Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra Forest & Woodland Alliance
Shining willow groves
Shining willow groves
USDA Ecological Section Map
Summary Information
- Primary Life FormTree
- Elevation0-2700 m
- State RarityS3.2
- Global RarityG4
- DistributionCAN. USA: CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, WY (NatureServe)
- Endemic to CaliforniaNo
- Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
- Date Added1995/11/01
Characteristic Species
Salix lucida is dominant or co-dominant in the tree canopy with Acer macrophyllum, Alnus rhombifolia, Cornus sericea, Platanus racemosa, Populus fremontii, Populus trichocarpa, Quercus agrifolia, Salix spp. and Sambucus nigra.
Vegetation Layers
Plants < 20 m; canopy is intermittent to continuous. Shrub layer is sparse to intermittent. Herbaceous layer is variable.
Membership Rules
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra > 40% absolute cover in the overstory without other strong woody dominants (Hickson and Keeler-Wolf 2007).
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra > 50% relative cover in the overstory; S. lasiolepis usually present with low cover (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003a).
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra > 50% relative cover in the tree canopy, sometimes with higher or similar cover by shrubs in the understory (Buck-Diaz et al. 2021, Sikes et al. 2021, Sikes et al. 2023).
Habitats
Low-gradient depositions along rivers, streams, some are tidally influenced. The USFWS Wetland Inventory (1996 national list) recognizes Salix lucida as an OBL plant.
Other Habitat, Alliance and Community Groupings
| MCV (1995) | Pacific willow series |
| NVCS (2009) | Salix lucida seasonally flooded forest alliance, Salix lucida temporarily flooded shrubland alliance, Salix lucida temporarily flooded woodland alliance |
| Calveg | Willow, Willow-Alder |
| Holland | Freshwater swamp, Central Coast cottonwood-sycamore riparian forest, Southern cottonwood-willow riparian forest, Great Valley mixed riparian forest, Central Coast riparian scrub, Southern willow scrub, Great Valley willow scrub |
| Munz | Not treated |
| WHR | Valley foothill riparian |
| CDFW CA Code | 61.204.00 |
National Vegetation Classification Hierarchy
| Formation Class | Mesomorphic Tree Vegetation (Forest and Woodland) |
| Formation Subclass | Temperate Forest |
| Formation | Temperate Flooded and Swamp Forest |
| Division | Western North America Flooded and Swamp Forest |
| Macro Group | Western Cordilleran montane-boreal riparian scrub |
| Group | Vancouverian riparian deciduous forest |
Remarks
Salix lucida grows throughout north temperate North America. Leaves have large stipules and blades with shiny upper surfaces. Plants produce large quantities of wind-dispersed seeds. Seeds are not dormant and remain viable for only a few days. They germinate rapidly on moist soil. Plants will sprout from their root crown or stem base after fire or cutting. Branches are very brittle, and they disperse from the parent plant during floods. The typical subspecies, ssp. lucida, occurs in New England and west through the Lake States. Pacific willow, ssp. lasiandra, ranges all through the western United States, including California. Subspecies lasiandra is the largest willow in the state at 18 m, but plants at montane elevations are often shrubby (Uchytil 1989f ). Some botanical treatments use Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra and var. caudata for subspecies in California (UCB 2004, 2006).
Another subspecies, ssp. caudata, is shrubby and exists at montane elevations in California. Stands of ssp. caudata are now ascribed to the Salix boothii - Salix geyeriana - Salix lutea Shrubland Alliance. The name of the alliance has been updated from Salix lucida Woodland Alliance as cited in the 2009 publication, A Manual of California Vegetation, second edition to specify the tree subspecies.
Salix lucida stands appear in California to be limited to relatively moist coastal areas, permanently flooded swampy bottomlands, or along low-gradient streams. Disturbances during winter floods modify stands; timing of seed dispersal and spring flood patterns determine seedling success.
Another subspecies, ssp. caudata, is shrubby and exists at montane elevations in California. Stands of ssp. caudata are now ascribed to the Salix boothii - Salix geyeriana - Salix lutea Shrubland Alliance. The name of the alliance has been updated from Salix lucida Woodland Alliance as cited in the 2009 publication, A Manual of California Vegetation, second edition to specify the tree subspecies.
Salix lucida stands appear in California to be limited to relatively moist coastal areas, permanently flooded swampy bottomlands, or along low-gradient streams. Disturbances during winter floods modify stands; timing of seed dispersal and spring flood patterns determine seedling success.
Life History Traits of the Principal Species
| Salix lucida | |
|---|---|
| Life forms | Tree; shrub; winter deciduous |
| Seed storage | Transient |
| Seed longevity | Short |
| Mode of dispersal | Water/hydrological; wind |
| Germination agents | None |
| Mode of sprouting | Buds on small branches; underground structures |
| Survivability after fire/disturbance | Fire-hardy; high sprouter |
| Disturbance-stimulated flowering | No |
| Reproductive range | 2 years to life of plant |
| Recruitment | Low to medium; episodic |
| Regional variation | Low |
Fire Characteristics
Fluvial processes primarily disturb stands rather than fire. Salix lucida is top-killed by low- and moderate-intensity fire, though plants may sprout vigorously.
| Fire return interval | Dependent on neighboring alliance |
| Seasonality | Summer-early fall |
| Size/extent | Small; up to stand size |
| Complexity | Low to high |
| Intensity | Low to moderate |
| Severity | Low to moderate |
| Type | Surface-passive crown fire |
| Regional knowledge | Southwestern California |
Regional Status
The range of Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra includes areas throughout the state.
- Central California Coast (261Ae-h, Aj-l). Stands are occasional in Golden Gate National Recreation Area on the San Francisco Peninsula (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003a). Stands occur with S. laevigata and S. lasiolepis at Jasper Ridge Ecological Reserve in the San Francisquito Creek watershed. Stands exist along the upper San Antonio River in the Santa Lucia Mountains. It is anticipated that stands exist in the Santa Maria Valley based on known occurrences of the species (Calflora 2019).
- Central California Coast Ranges (M262Ae, Ai). Stands are scattered in the section, including in the inner Santa Lucia Mountains along the San Antonio River and in the Carrizo Plain.
- Great Valley (262Aa, Ac-d, Af-g, Ai, Ak-l). Stands are rare in the central portion of this section. Vaghti (2003) noted one association along oxbow lakes of the Sacramento River. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, stands are relatively undisturbed riparian remnants on in-stream islands (Hickson and Keeler-Wolf 2007). A stand was surveyed on Stanislaus River near Oakdale (VegCAMP 2013)
- Northern California Coast (263Ae, Ag, Ai-l). Stands occur along creeks and in swampy situations adjacent to tidal marshes, including near Point Reyes National Seashore (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003a) and at Soulajule Reservoir (Evens and Kentner 2006). Stands occur along the Russian River, Stewart's Creek, Dry Creek, and other riparian areas in Sonoma County (Klein et al. 2015). Stands are anticipated in other subsections where the species is known to occur (Consortium of California Herbaria 2017), but more survey work is needed to understand the full range.
- Southern California Coast (261Ba-b, Bd-g, Bi-j). Stands occur along creeks and streams mostly in the coastal strip from Santa Barbara to San Diego Cos.
- Southern California Mountains and Valleys (M262Ba, Bc-f, Bj-k). Stands are occasional in the section. Zembal (1989) reported tree density and cover for stands along Santa Ana and Santa Margarita rivers. Stands are anticipated in other subsections where the species is known to occur (Consortium of California Herbaria 2017), but more survey work is needed to understand the full range.
Management Considerations
We know little ecologically about Salix lucida alliance in California settings.
Associations
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra [2], [3], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra / Cornus sericea [1]
- Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra / Urtica urens - Urtica dioica [5]
References
- [1] Hickson, D.;Keeler-Wolf, T. 2007
- [2] Keeler-Wolf, T .;Schirokauer, D.;Meinke, J.;van derLeeden, P. 2003a
- [3] Sikes, K.;Buck-Diaz, J.;Vu, S.:Evens, J. 2023
- [5] Vaghti, M.G. 2003
- [6] Sproul, F.;Keeler-Wolf, T.;Gordon-Reedy, P.;Dunn, J.;Klein, A.;Harper, K. 2011
- [7] Buck-Diaz, J.;Batiuk, S.;Evens, J.M. 2012
- [8] Klein, A.;Keeler-Wolf, T.;Evens, J. 2015
- [9] Sikes, K.;Buck-Diaz, J.;Evens, J. 2021
- [10] Buck-Diaz, J.;Sikes, K.;Evens, J.M. 2021
- Bowler, P.A. 1989
- Brayshaw, T.C. 1976
- Capelli, M.H.;Stanley, S.J. 1984
- Faber, P.M.;Keller, E.;Sands, A.;Massey, B.M. 1989
- Holstein, G. 1984
- Paysen, T.E.;Derby, J.A.;Black, H.;Bleich, V.C.;Mincks, J.W. 1980
- Potter, D.A. 2005
- Shanfield, A.N. 1984
- Smith, S. 1998b
- Stillwater Sciences and URS, 2007
- Uchytil, R.J. 1989f