay Butte 

at 9,480 ft. These stands occur on meandering or braided channels ca. 7 ft. to 130 ft. wide, and from ca. 1 ft. to ca. 

3 ft. above the bankfull channel height. The stands usually dominate the riparian zone. The ground surface may be 

level or undulating; and often the willows grow on hummocks. Litter cover is moderate. 

Adjacent vegetation types in the riparian zone are forb meadows, fringes of Salix drummondiana-Populus 

angustifolia vegetation, and Pentaphylloidesfloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa)/Poa pratensis stands. Nearby 

upland vegetation includes Pentaphylloidesfloribunda (Potentilla fruticosa) shrub stands, sagebrush shrub stands, 

or conifers. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderate - wide valley 

Plot Position Floodplain, terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 7,780 - 9.480 

Precipitation (in.) 20-45 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The occurrences of Salix boothii/Salix wo@i vegetation have a tall shrub layer (3 ft. to 5 ft. tall) of Salix 

boothii and a denser, low shrub (ca. 2 ft. tall) dominated by Salix wo@. In the herbaceous layer, no species 

consistently contributes much cover, but several graminoids and forbs are usually present: Deschampsia cespitosa, 

Carex praticola, Elymus trachycaulus, Achillea millefolium, Astragalus alpinus, Fragaria virginiana, Potentilla 

gracilis, and Taraxacum officinale. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 1 0-3 

Saplings 0.1 0 - 0.5 

Pole 1 0-3 

SHRUBS 72 60- 90 

LOW 47 50 - 60 

Medium 27 10-60 

GRAMINOIDS 40 20 - 80 

FORBS 53 40- 60 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 23 5 - 70 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 5 0- 15 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 6 0 - 26 

Stones (10 - 24 in) 2 0-7 

Litter & Duff 33 15-80 

Moss & Lichen 20 0 - 60 

Basal Vegetation 14 10-20 

Water 4 0- 15 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofluvents; Oxyaquic Cryofluvents; Typic Cryaquepts 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 2 to 59% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at the surface to 14 inches; mottling occurring 

between 2 and 14 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 9 to 26 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

The Salix boothii/Salix wolfii type may be a transitional type, making the identification of consistent 

patterns of species composition in the understory difficult. Salix boothii is an obligate wetland species and Salix 

woljii is a facultative species (Reed 1988, in Hansen et al. 1995). If the sites dry out, this vegetation type may shift 

toward a Salix wo@i/Deschampsia cespitosa plant community type. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Two communities of the Salix boothii/Salix wolfii type have been described from the Bighorn National 

Forest in Wyoming (Girard et al. 1995). However, the understory vegetation of our stands is so dissimilar from 

stands in those types that we do not think our stands belong in either of the Bighorn types. 

Figure 22 Horse Creek, Wind River Ranger District. 
Salk boothii - Salk farriae Type 

(Booth's willow - Farr's willow Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(l44V93NO 15, 14 1 V93NO35) 

General Description 

Salix farriae, a species of special concern and tracked by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (Fertig 

1997), was rarely encountered on the Shoshone National Forest. At two locations, Salix farriae was associated 

with Salix boothii. Both stands contained mesic forb species, but one stand had few graminoids and the other stand 

was dominated by mesic graminoids in its understory. More data would be required to describe this community 

'7 Pee 

Location and Environment 

One sample was located within the Northern Absaroka subsection on parent material primarily derived from 

volcanic alluvium. Also sampled was a plot in the Beartooth subsection in an area characterized by mixed alluvial 

deposits. 

Stands of Salix boothii -Salix farriae type were sampled along Middle Creek and along Clarks Fork of the 

Yellowstone River around 6,750 ft. elevation. These channels are 15 ft. to 20 ft. wide and 1.5 ft. to 2 ft. deep. At 

both sites, these mixed willow patches separate mixed conifer stands from the channel. These occurrences of Salix 

boothii -Salix farriae are adjacent to single channels on terraces 3 ft. above bankfull channel height. The patches 

are small, averaging 0.25 acre in area. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granitic alluvium 

Landform Moderate - wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 6,660 - 6,840 

Precipitation (in.) 15-20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Stands of the Salix boothii - Salix farriae type are composed of various willow species and additional low 

shrubs. Salix boothii and Salix farriae are most abundant. Other willows present can include Salix bebbiana, Salix 

drummondiana, Salix eastwoodiae, Salix exigua or Salix lasiandra. At one stand the willows are mostly medium 

height; at the other stand they are mostly low stature. Non-willow shrubs that may be present are Rosa sayi, 

Pentaphylloides floribunda (syn Potentilla fruticosa) and Alnus incana. Conifers, primarily seedlings and 

saplings, are present in the stands. Some trees up to 35 ft. tall occur at the edge of one stand. 

The herbaceous layer may be dominated by forbs or graminoids. The forbs Maianthemum stellatum, Fragnria 

virginiana, Aster foliaceus and Cirsium scariosurn are always present in moderate amounts. The only grasses 

present in both stands are the introduced Phleum pratense and Poa pratensis. Present in large amounts at one 

stand were Juncus balticus, Poa palustris and Bromus ciliatus. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 15 10-20 

Seedlings 10 10 

Saplings 5 0-10 

Pole 5 0-10 

Medium 10 0-20 

SHRUBS 60 60 

LOW 27 3 - 50 

Medium 45 30-60 

Tall 2 0-3 

GRAMINOIDS 35 20-50 

FORBS 40 30 - 50 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% Yo 

Bare Soil 3 2-4 

Litter & Duff 80 79 - 80 

Wood(>1/4in 2 1-3 

diam.) 

Moss & Lichen 3 1-4 

Basal Vegetation 13 12 - 14 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Fluvaquentic and Fluventic Cyroborolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 30% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 16 to 24 inches; mottling occurring at 0 to 

16 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 22 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

In Idaho, Salix farriae is known from the subalpine zone near stream edges and around seeps, and in 

openings in conifer forests (Brunsfeld and Johnson 1985). Our sites on Shoshone National Forest were next to 

streams, but not especially wet. The willows in our stands of Salix boothii - Salix farriae were moderately to 

heavily browsed, which limited their height. Sign of moose and elk were present in these stands. Exotic grasses 

are found in both stands, especially Poapratensis and Phleumpratense. Trfolium hybridum, an exotic clover, was 

abundant in one stand. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Plant community types of the Salix boothii - Salix farriae type have not been identified elsewhere. More 

stands of this dominance type need to be sampled before plant community types are named. 

Figure 23 Middle Creek, Wapiti Ranger District. 
Salk geyeriana (Geyer 's willow) Series 

Tall willow community types dominated by Salix geyeriana occur throughout the study area and were 

sampled frequently in the Wind River District of the Shoshone National Forest. Sites sampled with Salix geyerianadominated community types occurred at elevations ranging from 7,100 ft. to 8,390 ft. Stands of Salix geyeriana 

are most common in wide valleys on floodplains, in mesic or wet environments. Salix boothii is commonly 

associated with Salix geyeriana in these plant community types, but S. geyeriana usually contributes ca. twice the 

cover of S. boothii. In most of the stands that we sampled, the willow are dense and tall. Indeed, the shrubs in the 

Salix geyeriana stands are taller and denser than in the Salix boothii stands. 

Salix geyeriana and S. boothii stands have been treated differently in different classifications. Hansen et 

al. (1995) in Montana include in their S. geyeriana habitat type those stands with all combinations of S. geyeriana 

and S. boothii, citing similarities between the two species in the environments they occupy and in management 

concerns. Padgett et al. (1989), on the other hand, place stands with at least 25% cover of S. boothii into their S. 

boothii community types, even if the stands have more cover of S. geyeriana, because that much S. boothii cover 

significantly alters the structure of the vegetation. That treatment is based on a narrower concept of the S. geyeriana 

dominance type than that used by Youngblood et al. (1985) in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, who 

considered all stands dominated by S. geyeriana included in that dominance type, regardless of the amount of S. 

boothii present. 

The composition of the understories in Salix geyeriana - dominated community types depends on soil 

moisture. A continuum of Shoshone National Forest Salix geyeriana - dominated communities along a moisture 

gradient is: 

wet < > mesic< MY 

SALGEYICARROS -> SALBOOMesic grm or SALGEYIMesic forb ->SALGEY/CALCAN 

and back to SALBOOICARROS under wet conditions. 
Salk geyerianaKarex rostrata Community Type 

(Geyer's willow1Beaked sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(1 42V95NOO4, 143 V95NOO4) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, stands of the Salix geyerianalCarex rostrata plant community type dominate the riparian vegetation mosaics where they occur. The community type typically occupies one or both sides 

of the channel where the site is wet with areas of standing water. Salix geyeriana creates the upper shrub layer, 

with a canopy 6 ft. to 7 ft. tall. The herbaceous layer is dominated by Carex rostrata. Forbs contribute little cover. 

Location and Environment 

One sample of this type occurred within the Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. The other 

sample was found on mixed alluvial deposits within the Wind River Subsection. 

Stands of the Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata community type were the dominant communities of the large 

shrub wetland complexes along Dick Creek and Beaver Creek. Elevation at each sampling site was ca. 7,500 ft. 

Both channels are low gradient at the sites and quite sinuous. Beaver complexes help maintain the wet conditions 

necessary for this community type. The stands are large, occurring on one or both sides of the channel and ranging 

in width from ca. 130 ft. to ca. 11 50 fi. At both sites, the Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata community type occupies 

most of the riparian zone. Adjacent communities are drier. A sprucelwillow stand was adjacent to one stand, and 

the other stand graded into a narrow band of less dense willow with a drier forblgraminoid understory away from 

the channel. 

Both stands sampled were within large exclosures. The ground surface is rough, with mounds beneath the 

willows. Between mounds, the ground surface is very wet, often with standing or slowly-moving water. Litter and 

duff has accumulated on the mounds. Moss is found on the saturated soil between the mounds. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granitic alluvium 

Landform Moderate - wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplain, terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 7,380 - 7,760 

Precipitation (in.) 20 - 30 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The Salix geyerianaKarex rostrata plant community type is a shrub wetland dominated by Salix geyeriana 

averaging 6.5 ft. tall, and sometimes as tall as 9 ft. Salix boothii was also present below the Salix geyeriana in 

small to moderate amounts. The shrub layer is made up of two layers of willows. Low Pentaphylloidesfloribunda 

(syn. Potentillafruticosa) may form a shrub layer below the willows. 

The herbaceous layer is dominated by graminoids, primarily dense Carex rostrata. Other important graminoids 

include Calarnagrostis canadensis and Poa palustris. The graminoid layer is up to 2 ft. tall Exotics were few but 

included Poa pratensis. A variety of forbs are present but each contributes little cover. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 65 60 - 70 

Low 10 0-20 

Medium 40 30 - 50 

Tall 25 10-40 

GRAMINOIDS 80 80 

FORBS 15 10-20 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 5 0- 10 

Litter & Duff 34 21-48 

Wood (>I14 in diam.) 1 0-2 

Moss & Lichen 1 0- 1 

Basal Vegetation 7 6-7 

Water 33 15-50 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Histic Cryaquents; Typic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy, Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range 0 to 9% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring 

between 0 and 6 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 14 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

The Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata plant community type occurs on a saturated surface where the water 

may have been ponded by beaver dams. Beavers were active at one of our sites. These flooded conditions are 

favorable for establishment of Carex rostrata. Under drier conditions, Carex aquatilis is more likely to colonize 

the understory. If existing stands of this community type dry out, Calamagrostis canadensis may come to 

dominate the understory, and the vegetation changes to the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis comrnunity type (Hansen et al. 1995). With heavy grazing and drier conditions, Poa pratensis will probably increase, 

perhaps leading to a Salix geyeriana/Poa pratensis community type. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stands of Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata are most similar to those described from northeastern Utah 

(Padgett et al. 1989). A broader Salix geyeriana/Carex rostrata community is described from eastern Idaho 

(Youngblood et al. 1985) and central Idaho (Mutz and Queiroz 1983) in which Carex rostrata or Carex aquatilis 

can dominate the herbaceous layer. 

Figure 24 Beaver Creek at South Pass, Washakie Ranger District. 
Salk geyeriana/Mesic graminoid Community Type 

(Geyer's willowlMesic graminoid Community 5pe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 6 

(145V95N039, 142V95N007, 142V95NOO17 145V95N008,145V95N004, 145V95NOlO) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, the Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type is found on 

floodplains or terraces of braided channels in wide valleys in the Greybull and Wind River Ranger Districts. 

Stands contain a tall shrub layer of Salix geyeriana with mixed medium-height and low shrubs. The herbaceous 

understory is dominated by grasses and sedges common to mesic environments. A variety of forbs are present, 

usually in small amounts. 

Location and Environment 

One sample occurred within the Absaroka subsection on parent material derived from volcanic alluvial 

deposits. Two samples occurred within the Upper Wind River subsection on parent material developed from 

volcanic alluvium influenced by the Wind River Formation. Two plots were located within the Wind River 

subsection where parent material is derived from volcanic and mixed alluvial deposits. One sample occurred 

within the Bighorn Basin subsection in areas characterized by volcanic alluvial floodplains and terraces. 

Stands of the Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type were sampled along the Wood River, the 

Wind River, Frontier Creek, and Charlie Creek between elevations of 7,620 ft. and 8,390 ft. These rivers are 

located in wide valleys and are generally ca. 50 ft. to 130 ft. wide, braided, and with moderate gradients. At one 

site the channel is narrow and meandering. The Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type occurs on one 

or both sides of the channel, on the floodplains or terraces averaging 2 ft. above bankfull channel. It is usually 

separated from the channel by a lower surface. Patches of this community type are large and occupy much of the 

floodplain. 

The ground surface in stands of the Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type commonly is dry, has 

considerable litter, and varies from level to gently undulating to very hummocky. 

The Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type at one site grades into a similar, probably more 

disturbed, community with an understory dominated by Cirsium scariosum. It can also be found adjacent to a 

Salix wolJii/Deschampsia cespitosa stand, a Salix boothiilMesic graminoid stand and a Salix geyerianalMesic 

forb stand. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace, floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 7,620 - 8,390 

Precipitation (in.) 15-30 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 25 Wind River, Wind River Ranger District. 

Stands of the Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type have an upper canopy dominated by 7 ft.- 

to-9 ft.-tall Salix geyeriana. Beneath this upper canopy, the shrub layer is composed of two or three shorter shrubs, 

typically medium-tall Salix boothii, low Salix wolJii, and low Pentaphylloidesfloribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa). 

The six stands of the Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type that we sampled are characterized by a 

dense layer of grasses and sedges common to mesic environments. These include Carexpraticola, C. microptera, 
Juncus balticus, and Deschampsia cespitosa. The introduced Poapratensis is also common to all the stands. A 

large variety of forbs is present, but they tend to contribute less canopy cover and have low constancy. Forbs 

present in most of the stands are Fragaria virginiana, Aster foliaceus, Potentilla gracilis, Achillea millefolium, 

and the exotic Taraxacum offieinale. These forbs are common to most riparian communities. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 0.1 0-0.5 Ground Cover 

Seedlings 0.1 0-0.5 Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

SHRUBS 62 0 - 90 MEAN RANGE 

LOW 13 10-30 % % 

Medium 27 10-40 Bare Soil 12 0 - 28 

Tall 42 20 - 80 Litter & Duff 66 49 - 82 

GRAMINOIDS 53 20 - 70 Wood (> 114 in diam.) 3 0-7 

FORBS 42 30 - 70 Moss & Lichen 1 0-3 

Basal Vegetation 15 8 - 28 

Soils Water 2 0- 10 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy, Fine loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 50% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface to 12 inches; mottling 

occurring between 2 and 12 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 1 1 to 26 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Stands of the Salix geyerianaklesic graminoid community type may have previously belonged to the Salix 

geyeriana/Deschampsia cespitosa community type. Salix geyeriana are generally tall but are cropped near the 

bases by browsing, creating open access for animals to pass through. The rich herbaceous layer is attractive to 

grazing animals. Grazing may have led to an increase of Juncus balticus, Poa pratensis, and Carex praticola. 

One of our stands of this community type (WIND33) is contained by an exclosure ca. 5 ft. tall. Salix geyeriana 

and Salix boothii are common within this exclosure and in a taller, adjacent exclosure. while outside both exclosures 

Salix boothii occurs without any Salix geyeriana. Moose and elk scat were found within the shorter exclosure of 

the Salix geyerianalrulesic graminoid community type. Moose, deer, and cow scat were present outside the 

exclosures. It appears that grazing pressure is stronger on the Salix geyeriana than on the Salix boothii. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix geyerianalMesic graminoid community type is described from Utah and Idaho (Padgett et al. 

1989) although Salix boothii was less important in their stands than in ours. This community type is similar to the 

Salix geyeriana/Poapratensis community described for eastern Idaho (Youngblood et al. 1985). Our stands have 

high constancy of Poapratensis as well as other mesic graminoids, leading us to agree with Padgett et al. (1989) 

in not emphasizing a single species as dominant in the understory. 
Salk geyeriana/Mesic forb Community type 

(Geyer's willow/Mesic forb Community type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(1 45V95NOO7) 

General Description 

The stand of the Salix geyerianahlesic forb community type sampled on the Shoshone National Forest is a 

young community found on the first surface of a braided, montane river. The occurrence is dominated by moderately-tall Salix geyeriana. The herbaceous layer has high species diversity, and is composed of many mesic forbs 

such as Equisetum arvense and Pedicularis groenlandica. 

Location and Environment 

This type was sampled within the Wind River subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. 

One stand of the Salix geyerianalMesic forb community type was sampled along Frontier Creek just above 

the confluence with Wiggins Fork at 8,085 ft. elevation in the Wind River Ranger District. The occurrence 

occupies ca. 0.7 acres on the first terrace adjacent to the braided river. The stand is found on a surface adjacent to 

the channel and 1.4 ft. above bankfull height. The ground surface of the occurrence is slightly undulating and is 

cut by a shallow, dry channel ca. 6 ft. wide. The soil surface is covered with moss, litter, gravel, and cobbles. 

Away from the channel, the Salix geyerianalMesic forb community type is adjacent to a sedge-dominated 

community on a terrace 10 ft. above the sampled stand. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 8,085 

Precipitation (in.) 30 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Figure 26 Frontier Creek, Wind River Ranger District. 

In our stand, Salix geyeriana dominates a shrub layer less than 3 ft. tall, with a few shrubs reaching 5 ft. tall. 

The willows are vigorous but they have also been browsed. The shrub canopy also contains Salix boothii and 

Pentaphylloides floribunda (syn. Potentilla fruticosa). Scattered lodgepole pine seedlings, saplings, and one 

pole-size tree are present in the stand. The herbaceous layer is continuous and dominated by forbs, especially 

Astragalus alpinus, Fragaria virginiana, Antennaria corymbosa, Aster foliaceus, Equiseturn awense, and Pedicularis 

groenlandica. Most of these forbs favor mesic environments. The graminoid layer is less dense; Carex microptera 

is most abundant. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

TREES 10 

Seedlings 1 

Saplings 3 

Pole 3 

SHRUBS 50 

Low 20 

Medium 30 

Tall 10 

GRAMINOIDS 30 

FORBS 60 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Bare Soil 10 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 7 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 3 

Litter & Duff 37 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 1 

Moss & Lichen 35 

Basal Vegetation 12 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Mollic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 50% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 8 inches; mottling occurring 8 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Our stand of the Salix geyerianalMesic forb community type is found on a rather young surface adjacent to 

the channel which experiences seasonal flooding. The shrub canopy of the Salix geyerianahlesic forb community 

type is rather open, allowing corridors for grazing animals. Some moose and cow scat was in the stand of the Salix 

geyerianalMesic forb community type. The willows showed evidence of being maintained at a shorter height 

from being browsed. With heavy grazing this community type may convert to a Salix geyeriana /Poa pratensis 

community (Padgett et al. 1989) which is more prone to bank sloughing because of the sparse roots of the dominant understory species. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stand of the Salix geyerianalMesic forb community type is similar to those described from Utah (Padgett 

et al. 1989), eastern Idaho and western Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 1985), and the Routt National Forest, 

Colorado (Kettler 1 996). 
Salk geyerianaKalamagrostis canadensis Community type 

(Geyer's willow/Canada reedgrass Community type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(141 V93NO4l) 

General Description 

We sampled one disturbed example of the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis community type on 

the Shoshone National Forest. Our stand is characterized by tall Salix geyeriana with a mix of other shrubs in the 

subcanopy. The herbaceous layer is composed of dense graminoids, primarily Calamagrostis canadensis and Poa 

pratensis. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. 

One stand of the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis community type was sampled in the Clarks 

Fork Ranger District along Sunlight Creek at 7,100 ft. elevation. The occurrence was on a terrace 3 ft. above the 

braided river bed. The surface of the occurrence is covered with litter. The occurrence is adjacent to the channel or 

occasionally separated from it by a sand and cobble bar. Away from the river is a hillslope with upland vegetation. 

Sil :e Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottol 

Plot Position First terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 7,100 

Precipitation (in.) 20 

Figure 27 Sulfur Camp on Sunlight Creek, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salix geyeriana averaging 8 ft. tall dominates the stand of the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis 

community type. This willow provides 50% canopy cover. An intermediate-height shrub layer is dominated by 

Salix boothii, and a low shrub layer is created by a mixture of Salix eastwoodiae, Ribes inerme, and Lonicera 

involucrata. The herbaceous layer is primarily composed of a thick growth of grasses and sedges, the more 

important of which are Calamagrostis canadensis, Poa pratensis, Carex microptera, and Deschampsia cespitosa. 

Forbs are less abundant; Senecio pauperculus and Aster foliaceus are most common. 

Our stand of the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis community type was approaching the Salix 

geyeriana/Poapratensis type where Calamagrostis canadensis is still a major component of the herbaceous layer, 

but Poa pratensis has become very important. The only other introduced species is Taraxacum officinale, which 

contributes little cover. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

TREES 3 

Seedlings 3 

SHRUBS 50 

Low 20 

Medium 30 

Tall 30 

GRAMINOIDS 50 

FORBS 30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Litter & Duff 82 

Basal Vegetation 18 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Fluventic Cryoborolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 40% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 17 inches; mottling occurring at 17 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 17 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications -- 

The stand that we sampled appears to be transitional between the Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis 

type and the Salix geyeriana/Poa pratensis type. Calamagrostis canadensis and Deschampsia cespitosa are more 

palatable to grazing animals than is Poapratensis (Hansen et al. 1995), and grazing probably has led to an increase 

of Poapratensis and a decrease in the other grasses. Padgett et al. (1 989) suggest that, over time, this community 

type may convert to a coniferlCalamagrostis canadensis community, if grazing pressure doesn't first shift it to a 

Salix geyeriana/Poa pratensis type. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis is an incidental community type of the Centennial Mountains, 

Idaho (Youngblood et al. 1985) and the Uinta Mountains, Utah (Padgett et al. 1989). It may be more common to 

north central Colorado in the Routt National Forest (Kettler 1996). 
Other Tall Willow Dominance 'Qpes 

Communities dominated by Salix exigua or Salix drummondiana are generally found next to stream 

channels or separated from the channels by narrow sedge or rush stands, generally on surfaces less than 4 fi. above 

bankfull channel height. Stands are also located on mid-channel bars. Most of the stands of these willow types are 

flooded seasonally. 

On the Shoshone National Forest, three stands dominated by Salix exigua were sampled on the Clarks 

Fork and the Wapiti Ranger Districts. The understory was usually dominated by Poa pratensis. One stand 

dominated by Salix drummondiana and saplings of Populus angustifolia was sampled on the Wind River Ranger 

District. Three stands dominated or codominated by S. lasiandra were also sampled on the Forest, on the Wapiti 

Range District. 
Salix exigudPoa pratensis Community Type 

(Coyote willow/Kentucky bluegrass Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 3 

(144V93NOO1, 141V93N034, 14 1 V93NO42) 

General Description 

Stands of the Salix exigua/Poa pratensis community were located on the northern half of the Forest, on the 

Clarks Fork and the Wapiti Ranger Districts. Salix exigua or S. melanopsis dominate the overstories of these 

stands. The undergrowth is dense with graminoids and forbs. Poapratensis is the most abundant species with the 

highest constancy. We refer to this type as a community rather than a community type because it fails to meet the 

criterion of being largely unaltered by human land use, as illustrated by the dominance of the herbaceous layer by 

introduced species. 

Location and Environment 

Two samples occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. A plot also 

occurred within the Beartooth subsection on river floodplains composed of mixed alluvial deposits. 

On the Shoshone National Forest, stands of the Salix exigua/Poa pratensis community were sampled along 

the North Fork of the Shoshone River, Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, and Sunlight Creek The rivers are 

large, high-order braided or wide, single, mountain channels. Elevation of the six sites ranged from 5,900 to 7,100 

ft . 

Our stands were usually adjacent to the active stream channel or to an overflow channel, from 0.2 ft. to 2 ft. 

above the bankfull channel. They may be separated from the channel by a narrow zone of Salix exigua seedlings 

colonizing a slightly lower surface. Salix exigua is the first shrub to colonize the gravel or cobble bars created by 

periodic flooding. The substrate becomes more sandy after the establishment of the vegetation, which traps the 

finer sediments when water flows over the surface. Away from the channel, the Salix exigua/Poa pratensis community can be adjacent to a Populus angustifolia/Symphoricarpos occidentalis stand, a wet meadow within an 

overflow area, a higher riparian surface with conifers and mixed shrubs, or a hillslope with upland vegetation. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granite, mixedalluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace, bar 

Elevation (ft.) 5,900 - 7,100 

Precipitation (in.) 15-20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Stands of the Salix exigua/Poapratensis community have an overstory in which Salix exigua or S. melanopsis 

dominate. Seedlings and saplings of cottonwoods or conifers were often present. The herbaceous layer was 

dominated by graminoids, but forbs were usually abundant and diverse. Many of the common forbs and grasses 

are introduced species, indicating disturbance. Poa pratensis was present in all stands, almost always as the 

dominant grass. One stand had large amounts of the exotic sweet clovers, Melilotus albus and Melilotus officinalis. 

In the other stands, Solidago canadensis or Solidago missouriensis were present, and Lupinus polyphyllus was 

sometimes abundant. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo Yo 

TREES 7 0-10 

Seedlings 4 0-10 

Saplings 4 0-10 

Pole 1 0-3 

SHRUBS 33 30 -40 

LOW 18 3-30 

Medium 13 10-20 

Tall 7 0-20 

GRAMINOIDS 33 30 - 40 

FORBS 27 20 - 30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo Yo 

Bare Soil 33 2-45 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 5 0- 15 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 3 0- 10 

Litter & Duff 49 40 - 62 

Wood (> 114 in 1 1 

diam.) 

Basal Vegetation 9 8-10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofluvents and Typic Cryaquepts; Rivenvash 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy, Sandy skeletal, Fine loamy, Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0 to 65% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface to 12 inches ; mottling 

absent to occurring between 12 and 16 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 10 to 25 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Salix exigua establishes readily on new, barren sediment bars subject to regular flooding. Without 

disturbance other than flooding, and if the soil surface stays moist, a Salix exigua bar community will develop the 

undergrowth of the Salix exigualMesic forb community type or the Salix exigualMesic graminoid community 

type. If the surface is disturbed or dries, the understory of the Salix exigua/Poa pratensis community is likely to 

develop, as in our stands. Salix exigua sprouts prolifically following release from heavy grazing pressure (Hansen 

et al. 1995). Willows in our stands were moderately to heavily browsed, and where the willows were heavily 

browsed, new stems were sprouting from the plant bases. The grasses and forbs were often grazed. Animal 

evidence included moose, cattle, elk, and rabbit. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Salix exigua/Poa pratensis community has been described from Utah and Wyoming (Youngblood et al. 

1985; Padgett et al. 1989). It is similar to disturbed versions of other types described from Wyoming (Norton et al. 

198 1 ; Jones and Walford 1995), and from Colorado (Kittel and Lederer 1993). In Montana it is considered a 

disturbed or early-to mid-sera1 version of the Salix exigua community type (Hansen et a2. 1995). 

Figure 28 Sulfur Camp on Sunlight Creek, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
Salix lasiandra Community vpe 

(Pacific willow Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 3 

(l44VWNO 16,144V93N022, l44VWNO2 1) 

General Description 

This is a tall willow type from low elevations on the Forest. We sampled three stands on the Wapiti Ranger 

District in which Salix lasiandra dominates or codominates a tall shrub layer and the understories are dominated 

by one of several exotic grasses or forbs. 

Location and Environment 

Two samples occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvium. One plot occurred 

within the Bighorn Basin subsection on river floodplain and terrace alluvium is composed volcanic materials. 

Stands of this community type occur in moderate or wide valleys on alluvial terraces ca. 0.5 ft. to 2 ft. above 

the stream channel. The stands that we sampled were all lower than 6500 ft. elevation, and this community type 

apparently is a low-elevation type of the foothills. Nearby riparian types are Salix exigua shrubland and Populus 

balsamifera woodland. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderate to wide valley 

Plot Position Terraces 

Elevation (ft.) 5900 - 6440 

Precipitation (in.) 15-20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Salix lasiandra dominates a tall shrub layer, or codorninates with Salix lutea. In one of our stands, Salix 

melanopsis contributed substantial cover and Populus angustifolia saplings, P balsamifera saplings, and Elaeagnus 

commutata were present. In another stand, AInus incana contributed substantial cover. The understories in all 

three of our stands were dominated by exotic grasses or forbs (primarily Poapratensis and Melilotus sp.) and by 

Poa palustris. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 10 0-30 

Seedlings 3 0- 10 

Saplings 7 0 - 20 

SHRUBS 70 50 - 80 

LOW 8 3-10 

Medium 13 10-20 

Tall 57 40 - 70 

GRAMINOIDS 67 60 - 70 

FORBS 53 30 - 90 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

Bare Soil 45 30 - 60 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 1 0-3 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 1 0-2 

Litter & Duff 41 28 - 50 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 1 1-2 

Basal Vegetation 13 10- 15 

Water 0.3 0 - 1 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofluvent; Typic Cryaquept 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: FILO, COLO 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: Range from 0-60% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water at surface to 16 inches; mottling occurring from 0 to 

16 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 10 to 25 inches of rooting depth 

Succession & Management Implications 

Salix lasiandra is a pioneer species that becomes established on newly-deposited sediments, and its habitat 

requirements are similar to those of Salix exigua and Populus sp. (Hansen et al. 1995). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

A Salix lasiandra community type has been named from low elevations in western and south-central 

Montana (Hansen et al. 1995) that resembles our stands from the Shoshone National Forest in species 

composition. The S. lucida var. caudata (syn. S. lasiandra var. caudata)hlesic graminoid type named by Kettler 

and McMullen (1996) from the Routt National Forest of north-central Colorado has understories dominated by 

Calamagrostis canadensis and Carex sp., and less cover of exotic species. Kittel and Lederer (1993) have 

described a Salix lasiandrahlesic graminoid plant community type from northwestern Colorado in which S. 

ligulifolia codominates or dominates the shrub layer, and the understory is dominated by exotic grasses. Padgett 

et al. (1989) group willow stands in Utah and southeastern Idaho dominated by Salix lasiandra into their Salix 

exigua communities. 

Figure 29 North Fork Shoshone River near Wayfarers chapel, Wapiti Ranger District. 
Salix drummondiana Series 

(Drummond willow Series) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(145V95N028) 

General Description 

On the Shoshone National Forest, we sampled one stand dominated by Salix drummondiana on a terrace 

next to a braided channel. The shrubs became established on a cobble bar, and the vegetation has trapped sand that 

now covers much of the soil surface. The vegetation is young, composed of low Salix drummondiana, saplings of 

Populus angustifolia, and some low Salix boothii. The herbaceous layer is sparse, with a variety of graminoids 

and forbs. We sampled too few stands to identify a Salix drummondiana plant community type. 

Location and Environment 

This plot occurred within the Wind River subsection on river alluvium influenced by the Tepee Trail 

Formation. 

The Salix drurnmondiana stand was sampled adjacent to the East Fork of Wind River, a perennial, braided, 

mid-size montane channel in a wide valley. The stand grows on a sediment bar ca. 100 ft. wide and less than 1 ft. 

above the bankfull channel. Sand overlies cobbles at the surface, and some areas have exposed cobbles. The 

adjacent riparian vegetation farther from the channel is dominated by Salix boothii and Salix wolfii. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Terrace 

Elevation (ft.) 8,420 

Precipitation (in.) 20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

This stand has a dense shrub layer ca. 2 ft. high dominated by Salix drummondiana with lesser amounts of 

S. boothii and Populus angustifolia saplings. The herbaceous layer is sparse and composed of a mixture of graminoids 

and forbs (the former with slightly more cover), the most common of which are Poapratensis, Equiseturn awense, 

and Pedicularis groenlandica. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

Yo 

TREES 20 

Seedlings 1 

Saplings 20 

SHRUBS 60 

Low 60 

Medium 3 

GRAMINOIDS 30 

FORBS 20 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

% 

Bare Soil 57 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 20 

Cobbles (3 - 10 in) 15 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 1 

Moss & Lichen 3 

Basal Vegetation 4 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofluvents 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 48% 

Figure 30 East Fork Wind River, 

Wind River Ranger Distirct. 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at or near the surface; mottling occurring at 3 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 5 inches of rooting zone 

Succession/Management Implications 

Our stand is early successional vegetation, having become established on a gravel bar. Apparently, Populus 

angustfolia, which typically establishes on gravel bars (McBride & Strahan 1984) became established on the 

gravel bars and trapped sand, in which Salix drummondiana, which typically establishes on finer-textured deposits 

[Brunsfeld & Johnson 1985) then became established. If the cottonwoods persists, the vegetation will become a 

cottonwood stand. 

Hansen et al. (1 995) describe S. drummondii stands with substantial Poa pratensis and Equisetum arvense 

as grazing disclimaxes of S. drummondii/Calamagrostis canadensis stands. 

Evidence of moose and deer was present. Game trails and tracks were located within the stand. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Other classifications have considered stands of mature S. drummondii, but a Salix drummondiana type with 

a large component of Populus angustlfolia saplings has not been previously described. Youngblood et al. (1 985) 

in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, and Padgett et al. (1989) in southeastern Idaho and Utah, placed stands 

dominated by S. drummondii into the S. boothii dominance type because of structural similarities between the 

species. Hansen et al. (1995), on the other hand, recognize a S. drummondiana community type in Montana that 

our stand resembles. 
NON-WILLOW SHRUB TYPES 
Betula occidentalis/Cornus sericea Community Type 

(Water birch/Red-osier dogwood Community vpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(1 4 1 VWNO4O) 

General Description 

One stand of this type was sampled on the Forest - a dense mixlre of tall shrubs with an equally dense 

lower shrub layer and a dense herbaceous understory, growing on the Dead Indian Creek floodplain. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Beartooth Foothills subsection along a stream course influenced by mixed 

sedimentary and volcanic alluvium. 

Our Betula occidentalis stand was sampled at 6,020 ft. elevation in the Clarks Fork Ranger District, on a 

terrace ca. 5 ft. above the stream channel. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Mixed alluvium 

Landform Moderately-wide valley 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 6,020 

Precipitation (in.) 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Scattered Populus angustifolia trees form a very sparse tree overstory. Betula occidentalis and Alnus incana 

codominate the tall shrub layer, which includes a minor amount of Salix bebbiana. A dense, lower shrub layer is 

dominated by Cornus sericea and contains minor amounts of Ribes and Rosa. The dense herbaceous layer is 

dominated by Carex rostrata and contains substantial amounts of other graminoids and forbs. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

TREES 10 

Seedlings 3 

Saplings 3 

Pole 10 

SHRUBS 60 

Low 10 

Medium 40 

Tall 50 

GRAMINOIDS 40 

FORBS 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Litter & Duff 77 

Wood(>1/4in 5 

diam.) 

Basal Vegetation 18 

Water 10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Histic Cryaquept 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 45 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring at 5 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 14 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Betula occidentalis stands may be sera1 to conifer woodlands or deciduous woodlands in Utah and 

southeastern Idaho (Padgett et al. 1989), Colorado (Kittel et al. 1994, Kittel et al. 1996), and Montana (Hansen 

et a1 1995). The successional status of stands in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming is unclear (Girard et al. 

1995). The single stand that we sampled on the Shoshone National Forest shows no signs of becoming either a 

conifer woodland or deciduous woodland. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our single stand resembles most closely the Betula occidentalis/Cornus sericea community type described 

from Utah and southeastern Idaho (Padgett et al. 1989). Betula occidentalis types have also been described from 

the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming (Girard et al. 1995), throughout Montana (Hansen et al. 1995), and central 

and north-central Colorado (Kittel et al. 1994, Kittel et al. 1996), but our stand differs from those types in 

containing a substantial amount of Alnus incana or a different set of dominant species in the herbaceous 

understory. 
Alnus incandEquisetum awense Community Type 

(Mountain alder/Field horsetail Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(1 44V93NOO3) 

General Description 

We sampled one stand of this association on the Wapiti Ranger District. This is a tall shrub type in which 

Alnus incana dominates the tall shrub layer and the understory is a mixture of graminoids and forbs, with the 

former contributing slightly more cover. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvium. Our stand occurred at 

5980 ft. elevation, on a terrace less than 1 ft. above the stream channel. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderately-wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 5,980 

Precipitation (in.) 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Alnus incana strongly dominates a dense, tall shrub layer that contains minor amounts of Salix lutea and 

S. melanopsis. Scattered lower shrubs are present. The herbaceous understory is strongly dominated by Poa 

pratensis and Equisetum awense, and contains small amounts of numerous other graminoids and forbs. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 40 

Low 10 

Medium 20 

Tall 40 

GRAMINOIDS 30 

FORBS 30 

Figure 31 Elk Fork, 

Wapiti Ranger District. 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 10 

Stones (1 0 - 24 in) 2 

Boulders (> 24 in) 3 

Litter & Duff 50 

Wood (> 1/4 in diam.) 3 

Moss & Lichen 10 

Basal Vegetation 22 

Water 10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofluvent 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 75% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring to surface 

ROOTING DEPTH: 13 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Alnus incana often becomes established after a disturbance that creates open sites along the stream channel, 

and seems to survive on the site for a long time (Hansen et al. 1995). Eventually the alder may yield dominance of 

the overstory to other shrubs present in the stand. Alder stands may also be succeeded by conifer woodlands 

(Padgett et al. 1995). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

With the strong dominance of both Poapratensis and Equisetum awense in the herbaceous layer, our stand 

resembles two communities described from other studies: the Alnus incana/Equiseturn awense community type 

from the Routt National Forest of north-central Colorado (Kettler and McMullen 1996) and Utah (Padgett et al. 

1989); and the AZnus incanalMesic graminoid community from the Sierra Madre of south-central Wyoming (Jones 

1992) and from central Colorado (Kittel et al. 1996). In Montana, Hansen et al. (1995) have described an Alnus 

incana community type in which heavy grazing may cause the understory to be dominated by exotics and 

unpalatable native species. In our case, this plot is influenced by an adjacent road where exotic species have been 

seeded along the right of way. 
Alnus incanaMesic graminoid Community Type 

(Mountain alder/Mesic graminoid Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(144V93N008,14 1 VBNO 10) 

General Description 

This is a streamside community with a tall shrub layer dominated by Alnus incana, a sparse layer of low 

shrubs, and a herbaceous understory rich in graminoids and forbs. 

Location and Environment 

These two plots occurred in the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvium influenced by the Wapiti 

Formation. 

Both of our stands were on the North Fork of the Shoshone River below 6,400 ft. elevation. One stand was 

in an abandoned meander ca. 6 ft. above active river channel, and the other on a stream bar ca. 1.5 ft. above the 

channel. The substrate beneath both stands was alluvium derived from volcanic rocks. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Abandoned meander, stream bar 

Elevation (ft.) 6,030 - 6,380 

Precipitation (in.) 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

In our stands, Alnus incana dominates a tall shrub layer that may be rather open or dense. Salix bebbiana, S. 

exigua, and S. lasiandra are present in smaller amounts. Lower shrubs ( Rosa sp., Rubus sp., and Ribes sp.) are 

present in small amounts. The herbaceous layer is dominated by graminoids, (especially Calamagrostis canadensis, 

Carex rostrata, and GZyceria grandis), and contains many forbs, most in small amounts. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 1.5 0-3 

Pole 1.5 0-3 

SHRUBS 55 40 - 70 

LOW 0.5 0 - 1 

Medium 20 1 - 20 

Tall 55 40 - 70 

GRAMINOIDS 45 30 - 60 

FORBS 25 20- 30 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 20 0-40 

Litter & Duff 53 35 - 70 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 3 1-5 

Moss & Lichen 10 10- 10 

Basal Vegetation 16 15- 17 

Water 5 0-10 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Mollic Cryofluvent; Histic Cryaquoll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Organic and Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table ranges from 0- 13 inches; mottling occurring at 

13 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 14 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Padgett et al. (1989) suggest that this association is derived from an Alnus incanaMesic forb type by 

grazing that decreases the cover of palatable forbs and increases the cover of graminoids. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The vegetation of our stands resembles the Alms incanalMesic graminoid type described by Padgett et al. 

(1989) from Utah and southeastern Idaho, Jones (1992) from the Sierra Madre of south-central Wyoming, and 

Kettler and McMullen (1996) in the Routt National Forest of north-central Colorado. Kittel et al. (1996) have 

described an Alnus incanalMesic graminoid association from the Arkansas River Basin of central Colorado with 

considerable Cornus sericea and Betula occidentalis in the shrub layer. Kittel et al. (1994) describe an Alnus 

incanalMesic forb association that also resembles our stands in species composition, although their type has more 

cover of forbs than do our stands. 

Figure 32 North Fork Shoshone River, Wapiti Ranger District 
Pentaphylloides floribundavlPoa pratensis Community Type 

(Shrubby cinquefoiUKentucky bluegrass Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(l45V95NO 12, 141 V93NO25) 

General Description 

This is a low shrub vegetation type of drier riparian areas. Pentaphylloides floribunda and, frequently, 

Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula form a shrub layer above a herbaceous understory of numerous graminoids and 

forbs, of which Poa pratensis, Festuca idahoensis, Antennaria microphylla, and Fragaria virginiana contribute 

the most cover. 

Location and Environment 

One sample was located within the Beartooth subsection on montane granitic till landscapes. The other plot 

occurred within the Upper Wind River subsection on parent materials influenced by volcanic landslide deposits. 

We sampled two stands of this vegetation type, one on the Beartooth Plateau and the other on a small stream 

in the Wind River Ranger District. The stands were ca. 2 ft. to ca. 4 ft. above the level of the bankfull channel. 

Nearby riparian vegetation (on lower surfaces) was Salix boothii-Salix wolfzi vegetation at one site and Salix 

wolJiilCarex aquatilis vegetation at the other. Both stands adjoined upland vegetation on higher ground. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanics, granite slope alluvium 

Landform Moderate valleys bottoms 

Plot Position Toeslopes 

Elevation (ft.) 7,690 - 8,100 

Precipitation (in.) 20-25 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

PentaphylloidesJtoribunda dominates a shrub layer ca. 2 ft. tall that may include a substantial amount of 

Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula. The herbaceous understory is a diverse mix of graminoids and forbs. Festuca 

idahoensis, Poapratensis, Antennaria rosea, Fragaria virginiana, and Geum trzjlorum contribute substantial cover 

to both of our stands, and a number of other species contributed substantial cover in one stand. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 55 50 - 60 

LOW 55 50 - 60 

GRAMINOIDS 40 30 - 50 

FORBS 40 40 - 40 

Figure 33 Glacial till near Lily Lake, 

Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 32 10- 53 

Litter & Duff 54 36 - 72 

Basal Vegetation 13 1 1 - 15 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquoll; Typic Cryoboroll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 2 to 15 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table ranges from at the surface to 25 inches; 

mottling occurring at a range of 5 to 25 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 16 to 22 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

The presence of substantial amounts of Poa pratensis and Fragaria virginiana in the understory are 

interpreted by some investigators as evidence that this association includes stands originally belonging to a 

different Pentaphylloidesfloribunda association, but that have been substantially altered by grazing that decreased 

the cover of the more palatable native graminoids and increased the cover of exotics and less palatable natives 

(Youngblood et al. 1985; Padgett et al. 1989; Hansen et al. 1995). If this scenario is correct, then ow stands 

represent degraded examples of the PentaphylloidesJloribunda/Festuca idahoensis association. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

The Pentaphylloides floribunda/Poa pratensis association has been described under the name Potentilla 

fruticosa/Poa pratensis by Youngblood et al. (1 985) in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, Padgett et al. (1 989) 

in Utah and southeastern Idaho, and Girard et al. (1 995) in the Bighorn National Forest of Wyoming. Hansen et al. 

(1995) describe a Potentilla fruticosa/Deschampsia cespitosa habitat type in Montana, and Mattson (1984) a 

Potentilla fruticosa/Festuca idahoensis habitat type from the Yellowstone Plateau, that support vegetation like 

our stands. Earlier work on the Shoshone National Forest by Tweit and Houston (1 980) also describe this type. 

Figure 34 Beartooth Mountains, Clarks Fork Figure 35 Sunlight Basin, Clarks Fork Ranger 

Ranger District. District. 
HERBACEOUS TYPES 
Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type 

(Bluej oint Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(1 45V95NO22) 

General Description 

This type was sampled in a dense meadow on moist soils of floodplains and terraces. Shrubs and tree 

seedlings or saplings may be present indicating a possible transition to a coniferous riparian type such as Picea/ 

Calamagrostis canadensis type. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Southern Wind River subsection on granitic moraine deposits. 

We sampled one stand of this type on a floodplain less than 1 ft. above the height of the bankfull channel. 

Nearby riparian vegetation belonged to the Salixplanifolia/Carex aquatilis type and the Carex aquatilis type. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium 

Landform Moderately wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 8900 

Precipitation (in.) 25 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

In our stand, Calamagrostis canadensis dominated a dense herbaceous layer ca. 3 ft. tall. Other common 

species were Poa pratensis, Aster foliaceus, Equisetum arvense, Geum macrophyllum, and Taraxacum of$cinale. 

Pinus contorta saplings and Salix boothii contribute substantial cover to a woody plant layer 2 ft. to 3 ft. tall. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

TREES 3 

Saplings 3 

Pole 3 

SHRUBS 30 

Low 30 

GRAMINOIDS 90 

FORBS 30 

Figure 36 Grandy Reservoir, Washakie Ranger District. 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 19 

Litter & Duff 30 

Wood (> 1 I4 in 1 

diam.) 

Basal Vegetation 10 

Water 20 

Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryaquoll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 22 inches; mottling occurring at 22 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 22 inches of rooting depth 

Succession & Management Implications 

According to Hansen et al. (1995), repeated heavy grazing in meadows dominated by Calarnagrostis 

canadensis will decrease the coverage of that species and other native grasses and sedges, and lead to dominance 

by Juncus balticus (on wetter sites) or Poa pratensis (on drier sites). Padgett et al. (1989), though, describe 

C. canadensis as being relatively unpalatable in Utah stands. They also state that this community type is becoming 

more widespread in Utah because mountain pine beetles are killing lodgepole pines, thereby reducing 

transpiration, which in turn causes an increase in the heights of water tables and the spread of C. canadensis. The 

data fiom the one stand that we sampled suggests that the opposite change may occur; the vegetation will change 

from C. canadensis meadow to l? contorta woodland as the pine saplings in the stand mature. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

This is a widespread and common type of vegetation, having been described from central Idaho (Mutz and 

Queiroz 1983), southeastern Idaho and Utah (Padgett et al. 1989), the west slope of the Wind River Mountains in 

Wyoming (Potkin and Munn 1989), the Bighorn National Forest of Wyoming (Girard et al. 1995), the Routt 

National Forest of north-central Colorado (Kettler and McMullen 1996), and the White and Colorado River Basins 

of central Colorado (Kittel et al. 1994). Hansen et al. (1 995) described a widespread Calamagrostis canadensis 

habitat type in Montana that supports this vegetation type. The types described from these studies all have in 

common a dense herbaceous layer dominated by Calamagrostis canadensis and locations on sites with moist soils 

above the water table during much of the growing season. Associated species vary from study to study. 
Carex aquatilis Community Qpe 

( Water Sedge Community Qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 8 

(145V95N014, 145V95N03 1, 145V95N024, 145V95N043,144V93N018,141V96N050, 141V96N052, 

141V96N053) 

General Description 

Stands of this type are dense meadows dominated by Carex aquatilis growing in wet soils. Shrubs and tree 

seedlings or saplings may be present. 

Location and Environment 

Three plots were located within the Beartooth subsection. All are associated with alluvium influenced by 

granitic moraine deposits. Three plots occurred within the Upper Wind River subsection on parent materials 

influenced by the Wiggins Formation, volcanic landslide deposits, and the Aycross Formation. The Southern 

Wind River subsection included one plot influenced by granitic moraine deposits. One plot occurred within the 

Absaroka subsection on alluvium influenced by volcanic landslide deposits. 

We sampled stands of this type on the Wind River, Wapiti, and Clarks Fork Ranger Districts. Seven of the 

eight stands were within 2 ft. of the height of the bankfull channel, and the eighth stand was ca. 4 ft. above the 

channel. Other vegetation types in the riparian zones with these stands were the Salix planifolia/Carex aquatilis 

community type, S. planifalia/Caltha leptosepala community type, Salix eastwoodiae type, Salix wo@i/Poa pratensis 

community type, Carex scopulorum community type, and Calamagrostis canadensis community type. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic, volcanic alluvium 

Landform Moderate to wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains and lakebed deposits 

Elevation (ft.) 7980 - 9920 

Precipitation (in.) 20-50 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Carex aquatilis dominates the herbaceous 

Figure 37 Carter Mountain Exclosure, Wapiti Ranger District. 

vegetation. The only other species that occurred in at least four of 

our eight stands were Deschampsia cespitosa and Aster foliaceus. Carex canescens, C. microptera, 

C. praeceptorium, C, rostrata, and Deschampsia cespitosa may contribute substantial cover in some stands. Moss 

covered at least 50% of the ground surface in two stands. Salixplanifolia was present in small amounts in half of 

our stands. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

TREES 0.1 0-1 

Seedlings 0.1 0-1 

SHRUBS 7 0 - 30 

LOW 7 0-30 

GRAMINOIDS 64 30 - 90 

FORBS 13 0-30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo % 

Bare Soil 7 0- 18 

Litter & Duff 36 0-78 

Wood (> 114 in diam. )0.1 0- 1 

Moss & Lichen 37 0 - 90 

Basal Vegetation 10 5- 15 

Water 13 0 - 60 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Histic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryofibrists; Typic Cryaquepts; Typic Cryaquent; Humic 

Cryaquepts 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy to Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0 to 41 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring from 0 to 8 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 21 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Sites where Carex aquatilis dominates seem to be inundated for shorter periods, or with shallower standing 

water, than are sites dominated by C. rostrata; and they are wetter than sites occupied by most other riparian types 

(Padgett et al. 1989). Hence if the site supporting C. aquatilis vegetation dries, shrubs (Salixplanifolia, S. wolJii, 

S. geyeriana) may increase, forming a shrub type; or dominance may shift to another sedge or to Deschampsia 

cespitosa. Although the sites supporting C. aquatilis stands typically are wet enough to discourage heavy use by 

livestock, the species is palatable, and grazing may increase the abundance of hummocks (Padgett et al. 1989) and 

may decrease the cover of C. aquatilis, resulting in increases of less palatable and more grazing-resistant species 

such as Juncus balticus, Poa pratensis, Carex nebraskensis, Taraxacum officinale, and Geum macrophyllum (Hansen 

et al. 1995). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Vegetation types dominated by Carex aquatilis are widespread and have been described in a number of 

studies. Our type seems equivalent to the Carex aquatilis community type of western Wyoming and eastern Idaho 

(Youngblood et al. l985), the C. aquatilis community type of the western slope of the Wind River Range (Potkin 

and Munn 1989), the C. aquatilis ecological type of the Bighorn Range (Girard et al. 1995), and the C. aquatilis 

plant community type of the Routt National Forest of north-central Colorado (Kettler and McMullen 1996). The 

type we have described is somewhat less similar (in the amounts of secondary species) to the C. aquatilis 

community types described by Mutz and Queiroz (1983) from central Idaho and by Padgett et al. (1989) from 

southeastern Idaho and Utah. The single stand of Carex aquatilis-dominated vegetation described by Jones (1 992) 

from the Sierra Madre of south-central Wyoming contains substantially more Juncus balticus. The Carex aquatilis 

plant community type described from the Yampa and San Miguel/Dolores River Basins of Colorado (Kittel and 

Lederer 1993) is dominated by C. aquatilis but contains a different set of secondary species. Kittel et al. (1994) 

describe a C. aquatilis - C. utriculata (synonymous with C. rostrata) type in central Colorado that includes stands 

like ours. In Montana, Hansen et al. (1995) have identified two phases of the Carex aquatilis habitat type with 

vegetation similar to our stands, and Mattson (1984) described habitat types in the C. aquatilis series from the 

Yellowstone Plateau that support vegetation similar to our stands. 
Carex limosa Community Type 

( Mud Sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(1 4 1 V93NO44) 

General Description 

This is a wet meadow type dominated or codominated by Carex limosa. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Beartooth subsection in glacial scoured granitic upland landscape with 

numerous lakes. 

We sampled one stand of this type on a floating vegetation mat below Beartooth Lake in the Beartooth 

Mountain Plateau. The substrate was saturated peat. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic alluvium, peat 

Landform Lakebed deposit 

Plot Position Floating mat 

Elevation (ft.) 8980 

Precipitation (in.) 45 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

In our stand, Carex limosa and C. aquatilis strongly dominate the vegetation of the floating mat. Two forbs 

of wet habitats - Menyanthes trifoliata and Pedicularis groenlandica - are present in substantial amounts. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 10 

Low 10 

GRAMINOIDS 40 

FORBS 20 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 10 

Litter & Duff 20 

Moss & Lichen 50 

Basal Vegetation 10 

Water 10 
Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring from surface 

ROOTING DEPTH: 15 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Padgett et al. (1989) describe this as a stable type on saturated, undecomposed organic material. They 

postulate that drying of the site and consequent decomposition of the substrate could lead to dominance of the 

vegetation by Carex aquatilis. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Our stand closely resembles the Carex limosa community type described by Padgett et al. (1989) from the 

Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, and the vegetation of the C. limosa - C. aquatilis habitat type of Mattson 

(1984) from the Yellowstone Plateau. Hansen et al. (1995) have named a C. limosa habitat type from the 

mountains of Montana, the vegetation and environment of which also resemble our stand. 

Figure 38 Floating mat near Beartooth Lake, Clarks Fork Ranger District 
Carex rostrata Community Type 

( Beaked Sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 9 

(142V95N006,145V95N006, 141 V93NO27, 141V93N030,145V95N025, 144V93N006, 141 V93NO45, 

141V96N058,141V93N032) 

General Description 

Stands of this type are dense, wet meadows growing on the edges of stream channels, on lake margins, and 

on other saturated sites. The vegetation is dominated or codominated by Carex rostrata. Tree seedlings or 

saplings and shrubs may be present in small amounts. 

Location and Environment 

Five of the plots occurred within the Beartooth subsection on alluvial parent materials developed from 

mixed moraine material. Other subsections included are the Wind River, Absaroka, Northern Absaroka, and the 

Southern Wind River influenced by volcanic alluvium, volcanic landslide deposits, and granitic moraine deposits. 

We sampled nine stands of this type on the Clarks Fork, Wind River, Wapiti, and Greybull Ranger Districts, 

along streams, around lakes, and on kettle topography. All of the stands were on wet or saturated soils, and the 

stands along streams were less than 0.5 fi. above the height of the bankfull channel. Other riparian vegetation 

types present at the sites were Salix wolJii shrub stands, S. eastwoodiae shrub stands, S. boothii shrub stands, 

S. geyeriana shrub stands, S. planifolia shrub stands, Pentaphylloides floribunda shrub stands, and Carex Iimosa 

meadows. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Mixed alluvium 

Landform Moderate to wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains, terraces, lakebeds 

Elevation (ft.) 6 100 - 92 10 

Precipitation (in.) 15-45 

Vegetation Structure and Composition Figure 39 Union Pass, Wind River Ranger District. 

Carex rostrata or, rarely, C. vesicaria dominate the vegetation. Other herbaceous species that may be present 

in more than trace amounts are C. aquatilis (which may codominate), C. atherodes, C. simulata, and Deschampsia 

cespitosa. Shrubs and spruce saplings or seedlings may be present, but the vegetation is obviously herbaceous 

meadow. 
Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

Yo % 

TREES 1 0-10 

Saplings 1 0-10 

SHRUBS 6 0-20 

Low 4 0-20 

Medium 0.3 0-3 

Tall 1 0- 10 

GRAMINOIDS 66 40 - 90 

FORBS 6 0 - 20 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 13 0-80 

Boulders (> 24 in) 0.2 0 - 2 

Litter & Duff 26 0-65 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 0.1 0 - 1 

Moss & Lichen 8 0 - 40 

Basal Vegetation 12 5-20 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryofibrists; Histic Cryofibrists; Histic Cryaquolls 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy to loamy skeletal 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0 to 30 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring from 0 to 24 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 10 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Carex rostrata establishes on mineral substrates, and therefore is a pioneer species on sites such as drained 

beaver ponds (Padgett et al. 1989, Hansen et al. 1995). The species also tolerates deeper standing water than does 

C. aquatilis, although the dominance of a site by either C. rostrata or C. aquatilis may depend more on which 

species first occupies the site than on differences between the two in habitat preferences (Padgett et al. 1995). The 

effects of grazing on C. rostrata stands are unclear; Padgett et al. (1989) state that the species is less palatable, at 

least seasonally, than are C. aquatilis or C. nebraskensis, but Hansen et al. (1995) state that heavy grazing can 

decrease the cover of C. rostrata and increase the cover of C. nebraskensis and other species. In either case, sites 

supporting C. rostrata vegetation are wet enough that grazing animals probably avoid them. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Vegetation dominated by Carex rostrata has been described from a number of studies. Our approach in 

including stands with substantial amounts of C, aquatilis, Deschampsia cespitosa, or other species follows the 

concept of this vegetation type used by Youngblood et al. (1 985) in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, Padgett 

et al. (1989) in southeastern Idaho and Utah, Mutz and Queiroz (1983) in central Idaho, Potkin and Munn (1989) 

on the western slope of Wyoming's Wind River Mountains, Jones (1 992) in the Medicine Bow National Forest of 

south-central Wyoming, Kittel et al. (1994) and Kittel et al. (1996) in central Colorado (both studies using the 

name Carex utriculata rather than C. rostrata), and Kittel and Lederer (1993) in west-central Colorado. This 

concept of the C. rostrata type includes two C. rostrata community types and two C. rostrata ecological types 

named from the Bighorn National Forest by Girard et al. (1 995). It also corresponds to the C. rostrata - C. rostrata 

habitat type described from the Yellowstone Plateau by Mattson (1 984), and three phases of the C. rostrata habitat 

type from Montana (Hansen et al. 1995). 
Carex scopulorum Community Type 

(Mountain Sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 3 

(l4lV96NOl6, 141 V96NO46, 141 V96NO5 1) 

General Description 

This is a high-elevation, herbaceous meadow type of wet sites below snowbanks and near stream channels. 

Location and Environment 

These plots occurred within the Beartooth subsection within granitic alpine landscapes on parent material is 

developed from the Beartooth Mountain Formation and granitic moraine deposits. 

We sampled three stands of this type, all on the Beartooth Plateau in the Clarks Fork Ranger District. The 

stands occurred on sites with standing water, in wetlands that included Salixplanifolia/Carex scopulorum stands 

and Carex aquatilis stands. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Granitic residuum and till 

Landform Alpine plateau 

Plot Position Upper slopes 

Elevation (ft.) 9,740 - 10,600 

Precipitation (in.) 45-65 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Carex scopulorum is present in substantial amounts and may dominate the vegetation. Caltha Ieptosepala 

had high cover values in two of our stands, and at least one of our stands contained substantial amounts of Carex 

illota, Deschampsia cespitosa, Juncus mertensianus, Senecio cyrnbalarioides, and mosses. Salix planifolia was 

present in all three stands and formed a scattered shrub layer in two. This type merges with stands of the 

S. planifolia/C. scopulorurn community type as the shrub layer becomes denser. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% Yo 

SHRUBS 8 3-10 

LOW 8 3-10 

GRAMINOIDS 47 30 - 70 

FORBS 23 10-40 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 15 0 - 25 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 1 0 - 3 

Litter & Duff 17 0 - 50 

Moss & Lichen 27 0 - 70 

Basal Vegetation 13 10 - 15 

Water 8 0 - 30 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Histic Cryaquoll; Humic Cryaquept 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 6 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface to 9 inches; mottles absent 

ROOTING DEPTH: 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

According to Hansen et al. (1995), moderate grazing and trampling in stands of this type will increase the 

cover of forbs, while heavy grazing will decrease the cover of C. scopulorum and increase the cover of less 

palatable species such as Juncus balticus and Poapratensis. The saturated soils that support this community type 

are susceptible to compaction. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

This is a widespread type, having been described fiom the west slope of the Wind River Range by Potkin and 

Munn (1989), the Routt National Forest of north-central Colorado by Kettler and McMullen (1996), west-central 

Colorado by Kittel et al. (1994), and southwestern Montana by Cooper and Lesica (1992). Hansen et al. (1995) 

described a C. scopulorum habitat type in Montana that supports vegetation of this community type. 

Figure 40 Beartooth Mountains, Clarks Fork Ranger District. 
Carex simulata Community Type 

(Analogue Sedge Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(l45V95NO 16) 

General Description 

This is a sedge meadow of wet sites at medium to high elevations. 

Location and Environment 

This type was sampled within the Upper Wind River subsection on parent materials influenced by the Wind 

River Formation. 

We sampled one stand of this type in the Wind River Ranger District, in a wet meadow with saturated 

organic substrate. Other riparian types present at the site were the Salix boothii/Carex rostrata community type 

and the S. wolJii/C. aqqutilis community type. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanics alluvium 

Landform Narrow valley bottom 

Plot Position Floodplain 

Elevation (ft.) 7,820 

Precipitation (in.) 20 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The depauperate vegetation of our stand was strongly dominated by Carex simulata. C. aquatilis and C. 

rostrata were the only other species present in more than trace amounts. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 3 

Low 3 

GRAMINOIDS 90 

FORBS 1 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 3 

Litter & Duff 27 

Moss & Lichen 50 

Basal Vegetation 10 

Water 10 
Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryofibrists 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring from surface 

ROOTING DEPTH: 15 inches of rooting depth 

Succession & Management Implications 

The year-round high water tables in sites supporting this type apparently discourage grazing animals, and 

the stands on organic substrates are stable in composition (Padgett et al. 1989; Hansen et al. 1995). Padgett et al. 

(1989) report that stands on mineral soils usually show signs of grazing, but they do not describe the effects of that 

grazing. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

This community type has been described from western Wyoming and eastern Idaho (Youngblood et al. 

1985), central Idaho (Mutz and Queiroz 1983), and southeastern Idaho and Utah (Padgett et al. 1989). Hansen 

et al. (1995) describe a C. simulata habitat type from Montana that supports this vegetation type. 

Figure 41 Clint Creek, Wind River Ranger District 
Deschampsia cespitosa Community Type 

(Tufted Hairgrass Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 6 

(145V95N009, 145V95N02 1,145V95N032, 14 lV93NO38, 141V96N048, 14 lV96NO49) 

General Description 

This is a herbaceous meadow of well-drained, mesic sites over a broad range in elevation. Stands vary in 

species composition, but Deschampsia cespitosa always is a dominant or codominant species, with plants in wet 

habitats contributing noticeably less cover than do plants of mesic habitats. 

Location and Environment 

Three of the samples occurred within the Beartooth subsection within areas of subalpine and alpine 

meadows influenced by alluvium developed from granitic moraine deposits and residuum. Two plots occurred 

within the Upper Wind River subsection on parent materials influenced by the Wind River Formation, and the 

Wiggins Formation. One plot occurred within the Wind River subsection on parent material influenced by 

Bighorn Dolomite. 

We sampled six stands on the Shoshone National Forest that we are placing into this type. The stands ranged 

in height above the bankfull stream channel from less than 1 ft. to ca. 8 ft. Other riparian vegetation types at the 

sites included Carex aquatilis wet meadow, Salix geyerianaMesic graminoid shrub type, S. wolfii/Carex aquatilis 

shrub type, several S. planifolia types, and S. eastwoodiae-S. planifolia shrub type. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic, granite alluvium 

Landform Moderately wide valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains, terraces, toeslopes 

Elevation (ft.) 7,660 - 9,580 

Precipitation (in.) 20-60 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

Deschampsia cespitosa is a major species in the dense herbaceous vegetation and usually dominates. No 

other species was present in all of our stands. Wetter stands included substantial amounts of Carex aquatilis, 

C. scopulorum, or Calamagrostis canadensis. Graminoids and forbs of mesic habitats - Poa pratensis, Phlezrm 

alpinum, I! pratense, Antennaria corymbosa, Aster foliaceus, and others - contributed considerable cover in 

drier stands. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% Yo 

SHRUBS 0.3 0 - 1 

LOW 0.3 0 - 1 

GRAMINOIDS 69 40 - 97 

FORBS 27 0.5 - 40 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 18 8-44 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 0.2 0 - 1 

Litter & Duff 51 22-70 

Wood (> 114 in diam.) 0.5 0 - 3 

Moss & Lichen 14 0-60 

Basal Vegetation 14 10-20 

Water 8 0-38 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Typic Cryofibrists; Histic Cryaquolls; Typic Cryaquents; Humic Cryaquepts 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy to Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0 to 50% 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table ranges from at the surface to 29 inches; 

mottling occurring from 2 to 22 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 12 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

The soils supporting stands of this community type usually dry out during part of the growing season, 

allowing easy access for grazing animals. Heavy grazing decreases the amount of Deschampsia cespitosa and 

allows less palatable species to increase (Padgett et al. 1989; Hansen et al. 1995). This type may have been 

much more widespread in the past, with many stands having been heavily grazed and converted to Poa 

pratensis meadows, Juncus balticus vegetation, or other herbaceous types. 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

A broad Deschampsia cespitosa type such as we describe here has also been described by Youngblood et al. 

(1985) in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, Padgett et al. (1989) in southeastern Idaho and Utah, Mutz and 

Queiroz (1983) in central Idaho, and Kittel et al. (1 994) in central Colorado. In several studies, the broad range of 

stands dominated by Deschampsia cespitosa has been split into two or more types that reflect differences in soil 

moisture: Kettler and McMullen (1 996) in north-central Colorado, Girard et al. (1 995) in the Bighorn Mountains, 

and Potkin and Munn (1989) on the west slope of the Wind River Mountains. Our community type encompasses 

the types from those studies, as well as the Deschampsia cespitosa-Caltha leptosepala type of Cooper and Lesica 

(1 992) from southwestern Montana. Hansen et al. (1 995) recognize a broad Deschampsia cespitosa habitat type 

in Montana that apparently would support the full range of stands that we place in our plant community type, while 

Mattson (1984) split the sites supporting D. cespitosa vegetation on the Yellowstone Plateau into three habitat 

types. 

Figure 42 

Wind Rive 

ind River, 

.anger District 
Juncus balticus Community Type 

(Baltic Rush Community Type) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 2 

(144V93N004, l44V93NO2O) 

General Description 

This is a herbaceous meadow type of mesic or wet habitats with a large amount ofJuncus balticus. Scattered 

shrubs may occur in the stands. This type occurs over a broad range in elevation. 

Location and Environment 

One plot occurred within the Absaroka subsection influenced by volcanic landslide deposits. The other plot 

occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection on volcanic alluvial deposits. 

We sampled only two stands of this type, one in a depression on Carter Mountain and the other along the 

North Fork of the Shoshone River. Both stands grew on soils that are wet much of the year. Other riparian 

vegetation types present at the Carter Mountain site were Carex aquatilis wet meadow and Salix boothiilMesic 

forb shrub vegetation. At the Shoshone River site, the Juncus balticus stand occurred with a Carex rostrata stand, 

a Populus balsamifera woodland, and a stand of Elymus cinereus tall grass. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide to narrow valley bottoms 

Plot Position Floodplains, debris flow catchments 

Elevation (ft.) 6,100 - 8,050 

Precipitation (in.) 15-25 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

The vegetation is a mix of graminoids and forbs in which Juncus balticus is one of the main species. The 

drier of our two stands (on Carter Mountain) was dominated by exotics (Sonchus uliginosus and Trifolium hybridum). 

The Shoshone River stand contained substantial amounts of Carex aquatilis, C. petasata, Deschampsia cespitosa, 

and Potentilla gracilis. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN RANGE 

% % 

SHRUBS 15 10-20 

LOW 15 10-20 

Medium 5 0- 10 

GRAMINOIDS 40 30 - 50 

FORBS 30 20-40 
Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN RANGE 

Bare Soil 15 5-25 

Gravel (2 mm - 3 in) 0.5 0 - 1 

Litter & Duff 69 55 - 84 

Basal Vegetation 15 11 - 19 

Soils 

GREAT GROUPS: Histic Cryaquoll; Histic Cryaquept 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Fine loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 0 to 60 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at surface; mottling occurring from 12 to 1 8 

inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 18 to 24 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Many (if not all) stands of vegetation dominated by Juncus balticus are disturbed stands of other vegetation 

types, produced by grazing that reduces the cover of the more palatable grasses and sedges (Calamagrostis 

canadensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex nebraskensis, C. aquatilis) and allows the grazing-resistant J. balticus 

to increase (Padgett et al. 1989; Hansen et al. 1995). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

Juncus balticus vegetation types similar to one another have been described in a variety of studies fi-om the 

Rocky Mountains: Youngblood et al. (1985) in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho, Padgett et al. (1989) in 

southeastern Idaho and Utah, and Kittel et al. (1 993) and Kittel et al. (1 994) in central Colorado. Potkin and Munn 

(1989) described a high-elevation J. balticus type from the western slope of Wyoming's Wind River Mountains 

somewhat different in species composition than the other types. Hansen et al. (1 995) recognize a broad J. balticus 

habitat type from Montana, and Mattson (1 984) described a Deschampsia cespitosa - Juncus balticus habitat type 

from the Yellowstone Plateau that supports vegetation rich in J. balticus. 

Figure 43 Carter Mountain exclosure, Wapiti Ranger District. 
Elymus cinereus Community Qpe 

(Basin Wildrye Community Qpe) 

Number of Stands Sampled = 1 

(144V93N005) 

General Description 

This low-elevation type includes dense stands of tall Elymus cinereus above a lower herbaceous layer of 

various graminoids and forbs. Scattered shrubs may be present. Stands usually are small and grow on higher 

stream terraces or alluvial fans where there may be a sodium influence in the soils. 

Location and Environment 

This sample occurred within the Northern Absaroka subsection in LTA DO5 on volcanic alluvium 

deposits. 

We sampled only one stand of Elymus cinereus vegetation, along the North Fork of the Shoshone River at 

6100 ft. elevation. The stand grew on a terrace ca. 2 ft. above the stream channel, in a riparian zone that includes 

stands of Carex rostrata wet meadow, Juncus balticus meadow, and Populus balsamifera woodland. 

Site Characteristics 

Parent Material Volcanic alluvium 

Landform Wide valley bottom 

Plot Position Floodplain and terraces 

Elevation (ft.) 6,100 

Precipitation (in.) 15 

Vegetation Structure and Composition 

EIymus cinereus formed a dense, tall herbaceous layer over a shorter layer codominated by Poa pratensis 

and Achillea rnillefolium and containing substantial amounts of several other species of graminoids and forbs 

characteristic of mesic habitats. 

Community Structure 

Percent canopy cover by life form and size class. 

MEAN 

% 

SHRUBS 10 

Low 10 

GRAMINOIDS 50 

FORBS 30 

Ground Cover 

Percent cover of features on plot surface. 

MEAN 

Bare Soil 3 

Litter & Duff 70 

Moss & Lichen 20 

Basal Vegetation 20 
Soils 

GREAT GROUP: Typic Cryaquoll 

PARTICLE SIZE CLASS: Coarse loamy 

AVERAGE COARSE FRAGMENTS: 2 % 

WATER TABLE AND MOTTLING DEPTH: Water table at 22 inches; mottling occurring at 22 inches 

ROOTING DEPTH: 8 inches of rooting zone 

Succession & Management Implications 

Little information about Elpus cinereus vegetation is available in the literature. Large stands dominated by 

this grass were at one time common in the Great Basin and western Montana, but repeated, heavy spring grazing 

had greatly reduced their extent by the middle of this century (USDA Forest Service 1937). 

Geographic Distribution & Other Studies 

No Elymus cinereus riparian types have been described in studies in the Rocky Mountains. The grass is 

known to have formed large stands in valley bottoms before the rise of the livestock industry, apparently mainly in 

the Great Basin (USDA Forest Service 1937). In western Montana, small patches of vegetation dominated by the 

species occur primarily on saline-alkaline soils along low-elevation streams (Mueggler and Stewart 1980). 

Figure 44 North Fork Shoshone River, Wapiti Ranger District. 
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Girard, M., D.L. Wheeler, and S.B. Mills. 1995. Classification of riparian communities on the Bighorn 

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management of Montana's riparian and wetland sites. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station 

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Hitchcock, C.L. and A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 

Seattle WA. 730 pp. 

Houston, K. 1993. SRI vegetation handbook. Shoshone National Forest, Cody WY. 4/25/93. 

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Sierra Madre. Unpublished report prepared for the Medicine Bow National Forest by the Wyoming Natural 

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Jones, G.P. and G.M. Walford. 1995. Major riparian vegetation types of eastern Wyoming. Unpublished 

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report prepared for the Routt National Forest by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 100 pp. 

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PP. 

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