• GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
• ECOSYSTEMS
• STATES
• BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS
• KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS
• SAF COVER TYPES
• SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES
• HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:

Rocky Mountain white fir occurs in the mountains of central and southern Colorado to southeast Idaho and eastern Nevada, south to southeastern California and southern Arizona and New Mexico, with localized populations in northwest Mexico [191]. It is only sparingly distributed in the mountains of the eastern Mojave Desert in California [186]. Rocky Mountain white fir is common on the eastern rim of the Great Basin, with the central Great Basin forming a 200-mile gap between the two varieties of white fir [185].

California white fir occurs primarily in the Sierra Nevada, Klamath and Siskiyou mountains of California, and in western Nevada on the eastern slopes of the Sierra [102]. Some report its distribution into the mountains of southwest Oregon south to northern Baja [191], while others report that in the ranges of southern California and northern Baja, white fir more closely resembles the Rocky Mountain variety [316].

It is planted in rural and urban landscapes across the northern and northeastern United States [185,202], and distribution maps include it in Maine and Massachusetts [309].

ECOSYSTEMS [117]:

STATES:

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [43]:

KUCHLER [176] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

SAF COVER TYPES [92]:

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [274]:

HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:

In higher elevations and mesic sites of the mixed conifer forests of California and southern Oregon, California white fir is common and often dominant, sometimes comprising 80% or more of the large trees in a stand, and may form pure stands [124,178,244,262]. It may also share dominance with incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), sugar pine (P. lambertiana), Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), grand fir, Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) [178,244]. Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) may be found on shallow soil inclusions in white fir forests in California and Oregon [77]. Herbaceous cover tends to be sparse (seldom >5%) in white fir forests, except on moist sites where it may approach 100% [40,262]. Understory species diversity is high. Rundel and others [262] list several important understory species found in white fir forests. Riparian communities in California white fir forests include white alder (Alnus rhombifolia), thinleaf alder (A. incana ssp. tenuifolia), bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea), western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale), Sierra currant (Ribes nevadense), thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa), swamp carex (Carex senta), wild rhubarb (Darmera peltada) and California spikenard (Aralia californica). White fir is also a secondary species in the subalpine woodland represented by whitebark pine (P. albicaulis), limber pine (P. flexilis), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), lodgepole pine, western white pine (P. monticola) and foxtail pine (P. balfouriana) [40]. California white fir is one of the coniferous dominants of the California hardwood forests consisting primarily of tanoak, California black oak, giant chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla), Pacific madrone, California bay (Umbellularia californica), canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis), and red alder (A. rubra). Its dominance in this type fades in the hardwood forests of the northern Sierra and southern Cascades where it may occur with Pacific madrone, giant chinquapin, and Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) [126,206].

The center of distribution of California white fir is the mixed-conifer forest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where it may share or shift dominance with incense-cedar, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, and Douglas-fir. Subdominant trees may include California black oak, Pacific dogwood (C. nuttallii), bigleaf maple, canyon live oak, and tree forms of curlleaf mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius). The shrub canopy is represented by the genera Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus, Chamaebatia, Chrysolepis, Lithocarpus, Prunus, Quercus, Ribes, Symphoricarpos, and Vaccinium. Common genera in the herb layer include Adenocaulon, Clintonia, Disporum, Galium, Iris, Lupinus, Osmorhiza, Pteridium, Pyrola, Maianthemum, and Viola [40]. California white fir stands are common on mesic sites at upper elevations in the Sierra, in what may be called the white fir zone [40,262]. Near its upper elevational limits and on the eastern slope of the Sierra, California white fir shares its climax status with California red fir (A. magnifica) in extensive pure fir forests [40,124,178,185,262]. Here ponderosa pine and incense-cedar are less common and may be absent [40]. Where California white fir occurs on the lower-west-side of the Sierra, ponderosa pine usually dominates, and associates include incense-cedar, sugar pine, and Douglas-fir. California white fir is less common on these xeric sites, although its density has increased since the turn of the century, especially in the smaller size classes in the understory [262]. White fir is a major component of giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves along the west slope of the central Sierra Nevada, where California hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica) and Pacific dogwood may also be found [40,178,185,262,330]. California white fir is an important component in Jeffrey pine communities on the east slope of the Sierra, where associates include incense-cedar, California black oak, black cottonwood, greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), Sierra mountain misery (Chamaebatia foliolosa), bigleaf maple, California black oak, canyon live oak, and ceanothus [40,178,185,262]. The most significant understory component in many of these forests may be the dense thickets of white fir and incense-cedar saplings with common coverages of 5-10% and 30% or more not being unusual [262]. California white fir occurs with varying degrees of dominance on drier sites in the northern Sierra, with sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, California black oak, incense-cedar, western juniper, singleleaf pinyon (P. monophylla), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), ceanothus, greenleaf manzanita, antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), Utah snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and rabbitbush (Ericameria bloomeri) as possible associates [40,262,316]. More detailed descriptions of the Sierran montane and subalpine conifer forests can also be found in Pase [241,242].

In the Cascade Range, the white fir zone occurs at elevations above 4,900 feet (1500 m) where white fir is clearly dominant in nearly pure stands with Douglas-fir, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, western white pine, and lodgepole pine as associates [111]. Atzet and McCrimmon [29] recognize 18 white fir associations in the Cascades with the following codominant species: lodgepole pine, western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), mountain hemlock, Pacific rhododendron (R. macrophyllum), twinflower (Linnaea borealis), California red fir, prince's pine (Chimaphila umbellata), Pacific silver fir (A. amabilis) [140], Oregon-grape (Mahonia repens), vine maple (A. circinatum), western hemlock (T. heterophylla), vanillaleaf (Achlys triphylla), big huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), salal (Gaultheria shallon), Rocky Mountain maple (A. glabrum), anemone (Anemone spp.), California hazelnut, poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), and incense-cedar. The white fir zone in the Cascades grades into red fir forest at upper elevations, where white fir remains an important component along with western white pine, lodgepole pine, mountain hemlock and currant [111,220]. On the western slopes of the Cascades, white fir is found at mid-elevations and on mesic sites above the ponderosa pine forests in mixed conifer stands in mixed dominance with sugar pine, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, Douglas-fir and California black oak. Here it may also be associated with western hemlock, Pacific dogwood, Pacific yew, pacific madrone, vine maple, twinflower, and shrubs such as snowbrush ceanothus (C. velutinus), giant chinquapin, bush chinquapin (C. sempervirens), bitter cherry (P. emarginata), sharpleaf snowberry (S. acutus), baldhip rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), Sierran gooseberry (Ribes roezlii), snow raspberry (Rubus nivalis), common whipplea (Whipplea modesta), and pinemat manzanita (A. nevadensis) [111,207,208,220,262]. It is found less commonly on the east side of the Cascade Range [262]. In the Silver Lake area of southern Oregon, white fir occurs in association with ponderosa pine and Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), along with antelope bitterbrush, greenleaf manzanita and Oregon-grape [75].

The Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon have the greatest concentration of conifer species on earth, with white fir among them [300]. Here white fir is considered an indicator of the lower elevational limit of montane forest vegetation, which blends into Douglas-fir-hardwood forests below on the west side and into ponderosa pine-California black oak on the east side. On the west side white fir occurs primarily with Douglas-fir as a codominant, and on the east side with Pinus spp. and California red fir. Westside associates also include sugar pine, ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), Pacific yew, giant chinquapin, prince's pine, bigleaf maple, canyon live oak, Pacific madrone, Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum), and American vetch (Vicia americana). Eastside associates include Douglas-fir, incense-cedar, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, Pacific dogwood, canyon live oak, California black oak, bigleaf maple, Pacific yew, giant chinquapin, Mahala mat (Ceanothus prostratus), and dwarf Oregon-grape (Berberis nervosa), with an understory of mainly sclerophyllous shrubs in dense patches, or of nonsclerophylls such as baldhip rose, and creeping snowberry (S. mollis). Herbs are uncommon except for prince's pine, and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum). At higher elevations, white fir grades into red fir with which it shares dominance on some sites. At still higher elevations, white fir may be found with western hemlock, western white pine, and lodgepole pine [268]. The white fir series in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California is divided into several associations with codominants including: California red fir, currant, baldhip rose, creeping snowberry, prince's pine, sandler oak, Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites), dwarf Oregon-grape, giant chinquapin, Alaska-cedar (C. nootkatensis), brewer spruce (Picea breweriana), big huckleberry, salal, tanoak, Pacific yew, Port-Orford-cedar, Douglas-fir, Rocky Mountain maple, oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), ponderosa pine, western hemlock, vine maple and Jeffrey pine [31,136,305]. Mixed conifer associates in the Siskiyou Mountains include Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense-cedar, western hemlock, vine maple, Pacific yew, twinflower, snow raspberry, common whipplea, and pinemat manzanita [111,220]. Some characteristic understory species of white fir forests in the Siskiyou Mountains are given by Franklin and Dyrness [111].

In the South Warner Mountains of northeastern California, the white fir series occurs in three habitat types and is codominant with tailcup lupine (Lupinus caudatus), sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), and whiteveined wintergreen (Pyrola picta) [257]. White fir is important in closed forest stands on the Modoc Plateau in association with incense-cedar, ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, and western juniper [262,316]. In northeastern California, white fir is increasingly influenced by grand fir [124]. In southeastern Oregon, white fir occurs in the ponderosa pine forest zone with grand fir, western larch (Larix occidentalis), Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, western white pine, mountain-mahogany, common snowberry (S. albus), mountain snowberry (S. oreophilus), antelope bitterbrush, mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana), elk sedge (C. geyeri), Idaho fescue, pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens), Wheeler bluegrass (Poa nervosa), and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata). In the true fir forest zone of southeastern Oregon, white fir occurs with grand fir, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western larch, Douglas-fir, western white pine, Pacific yew, thimbleberry, twinflower, big huckleberry, grouse whortleberry (V. scoparium), western oakfern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris), oneleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata), and drops of gold (Disporum hookeri) [64,130]. Further north, white fir grades into the grand fir zone, with the two species hybridizing where they intergrade [64,111]. In this zone of genetic overlap, it is impossible to visually tell the two species and their hybrids apart [103].

In the mountain ranges of southern California, dominance shifts from ponderosa to Jeffrey pine to white fir with increasing elevation. White fir is also a major component of the subalpine forest type in this area. California black oak stands, montane meadows and chaparral are interspersed throughout the area where white fir is dominant, and sugar pine, incense-cedar, and western juniper are secondary components in many stands [287]. In the San Bernardino Mountains white fir is codominant with ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine or with sugar pine on north aspects, with incense-cedar and California black oak as common associates and a wealth of herbaceous species mixed with a considerable understory of shrubs. It may also be codominant with sugar pine in more open stands, with Jeffrey pine, canyon live oak and some timberland chaparral species as understory, and no herbaceous species present [151,217]. In the Transverse and Peninsular ranges of southern California, white fir occurs at upper elevations and mesic slopes with ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine, sugar pine, and incense-cedar. Here white fir and sugar pine form a community on moister slopes with incense-cedar, lodgepole pine, Sierra currant, Sierran gooseberry, thimbleberry, Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis), and blue elderberry (Sambucus cerulea). It may also be found with bigcone Douglas-fir (P. macrocarpa) in this area [204]. Scattered and gnarled specimens of white fir may also be found in the western juniper woodland, lodgepole pine, or limber pine forest [306]. In the Clark and Kingson mountains of the Mojave Desert, and other southern California populations as far north as the Tehachapi Mountains, white fir more closely resembles the Rocky Mountain variety, and is found with singleleaf pinyon, Colorado pinyon (P. edulis), Utah juniper (J. osteosperma), Rocky Mountain maple, Utah serviceberry (A. utahensis), singleleaf ash (Fraxinus anomala), bush oceanspray (H. dumosus), canyon live oak, shrub live oak (Q. turbinella), wax currant (R. cereum), desert gooseberry (R. velutinum), and common elderberry (S. nigra ssp. canadensis) [124,316]. In the Sierra San Pedro Mártir, white fir and incense-cedar are restricted to the most mesic sites in an open forest dominated by Parry pinyon (P. quadrifolia) and Jeffrey pine from 4,600 to 7,900 feet (1400-2400 m) [40].

Rocky Mountain white fir is found in nearly all the major mountain ranges in the southwest [84,188]. The white fir series in the southwest can have any mixture of white fir with Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce (P. engelmannii), blue spruce (P. pungens), subalpine fir (A. lasiocarpa), ponderosa pine, and southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis), depending on the moisture and temperature relationships of the site, and the stage of succession. The more successful reproduction of white fir is diagnostic of the white fir series [188,232]. White fir grades into blue spruce at cooler moister sites at the same elevation, into the subalpine fir series (Engelmann spruce and corkbark fir (A. lasiocarpa var. arizonica)) at higher elevations, and Douglas-fir or ponderosa pine at lower elevations with complex ecotones [16,57,83,188]. At its northern limit in the Rocky Mountains, white fir is replaced by Douglas-fir as the indicated climax on montane forest sites [201]. Rocky Mountain white fir is a dominant or climax component of several habitat types and series in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. Codominant species are listed below:

In Utah, the white fir series occurs throughout the higher mountain ranges of the northwestern region, is found locally in the Uinta Mountains, and increases in importance through southern Utah. On exposed, lower elevation sites white fir occurs either as scattered individuals or groups with quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and Douglas-fir as dominant seral associates, and abundant brush or woodland species, such as bigtooth maple and Gambel oak in the interspaces. Western serviceberry, paxistima, and chokecherry are common associates [201]. Undisturbed forest sites in the subalpine zone of Utah are dominated by Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, subalpine fir and white fir with a diverse herbaceous component. These subalpine forests are intermixed with meadows, stringers of limber and bristlecone pines, and open woodlands of aspen or lodgepole pine in areas that have been disturbed by fire in recent times [38]. White fir is a seral species in the subalpine fir series and occurs as scattered individuals in the Douglas-fir series and limber and ponderosa pine habitat types [201,344]. Where Rocky mountain white fir is codominant with quaking aspen, associates include mountain snowberry, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and greenleaf manzanita [230]. Carex spp. are common understory components in some white fir habitat types in Utah [201,230].

The white fir series is the most widespread mixed conifer series in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Here it is often co-climax with Douglas fir. Other tree associates include blue spruce, limber pine, ponderosa pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, quaking aspen, and Rocky Mountain juniper. It is also found in several subalpine fir community types, and blue spruce, Douglas fir, and limber pine habitat types [16,83].

The white fir-Douglas-fir-Ponderosa pine series is the most widespread and one of the most varied types in Arizona and New Mexico [82]. In New Mexico mixed conifer forest, white fir shares climax status with Douglas fir, and the white fir/Gambel oak habitat type is the most widespread [93,142,223]. White fir types grade into Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, and subalpine fir types at higher elevations with mixtures of corkbark fir, Douglas-fir, southwestern white pine, and quaking aspen. At lower elevations, white fir types grade into Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine types [20,178,225,294]. Additional tree associates include Chihuahua pine (P. leiophylla var. chihuahuana), Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine (P. contorta var. latifolia), Mexican pinyon (P. cembroides), New Mexico locust, limber pine, and boxelder (Acer negundo) [188]. South of Mogollon rim, white fir is found with Douglas-fir, southwestern white pine, quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, Gambel oak, fringed brome (Bromus ciliata), muhly (Muhlenbergia spp.), sprucefir fleabane, woodland strawberry (Fragaria americana), Richard's geranium (Geranium richardsonii), Parry's goldenrod (Oreochrysum parryi) and groundsel (Senecio spp.) with a high understory cover of Arizona fescue [82].

In the Madrean region, on mesic slopes, Douglas-fir is often codominant with or is successional to white fir [225,245]. These two species join with spruce and southwestern white pine on cool sites and with ponderosa pine on warm sites. At higher elevations and northern aspects Douglas-fir is replaced by Engelmann spruce and corkbark fir with southwestern white pine in low densities, and occasional stands of quaking aspen [349]. In the Animas Mountains of southern New Mexico and the Sierra Los Ajos in Sonora, Mexico, white fir is found at upper elevations and on north aspects in association with Douglas-fir, quaking aspen, Gambel oak, silverleaf oak (Q. hypoleucoides) and madroño (Arbutus arizonica) [321]. A more detailed description of Rocky Mountain and Madrean montane conifer forests are given by Pase and Brown [243].

White fir is found in riparian communities throughout the west. It is widespread in riparian communities in Zion [135] and Great Basin [278] national parks, and elsewhere in Utah, where it occurs with boxelder and narrowleaf cottonwood (P. angustifolia); and in Wyoming, where it occurs with blue spruce and lodgepole pine [201,236]. In Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, white fir is found as a dominant species along with blue spruce, narrowleaf and black cottonwood, and/or Rocky Mountain maple in many riparian areas [12,16,37,83,298].

Related categories for SPECIES: Abies concolor | White Fir