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

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:

In Alaska and the Yukon Territory, black cottonwood is primarily a coastal species, though 2 interior populations have been studied in the Yukon [73]. Black cottonwood is present in British Columbia in a thin strip along the coast in the northern portion of the province and across most of the southern portion [28]. It is present in only in the southwestern part of Alberta, often intergrading with balsam poplar [69]. In Montana, black cottonwood is widespread west of the continental divide, and present in central and eastern Montana in higher elevations [59]. In California black cottonwood is widespread, though absent from the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the southeastern portion of the state [67]. The species is present throughout Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Black cottonwood is not widespread in Utah, Wyoming, or North Dakota. It is found only in Utah, Washington, and Wasatch counties in Utah; in Sweetwater, Uinta, and Teton counties of Wyoming; and in Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, and Griggs counties of North Dakota [37]. Black cottonwood is present only in the northern part of the Baja California in 2 isolated populations [67,98].

ECOSYSTEMS [48]:

STATES:

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [13]:

KUCHLER [84] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

SAF COVER TYPES [42]:

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [129]:

HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES:

Yukon: Stanek and others [137] describes "Populus balsamifera" (likely including black cottonwood, balsam poplar, and their hybrids) in the mountain alder (Alnus incana)-balsam poplar-field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) vegetation type as well as the balsam poplar-arctic lupine (Lupinus arcticus)-bog birch (Betula nana) vegetation type. The former is confined to permafrost-free terraces and floodplains, and the latter is present on southwest aspects on lower slopes on alluvium.

British Columbia: On floodplains, black cottonwood is dominant, commonly with red-osier dogwood. Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and hybrid white spruce (Picea glauca) × Engelmann spruce (P. engelmannii), though present, typically do not become dominant because of frequent flooding and sediment deposition [57]. Other codominants in these black cottonwood communities include Pacific willow (Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra), red alder (Alnus rubra), Sitka alder, Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor), devil's club, stink currant (Ribes bracteosum), and occasionally Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) [81]. Forbs in black cottonwood dominated floodplains include fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum), horsetails, liverleaf wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia), small enchanter's nightshade (Circaea alpina), common lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), starry false Solomon's-seal (Maianthemum stellatum), sweetcicely (Osmorhiza berteroi), dwarf red blackberry (Rubus pubescens), bride's feathers (Aruncus dioicus), common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), slough sedge (Carex obnupta), and arctic sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus) [57].  Along the Blaeberry River near Golden, British Columbia, black cottonwood and white spruce are codominant on "stable" islands; dwarf fireweed (Epilobium latifolium) is dominant in the understory and Hervey's aster (Aster hesperius), Lindley's aster (A. ciliolatus), scarlet Indian paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), northern green orchid (Platanthera hyperborea), and Aleutian selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) are also present [46]. Other woody species in these floodplain communities include quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), Farr's willow (Salix farriae), and Wolf's willow (S. wolfii).

Western Washington: Black cottonwood is an early seral species in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) communities including western hemlock/skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), western hemlock/common lady fern, and western hemlock/devil's club habitat types. It is also present in wet and/or cool grand fir (Abies grandis), Douglas-fir, and western redcedar habitat types [147]. On the Hoh River on the Olympic Peninsula, a Sitka spruce-bigleaf maple-black cottonwood association occurs on first terraces. Subdominant trees include red alder and Douglas-fir and western hemlock if the site is not disturbed. The understory of these communities includes the grasses redtop (Agrostis gigantea) and fowl bluegrass (Poa palustris) and the forbs Oregon oxalis (Oxalis oregana), western sword fern (Polystichum munitum), and small enchanter's nightshade [44].

Eastern Washington and northern Idaho: Black cottonwood frequently occurs (though never in great abundance) in the seral stages of the development of western hemlock and western redcedar habitat types, and is sometimes a minor component of old-growth stands of these types [99]. Black cottonwood is prevalent at lower elevations on floodplains and terraces where frequently it is mixed with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir [33,88]. In drier areas, like the Palouse River, black cottonwood is dominant with western water hemlock (Cicuta douglasii) dominant in the understory. Many of these communities have been disturbed by human activities [32]. In mountainous areas of eastern Washington, Idaho, and northwestern Montana, black cottonwood sometimes grows in avalanche chutes with mountain alder, Saskatoon serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum), and quaking aspen [56].

Oregon: In bottomland forests of the Willamette Valley of western Oregon, black cottonwood, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), and white ash (Fraxinus americana) are common, all occurring with about the same density. Subdominant trees in these communities include Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), California laurel (Umbellularia californica), alder (Alnus spp.), bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata), and willows, and the understory usually includes Oregon- grape (Mahonia repens), salmonberry, rose (Rosa spp.), Douglas' spiraea (Spiraea douglasii), Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), and Pursh's buckthorn (Frangula purshiana). Many of these community types have declined due to cultivation and hydrologic alterations [54,136]. In the Catherine Creek watershed of eastern Oregon, black cottonwood is dominant with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in structurally diverse riparian communities. Subdominants include mountain alder, black hawthorn (Crataegeus douglasii), Woods' rose, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Black cottonwood is commonly the only tree present on recently formed gravel bars [79].

California: In the North Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains, black cottonwood grows with red alder; older stands with less disturbance also support grand fir, Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir, western redcedar, or western hemlock. Black cottonwood is dominant in montane riparian forests of the Sierra Nevada where Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) is a common associate; shrub cover (red-osier dogwood, western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), willows, and common chokecherry) is commonly about 25% [70]. In southern California, Fremont cottonwood is dominant along washes and streams in lower elevations and black cottonwood is dominant in similar habitats at higher elevations [108,146]. Common associates in the black cottonwood communities include bigleaf maple, white alder (Alnus rhombifolia), willows, and California laurel [146]. In the South Coast Ranges, Fremont cottonwood and California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) are dominant, but black cottonwood and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) are also present [70]. Off the coast near Santa Barbara, on Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina islands, riparian woodlands are dominated by black cottonwood with Fremont cottonwood; Tracy willow (Salix lasiolepis var. lasiolepis) and blue elder (Sambucus mexicana) are also present. Herbaceous vegetation consists of saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), annual rabbitsfoot grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), redtop, and tropical medicineplant (Adenostoma verbesina) [27,110]. Near drainageways in the San Dimas Forest near Los Angeles, black cottonwood is a dominant with coast live oak, California sycamore, bigleaf maple, white alder, and willows in open stands [40].

Alberta: In southern Alberta, most riparian communities in the semi-arid portion of the province are dominated by cottonwoods, including black cottonwood, eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides),  narrowleaf cottonwood (P. angustifolia), and balsam poplar. Shrubs include common chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Wood's rose, and western snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) [49].

North Dakota: Black cottonwood occurs with green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and American elm (Ulmus americana) in riparian areas in western North Dakota [71].

Montana: In western Montana, the most common codominant tree with black cottonwood is ponderosa pine. Others include Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, western redcedar, Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), and quaking aspen. The shrub component includes Wood's rose, mountain alder, Bebb willow (Salix bebbiana), common chokecherry, red-osier dogwood, western snowberry, and common snowberry [60]. Herbaceous species commonly dominant include quackgrass (Elytrigia repens), Kentucky bluegrass, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), starry false Solomon's seal, Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), and fragrant bedstraw [60,62]. In central and eastern Montana black cottonwood grows with narrowleaf and eastern cottonwoods in transitional zones (narrowleaf and eastern cottonwoods are dominant at lower elevations) [60]. Along the North Fork of the Flathead River, near Glacier National Park, 3 black cottonwood community types were studied by Jenkins and Wright [75].  In early successional communities the black cottonwood overstory is approximately 50%. Coniferous canopy cover is low (<5%), and shrubs are not prominent. Other species present on these sites include common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), mountain alder, asters (Aster spp.), fireweed (Epilobium spp.), prairie Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), timothy (Phleum pratense), bluegrass (Poa spp.), and Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis). In later-successional community types the canopy cover of hybrid spruce (white spruce × Engelmann spruce) increases to approximately 50% and gradually replaces black cottonwood. Shrubs include red-osier dogwood, roses (Rosa spp.), and common snowberry; these species become less prominent with increasing hybrid spruce canopy cover.

Eastern and southern Idaho: Black cottonwood/red-osier dogwood is a common community type; it develops best along large rivers but is also present in narrow bands along small streams in the subalpine zone [58]. Subdominant members of the overstory include narrowleaf cottonwood,  lanceleaf cottonwood (P. acuminata), and peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides var. wrightii). Common shrub associates include sandbar willow (Salix exigua), water birch (Betula occidentalis), yellow willow (Salix lutea), and Wood's rose [58,74].

Nevada: Confined to riparian areas, black cottonwood commonly grows with lanceleaf and narrowleaf cottonwoods, with these 3 species having approximately 85% canopy cover. Wood's rose is prominent in these habitats (25-90% canopy cover); currants (Ribes spp.) and red-osier dogwood are also common [90]. In central Nevada, black cottonwood is sometimes associated with big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) [15]. 

Classifications describing plant communities in which black cottonwood is a dominant species are as follows:

Related categories for SPECIES: Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa | Black Cottonwood