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Range dominated by forbs is the least common and least recognized broad category of native grazing land. A term such as "forbland" could be coined perhaps to convey the idea of vegetation dominated by herbaceous plants that are not grasses, sedges, or rushes but such term does not officially exist. At least it was not given in the glossaries published by the Society for Range Management or Society of American Foresters, the two groups which publish designations and descriptions of vegetation that are recognized as range cover types.
Plus, there is only one such rangeland cover type, SRM 409 (Tall Forb). This plant community does not fit consistently under any biome nor under any of the biomes such as desert, savanna, grassland, forest, etc. included by the Society for Range Management in the definitions of rangeland or range. Therefore this one lonely rangeland cover type is accorded its own general category.
1. Tall Forb- A subalpine plant community dominated by native forbs is the unique plant community in the foreground. The subalpine landscape seen here is the Salt River Pass in the Teton Range with a mosaic of plant communities including quaking aspen shrubland, subalpine fir-dominated ccommunities, and patches of grass-dominated herbaceous communities, but the most widespread is the forb community streatching from the immediate foreground to midground. This forb-dominated herbaceous vegetation along with the scattered parcels of grassland constitute what is known variously as a mountain meadow, subalpine meadow or park. Knight (1994, p. 193) noted that forbs are occasionally dominant on moist Teton slopes which is the case here. Within this forb-dominated community there are scattered individual plants of alpine timothy (Phleum alpinum), mountain brome (Bromus carinatus) and the introduced perennial orchardgrass, but forbs are everywhere "in command". The apparent dominant is wild geranium, probably Richardson's geranium (Geranium richardsonii) but sticky geranium (G. viscosissimum) was also present. The main associates appeared to be nettleleaf (Agastache urticifolia) and arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata). Other readily recognizable species included western coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis), Aster spp., cinquefoils (Potentilla spp.), fleabane (Erigeron sp.), and western larkspur (Delphinium occidentale). The two obvious shrubs were common snowberry (Symphoriocarpus albus) which grew in small colonies and widely scattered individuals of mountain big sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata subsp. vaseyana).
This subalpine forb meadow range is excellent for:
Watershed- Protection of watershed and production of quality water are the stated primary goals of Bridger National Forest. Generally, the deeper rooted trees and shrubs absorb and transpire more water so that herbaceous vegetation so that herb-covered watersheds have greater water yields than watersheds dominated by woody vegetation. As long as herbaceous communities protect the land against destructive accelerated erosion they are superior to forests and shrublands as watershed vegetation.
Sheep range- Domestic sheep, more than any kind of livestock, prefer and thrive on forbs. On the delicate, steep slopes of mountain watersheds small runminants like sheep, goats, and deer cause less compaction and dislocation of soils (other things being equal). This combination makes forb-dominated mountain meadows and sheep "made for each other". The two high-quality commodities of of lamb and wool provide consumers with unexcelled products and provide western stockmen with dual opportunities for profitable agricultural production. It is unfortunate that so many sheep operations have been lost and that quality sheep allotments go "abeggin'". Sheep are remarkable range animals and their loss from so many parts of the Western Range is a sad state of affairs, and a sad commentary on our society when we see food- and fiber-producing ranches subdivided for suburbs and those obscene "ranchettes" for those who want to "get in touch with Nature" (or "their feelings").
Wildlife habitat- The landscape mosaic of forb mountain meadows, colonies of "quakies", and patches of subalpine forest seen in this slide is prime habitat for mule deer and elk. It produces outstanding forage and browse while simultaneously furnishing cover in a patchwork that gives maximum edge effect.
This tall forb rangeland cover type is not only splendid range but also a splendid example of where multiple use management of range offers the promise of the Pinchot doctrine, "the greatest good to the greatest number for the longest time".
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Lincoln County, Wyoming. July. SRM 409. One form or variant of Mixed Forb Series of Brown et al. (1998).
2. Richardson's geranium in full-flower- An individual plant of Richardson's geranium in a forbland community on the subalpine landscape of Salt River Pass in the Teton Range. This particular plant was at peak-bloom stage of phenology.
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Lincoln County, Wyoming. July.
3. Fruit of Richardson's geranium- Fruit of Richardson's geranium on a neighboring plant to the one shown in the preceding photograph. The fruit type of Geraniaceae is a schizocarp with carpels separating into one-seeded segments (Smith, 1977, ps. 172). Bridger-Teton National Forest, Lincoln County, Wyoming. July; ripening-fruit phenological stage.
4. Inflorescence of western larkspur (Delphinium occidentale)- The indeterminate flower cluster (inflorescence in which flowering progresses from base to apex and from inner to outermost flowers) of western larkspur on a subalpine forbland on Salt River Pass in the Teton Range. BridgerTeton National Forest, Lincoln County, Wyoming. July.
Fernbrake
At roughly the same general subalpine elevations as those of rangeland cover type, Tall Forb (SRM 409) there are local consociations--often of several acres in size--of western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum, particularly of variety pubescens) with associated other forbs, especially composites. Such populations of western bracken fern with associated forbs and a few grasslike plant species are communities traditionally known as fernbrakes. Given that Dayton (1960, ps. 10-12) in Notes on Western Range Forbs and, previously,the Forest Service (1940, W58) treated bracken fern as an important range forb, an example of a bracken fernbrake was included in this short chapter devoted to range vegetation dominated by forbs.
Fernbrakes could be regarded as one cover type of subalpine mountain meadows, hence this range vegetation rationally could have been included in the chater devoted to such range meadows. From the perspective of most rangemen, however, mountain meadows are higher elevation--though at subalpine rather than alpine elevations--grasslands and dominated by grass and grasslike species. For this reason bracken fernbrakes were included in the category of forbland.
Successional status of such forbland was not known to this author.
5. Faster moving in the timber- A fernbrake comprised overwhelmingly by western bracken fern (and with associated minor forbs) comprised a renge plant community situated at slightly lower elevations immediately below forests of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and blue spruce (Picea pungens)-white fir (Abies concolor) in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.
The descriptive suffix of "brake" traces to . A traveler (groundling or horseman) would likely move faster through the surrounding forests than through this dense colony of rhizomatous pteridophyte. You do recall (do you not) that pteridophyte refers to any spore-bearing vascular plant?
Some fernbrakes cover locally extensive areas. These two views were of a fernbrake that extended over 40 acres.
This fernbrake had developed along a hillside seep fed with snowmelt as well as summer rainfall.
Associated--and minor--plant species were all forbs including cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia lacinata), New England aster (Aster novae anglicae), and smooth scouring rush (Equisetum hymenale).
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July. Peak Standing Crop. No FRES or K- units for this local and spatially restricted climax range vegetation. Variant form of Tall Forb (SRM 409); variant of Mixed Forb Series of Brown et al. (1998). Southern Rockies- Sedimentary Subalpine Forests Ecoregion 21e ( Griffith et al., 2006).
6. Braked inside- Outermost edge (first slide) and interior (second slide) of the fernbrake of western bracken introduced in the two preceding photographs. Southern portions of the Sangre de Cristo rande of the Southern Rocky Mountains.
Production of new shoots from subterranean fleshy "rootstocks" in this highly rhizomatous pteridophyte was greater than production of new plants (= new genotypes) from fertilization and resultant of spores (ie. asexual regeneration prevailed over sexual reproduction).
A specimen of New England aster was in left foreground.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July. Peak Standing Crop. No FRES or K- units for this local and spatially restricted climax range vegetation. Variant form of Tall Forb (SRM 409); variant of Mixed Forb Series of Brown et al. (1998). Southern Rockies- Sedimentary Subalpine Forests Ecoregion 21e ( Griffith et al., 2006).
7. An examination of the culprit- Shoots of western bracken fern at edge of a huge (over 40 acres in area) in first photograph and a topdown view of fronds (leaves of ferns) of a shoot in the second photograph.
Bracken fern is one of the most widely distributed plant species on Earth occurring on every continent. In spite of its cosmopolitan distribution, bracken is typically found in localized areas especially those in disturbed, degraded habitats. In many of the areas where bracken is well-adapted it can become a dreaded weed. With it extensive system of rhizomes bracken fern can form extensive colonies so as to exclude most other species.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
8. Closer examination of the culprit- One shoot (first slide) and fronds (fern leaves) on a shoot of western bracken fern in a fernbrake in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.
Bracken fern is a poisonous plant to horses, ruminants, and, most likely, in humans, the latter of which in somecultures eat young fronds. Toxicity of bracken fern is best known in horses where a type of the enzyme, thiaminase induces thiamine deficiency. Burrows and Tyrl (2013, ps. 410-422) devoted a chapter to Pteridium aquilinum to which interested readers were referred.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
9. A pterophytic friend (and another horse poisoner)- An associated pterophyte of western bracken fern was smooth scouring rush (Equisetum hymenale). Shoots of smooth scouring rush were sparsely distributed "few and far between" among shoots of western bracken fern and they tended to be considerably smaller than typical stature. As such, this pterophytic species was represented by examples that grew on a floodplain forest in this same general area (roughly 50-60 miles west) though at a lower elevation. These photographs were taken about four hours prior to those of western bracken and its fernbrake.
Equisetum species, including E. hymenale, were treated in the outstanding toxic plant compendium of Burrows and Tyrl (2013, ps. 430-433).The poisonous principle in the horsetails or scouring rushes is thiaminase which, as with Pteridium aquilinum, affects horses. Equisetum species have next to no forage value though cattle and deer occasionally feed on shoots (Burrows and Tyrl, 2013, ps. 430). These authors also noted that various American Indian tribes made use of Equisetum species for food and medicines.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
Specimen to be added later. Your absent-minded professor author failed to scan this superb specimen, and would probably forget again so this note to him was inserted. I know y'all can hardly wait, but stuff happens.
10. Tall, flowery friends of the culprit- Example of cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia lacinata) growing in the fernbrake being highlighted here. Again, this unique range vegetation was growing on a hillside seep in the Sangre de Cristo range in the Southern Rockies. Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
Missing images: ditto from immediately above. Awkard stuff happens on the range.
11. Heads up in a fernbrake- Capitula of cutleaf coneflower that grew in the fernbrake of western bracken on a wet hillside in the Sangre de Cristo range. Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
12. A New Englander in New Mexico- New England aster (Aster novae anglicae) growing in an extensive (40 acres or more) fernbrake of western bracken in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
13. Novae Anglicae in Neo Mexicana- Details of upper shoot and capitula (heads) of New England aster growing in an immense fernbrake of western bracken in the lower Sangre de Cristo range in northern New Mexico.
Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Late July.
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