United States Department of Agriculture Deep Canyon and Subalpine Forest Service Riparian and Wetland Plant Pacific Northwest Research Station Associations of the Malheur, General Technical Report PNW-GTR-682 November 2006 Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests Aaron F. Wells The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use man- agement of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the national forests and national grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation. 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Author Aaron Wells is a postdoctoral research associate, Montana State University, Ecology Department, 310 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT 59715. Cover: Eagle Cap from east Lostine River, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon. Photo by Aaron Wells. Snake River, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Oregon and Idaho. Photo by Aaron Wells. Abstract Wells, Aaron F. 2006. Deep canyon and subalpine riparian and wetland plant associations of the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-682. Portland, OR. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 277 p. This guide presents a classification of the deep canyon and subalpine riparian and wetland vegetation types of the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. A primary goal of the deep canyon and subalpine riparian and wetland classification was a seamless linkage with the midmontane northeastern Oregon riparian and wetland classification provided by Crowe and Clausnitzer in 1997. The classification is based on potential natural vegetation and follows directly from the plant association concept for riparian zones. The 95 vegetation types classified across the three national forests were organized into 16 vegetation series, and included some 45 vegetation types not previously classified for northeastern Oregon subalpine and deep canyon riparian and wetland environments. The riparian and wetland vegetation types developed for this guide were compared floristically and environmentally to riparian and wetland classifications in neighboring geographic regions. For each vegetation type, a section was included describing the occurrence(s) of the same or floristically similar vegetation types found in riparian and wetland classifications developed for neighboring geographic regions. Lastly, this guide was designed to be used in conjunction with the midmontane guide to provide a comprehensive look at the riparian and wetland vegetation of northeastern Oregon. Keywords: Riparian, wetland, classification, northeastern Oregon, potential natural vegetation, plant association, plant community, Hells Canyon, Wallowa Mountains, Elkhorn Mountains, Strawberry Mountains, Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness, North Fork Umatilla Wilderness, Snake River, Columbia River watershed. i Contents 1 Introduction 2 Objectives 2 Classification Concepts 2 Synecological Perspective and Terminology 3 Study Area 3 Blue Mountains Physiographic Province 3 Geology: Overview 4 Natural History: Subalpine 5 Natural History: Deep Canyons and Midelevation Benches 6 Field Methods 6 Office Methods 7 Classification 7 Comparing Adjacent Riparian and Wetland Classifications 8 Calculation of Available Water Capacity 8 Calculation of Percentage Rock Fragments 8 Taxonomy 9 Indicator Species 9 Vegetation Key: An Overview 9 Using the Vegetation Key 9 A Note Regarding the Vegetation Key 11 Vegetation Key 11 Life-Form Key 11 Key to Forested Plant Associations, Plant Community Types, and Plant Communities 17 Key to Shrubby Plant Associations, Plant Community Types, and Plant Communities 26 Key to Herbaceous Plant Associations, Plant Community Types, and Plant Communities 31 Environment Key: Overview 31 Environment Key 37 Contents of Vegetation Type Descriptions 38 Subalpine Fir Series 38 Subalpine Fir–Engelmann Spruce/Labrador Tea–Floodplain Plant Association 40 Subalpine Fir–Engelmann Spruce/Rusty Menziesia–Floodplain Plant Association 42 Subalpine Fir/Big Huckleberry–Floodplain Plant Association 44 Engelmann Spruce Series 44 Engelmann Spruce–Subalpine Fir/Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Association 46 Engelmann Spruce–Subalpine Fir/Arrowleaf Groundsel Plant Association 48 Miscellaneous Engelmann Spruce Type 48 Engelmann Spruce/Common Horsetail Plant Association 49 Grand Fir Series 49 Grand Fir/Pacific Yew/Twinflower–Floodplain Plant Association 51 Grand Fir/Black Hawthorn/Dewey Sedge Plant Association ii 54 Grand Fir/Rocky Mountain Maple–Floodplain Plant Association 56 Douglas-Fir Series 56 Douglas-Fir/Rocky Mountain Maple–Mallow Ninebark–Floodplain Plant Association 58 Douglas-Fir/Common Snowberry–Floodplain Plant Association 60 Ponderosa Pine Series 60 Ponderosa Pine/Common Snowberry–Floodplain Plant Association 62 Miscellaneous Ponderosa Pine Type 62 Ponderosa Pine/Black Hawthorn Plant Community 63 Lodgepole Pine Series 63 Lodgepole Pine/Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Community 64 Black Cottonwood Series 64 Black Cottonwood/Mountain Alder–Red-Osier Dogwood Plant Association 66 Black Cottonwood/Common Snowberry Plant Community Type 68 Miscellaneous Black Cottonwood Type 68 Black Cottonwood/Rocky Mountain Maple Plant Community Type 69 Red Alder Series 69 Red Alder/Common Snowberry/Dewey Sedge Plant Community Type 72 White Alder Series 72 White Alder/Mesic Shrub Plant Community Type 74 White Alder/Blackberry Plant Community Type 76 Willow Series 76 Arctic Willow Plant Association 78 Booth’s Willow/Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Association 80 Undergreen Willow/Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Association 82 Willow/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 84 Willow/Bluejoint Reedgrass Plant Association 86 Coyote Willow Plant Association 88 Miscellaneous Willow Types 88 Booth’s Willow/Inflated Sedge Plant Community 88 Willow/Aquatic Sedge Plant Association 89 Farr’s Willow/Pacific Onion Plant Community 89 Undergreen Willow/Bladder Sedge Plant Community Type 90 Drummond’s Willow/Arrowleaf Groundsel Plant Community 90 Lemmon’s Willow/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 91 Sitka Willow/Common Horsetail Plant Community 92 Low Shrub Series 92 Alpine Laurel/Black Alpine Sedge Plant Association 94 Pink Mountainheath Mounds Plant Association 96 Miscellaneous Low Shrub Types 96 Labrador Tea/Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Community 96 Shrubby Cinquefoil–Bog Birch Plant Community Type iii 97 Sitka Alder Series 97 Sitka Alder/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 99 Miscellaneous Sitka Alder Types 99 Sitka Alder/Ladyfern Plant Association 99 Sitka Alder/Drooping Woodreed Plant Association 100 Mountain Alder Series 100 Mountain Alder/Ladyfern Plant Association 102 Mountain Alder–Red-Osier Dogwood/Mesic Forb Plant Association 104 Miscellaneous Mountain Alder Types 104 Mountain Alder/Tall Mannagrass Plant Association 104 Mountain Alder/Common Horsetail Plant Association 105 Mountain Alder–Common Snowberry Plant Association 105 Mountain Alder/Dewey Sedge Plant Community Type 106 Other Tall Shrub Series 106 Water Birch/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 108 Red-Osier Dogwood Plant Association 110 Black Hawthorn/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 112 Common Snowberry Plant Community Type 114 Rocky Mountain Maple Plant Community Type 116 Netleaf Hackberry/Brome Plant Community Type 118 Lewis’ Mock Orange/Mesic Forb Plant Community Type 120 Miscellaneous Tall Shrub Types 120 Twinberry Honeysuckle/Ladyfern Plant Community 120 Water Birch/Wet Sedge Plant Community Type 121 Water Birch/Reed Canarygrass Plant Community 121 Red-Osier Dogwood/Ladyfern Plant Association 122 Pacific Ninebark Plant Community 122 Mallow Ninebark–Common Snowberry Plant Community Type 123 Thimbleberry Plant Community Type 123 Barton’s Raspberry Plant Community 124 Himalayan Blackberry Plant Community 125 Wet Graminoid Series 125 Aquatic Sedge Plant Association 127 Bladder Sedge Plant Association 129 Inflated Sedge Plant Association 131 Few-Flowered Spikerush Plant Association 133 Small-Fruit Bulrush Plant Association 135 Miscellaneous Wet Graminoid Types 135 Widefruit Sedge Plant Association 135 Mud Sedge Plant Association 136 Sierra Hare Sedge Plant Association iv 136 Lakeshore Sedge Plant Association 137 Big-Leaved Sedge Plant Association 138 Moist Graminoid Series 138 Holm’s Rocky Mountain Sedge Plant Association 140 Northern Singlespike Sedge–Brook Saxifrage–Spring Plant Association 142 Woodrush Sedge Plant Association 144 Black Alpine Sedge Plant Association 146 Bluejoint Reedgrass