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Ecological site AX001X01X305

Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow

Last updated: 5/15/2025
Accessed: 05/22/2025

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General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 001X–Northern Pacific Coast Range, Foothills, and Valleys

This area consists of a long and narrow range of mountains with associated foothills and valleys that parallels the Pacific Ocean. This area is entirely within the Pacific Border Province of the Pacific Mountain System in Oregon and Washington. MLRA 1 is bounded on the north by the highest elevations of the Olympic Mountains and the strait of Juan de Fuca, and by the Klamath Mountains on the south. The Washington portion of this MLRA is primarily composed of young Tertiary sedimentary rocks (siltstone and sandstone) mixed with some volcanic rocks of the same age. Glacial till and outwash deposits are also found in the northern half of this area in Washington. Much of this area is accreted terrane formed by tectonic processes. The average annual precipitation ranges from 60 to 200 inches (1,525 to 5,580 millimeters), increasing with elevation. Most of the precipitation in this area occurs during low-intensity, Pacific frontal storms and is evenly distributed throughout fall, winter, and spring.

The dominant soil orders in this MLRA are Andisols, Inceptisols, and Ultisols. Soil depths broadly range from shallow to very deep. Soils are primarily well drained, however poorly drained soils may be found in depressional areas and on alluvial floodplains. Surface textures are typically medial and loamy or clayey. Soils in this area dominantly have a mesic or frigid temperature regime and a udic moisture regime. Soils with aquic moisture regimes and cryic temperature regimes also occur.

Ecological site concept

Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites occur on depressional and drain positions on cirques, glacial valley walls, and structural benches above 900 meters. These sites are characterized by a community of forbs and graminoids. Tree establishment is generally precluded by high snowpack and low temperatures; however, tree islands may occasionally develop on site. Due to their highly stable slope positions, these sites receive additional run-on water from less stable upslope sites. These sites may also receive moisture from seep discharge. Higher effective precipitation promotes high productivity on Wet Subalpine Meadow sites.

Associated sites

AX001X01X303	Cryic Udic Subalpine Meadow Cryic Udic Subalpine Meadow sites can be found on less stable slopes adjacent to Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites. Lower effective precipitation diminishes production on Cryic Udic Subalpine Meadow sites.
AX001X01X302	Cryic Udic Dry Subalpine Meadow Cryic Udic Dry Subalpine Meadow sites can be found on less stable slopes adjacent to Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites. Lower effective precipitation diminishes production on Cryic Udic Dry Subalpine Meadow sites.
AX001X01X301	Cryic Udic Shallow Subalpine Meadow Cryic Udic Shallow Subalpine Meadow sites can be found on less stable slopes adjacent to Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites. Lower effective precipitation diminishes production on Cryic Udic Shallow Subalpine Meadow sites.
AX001X01X306	Cryic Aquic Subalpine Wet Meadow Cryic Aquic Subalpine Wet Meadow sites may be found adjacent to or surrounded by Cryic Udic Wet Meadow sites. Cryic Aquic Subalpine Wet Meadows primarily occur in depressions and seeps. Cryic Aquic Subalpine Wet Meadow sites are subject to frequent ponding for long duration.

Similar sites

AX001X01X304	Cryic Udic Moist Subalpine Meadow Cryic Udic Moist Subalpine Meadow sites do not have a seasonal high water table height within 100 centimeters of the surface.

AX001X01X304

Cryic Udic Moist Subalpine Meadow

Cryic Udic Moist Subalpine Meadow sites do not have a seasonal high water table height within 100 centimeters of the surface.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	(1) Vaccinium deliciosum
Herbaceous	(1) Valeriana sitchensis (2) Veratrum viride

Legacy ID

R001XA305WA

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Physiographic features

This site primarily occurs on glacial valley walls, cirques, benches, and colluvial aprons on mountains. Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites are found in topographic depressions and drains. These sites collect run-on from less stable upslope sites, increasing the effective precipitation.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Mountains > Colluvial apron (2) Mountains > Cirque (3) Mountains > Glacial-valley wall (4) Mountains > Bench
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	2,953 – 5,906 ft
Slope	35%
Water table depth	10 – 39 in
Aspect	W, NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW

Climatic features

This site occurs in a cryic temperature and udic moisture regime. Precipitation arrives mostly via low-intensity, Pacific frontal storms. Precipitation is unevenly distributed, with the lowest amounts on the leeward side of the Coast Range mountains. Precipitation falls largely as snow in higher elevations. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the fall, winter, and spring, while summers are dry. Air temperatures vary significantly along the elevation gradient.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	30-90 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	98-157 in

Influencing water features

Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites have seasonal high water table depths between 25 and 50 centimeters from September through June, and between 50 and 100 centimeters from July through August. Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites are not subject to ponding above the soil surface. Plants are tolerant of seasonal variations in soil moisture conditions.

Soil features

The soils that support this ecological site occur in the cryic soil temperature regime and the udic soil moisture regime. Buckinghorsecreek soils are very deep, formed from colluvium from metasedimentary rock, and occur on drainageways and seeps on cirques and glacial valley walls. These soils are somewhat poorly drained and have high or very high saturated hydraulic conductivity. They have a rock fragment content of greater than 35 percent in the control section, and a relatively high organic carbon content in the surface horizons. They have a seasonally high water table top depth between 10 and 20 inches from the surface September through June and 20 to 50 inches from the surface July and August. Saturation is the primary limiting factor to plant growth. Although representative of this site, these soils may exist across multiple ecological sites because of naturally variable slope, texture, rock fragments, and pH. An on-site soil pit and the most current ecological site key are necessary to classify a site.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Parent material	(1) Colluvium – metasedimentary rock
Surface texture	(1) Silt loam (2) Loam (3) Gravelly loam
Drainage class	Somewhat poorly drained
Soil depth	60 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (0-40in)	3.7 – 5.3 in
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-10in)	4.5 – 5.5
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (0-20in)	55%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (0-20in)	20%

Ecological dynamics

The Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow site is found at mid-to-high elevations in the park where snowpack persists long into the spring and summer. Long-duration snowpack cover significantly reduces growing degree days on site. These sites receive additional run-on moisture from upslope sites. Soils are somewhat poorly drained, but do not pond. High effective precipitation favors moisture-tolerant species such as green false hellebore (Veratrum viride), edible thistle (Cirsium edule), black alpine sedge (Carex nigricans), and showy sedge (Carex spectabilis).

Cryic Udic Subalpine Wet Meadows are subject to occasional severe disturbance from wildfire, avalanches, and mass-movement events. The fire regime of this site likely resembles that of adjacent and lower forested sites that are characterized by high-intensity burns with a long return interval of greater than 200 years (FEIS). Historical fires would likely begin in lower-elevation forests and move upslope to these meadow sites. When fire does occur, burns are often patchy and low-extent due to discontinuous fuels and very moist site conditions throughout most of the growing season. Cryic Udic Subalpine Wet Meadow sites are susceptible to avalanches and mass-movement events. Powerful avalanches may remove trees and hard-stemmed shrubs from the site and create early seral conditions favorable for establishment of graminoids and forbs. Mass movement can occur on unstable slopes and remove all or nearly all vegetation from the site.

High snowpack generally precludes tree establishment on sites, but trees may occasionally establish at the lower elevations of this ecological site. Once established, trunks and limbs may provide shelter from snowdrifts and allow additional seedlings to recruit in tree island mosaics. Cryic Udic Subalpine Wet Meadow sites are subject to high-intensity winds that are capable of uprooting and throwing trees. Temporal and spatial patterns of tree establishment on this site are unpredictable due to large interannual variations in snowfall.

State and transition model

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text

Ecosystem states

1. Reference

State 1 submodel, plant communities

1.1. Cascade Bilberry, Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, and Showy Sedge

1.2. Edible Thistle and Common Beargrass

1.3. Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, Showy Sedge, and Greenleaf Fescue

1.4. Subalpine Fir, Alaska Cedar, and Cascade Bilberry

1.1A	-	High-intensity disturbance
1.1B	-	Time without disturbance
1.2A	-	Time without disturbance
1.3B	-	Time without disturbance
1.3A	-	High-intensity disturbance
1.4A	-	High-intensity disturbance

State 1
Reference

Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow sites support communities of shrubs, forbs, and graminoids. Three communities exist in the Reference state which encompass varying stages of regeneration from disturbance. There is also a tree island community which may arise given an extensive time without disturbance.

Dominant plant species

subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), tree
Alaska cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis), tree
Cascade bilberry (Vaccinium deliciosum), shrub
greenleaf fescue (Festuca viridula), grass
Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), other herbaceous
green false hellebore (Veratrum viride), other herbaceous
showy sedge (Carex spectabilis), other herbaceous
common beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), other herbaceous
edible thistle (Cirsium edule), other herbaceous

Community 1.1
Cascade Bilberry, Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, and Showy Sedge

Structure: meadow with forbs, shrubs, and graminoids This community is characterized by a diverse composition of forbs, sedges, and shrubs. Common reference community plants include Cascade huckleberry (Vaccinium deliciosum), Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), green false hellebore (Veratrum viride), American bistort (Polygonum bistortoides), high mountain cinquefoil (Potentilla flabellifolia), broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolius), showy sedge (Carex spectabilis), alpine timothy (Phleum aplinum), and black alpine sedge (Carex nigricans).

Community 1.2
Edible Thistle and Common Beargrass

Structure: disturbed site with early regeneration This community is an early seral stage, occurring in the aftermath of severe disturbance. Edible thistle (Cirsium edule) and common beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) are often the first species to recruit to the site.

Community 1.3
Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, Showy Sedge, and Greenleaf Fescue

Structure: Grass and forb meadow This community is an intermediate seral stage characterized by increased herbaceous species diversity relative to phase 1.2. Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), green false hellebore (Veratrum viride), and greenleaf fescue (Festuca viridula) may be found in this community phase. Additional time will allow shrubs to reestablish on site.

Community 1.4
Subalpine Fir, Alaska Cedar, and Cascade Bilberry

Structure: tree island with mature shrubs Given enough time without significant disturbance, subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Alaska cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis), and mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) may recruit to the site. Tree establishment tends to be patchy and discontinuous on this site, resulting in a mosaic of tree islands within a non-forested, meadow or shrubland matrix. Tree cover results in diminished understory richness and production.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

Severe disturbance such as avalanche, landslide, or fire that removes most vegetation from the site.

Pathway 1.1B
Community 1.1 to 1.4

Time without disturbance.

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.3

Time without disturbance.

Pathway 1.3B
Community 1.3 to 1.1

Time without disturbance.

Pathway 1.3A
Community 1.3 to 1.2

Severe disturbance such as avalanche, landslide, or fire that removes most vegetation from the site.

Pathway 1.4A
Community 1.4 to 1.2

Severe disturbance such as avalanche, landslide, or fire that removes most vegetation from the site.

Additional community tables

Supporting information

Other references

Breemen, Nico van. “How Sphagnum Bogs down Other Plants.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 10, no. 7 (July 1, 1995): 270–75. 90007-1.

Dwire, K. and Kauffman, J. 2003. Fire and Riparian Ecosystems in Landscapes in the Western United States. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 178 pg. 61-74.

Franklin, Jerry F.; Cromack, Kermit, Jr.; Denison, William; [and others]. 1981. Ecological characteristics of old-growth Douglas-fir forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-118. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 48 p. [7551]

Gavin, D., Brubaker, L. (2015). The Modern Landscape of the Olympic Peninsula. In: Late Pleistocene and Holocene Environmental Change on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Ecological Studies, vol 222. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11014-1_1

Geertsema, Marten & Pojar, James. (2007). Influence of landslides on biophysical diversity — A perspective from British Columbia. Geomorphology. 89. 55-69. 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.019.

Goheen, E.M. and Willhite, E.A. 2006. Field Guide to Common Diseases and Inspect Pests of Oregon and Washington Conifers. Portland, Oregon: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region R6-NR-FID-PR-01-06.

Hanley, D.P and D.M. Baumgartner. 2002. Forest Ecology in Washington. Washington State University Extension Publishing. Technical Report EB 1943.

Hanson, E.J., D.L. Azuma and B.A. Hiserote. 2002. Site Index Equations and Mean Annual Increment Equations for Pacific Northwest Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis Inventories, 1985-2001. USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Research Note PNW-RN-533.

Hemstrom, M., Franklin, J. 1982. Fire and Other Disturbances of the Forests in Mount Rainier National Park. Quaternary Research, Vol 18 pp 32-61.

James K. Agee and Mark H. Huff. 1987. Fuel succession in a western hemlock/Douglas-fir forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 17(7): 697-704. https://doi.org/10.1139/x87-112

Nielsen, E. M., R. L. Brunner, C. Copass and L. K. Wise, 2021. Olympic National Park map class descriptions. National Park Service, Fort Collins.

Pojar J., and MacKinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine, Vancouver, British Columbia. 528 pages.

PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, http://prism.orgeonstate.edu, visited October 2023.

Reed Wendel, Darlene Zabowskl "Fire History within the Lower Elwha River Watershed, Olympic National Park, Washington," Northwest Science, 84(1), 88-97, (1 January 2010)

Rochefort, R.M. and Peterson, D.L. 1996. Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Trees in Subalpine Meadows of Mount Rainier National Park. Arctic and Alpine Research, Vol. 28, No. 1 pp 52-59.

Seastedt, T.R., Adams, G.A. 2001. Effects of Mobile Tree Islands on Alpine Tundra Soils. Ecology, Vol 82 pp 8-17.

Smith, K., G. Kuhn, and L. Townsend. 2008. Culmination of Mean Annual Increment for Indicator Tree Species in the State of Washington. USDA-NRCS Technical Note Forestry-9.

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 2015. Silvics Manual Vol 1. http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/vol1_Table_of_contents.htm, visited December 2015.

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. 2014. Ecological Site Descriptions for North Cascades National Park Complex, Washington.

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Ecological Site Descriptions for Mount Rainier National Park, Washington.

Van Pelt, R. 2007. Identifying Mature and Old Forests in Western Washington. Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA. 104 p

Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program. 2015. Ecological Systems of Washington State. A Guide to Identification.

Wood, David, and Moral, Roger del. “Mechanisms of Early Primary Succession in Subalpine Habitats on Mount St. Helens.” Ecology 68, no. 4 (1987).

Zhao, Yunpeng, Chengzhu Liu, Simin Wang, Yiyun Wang, Xiaoqing Liu, Wanqing Luo, and Xiaojuan Feng. “‘Triple Locks’ on Soil Organic Carbon Exerted by Sphagnum Acid in Wetlands.” Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 315 (December 2021): 24–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.09.028.

Contributors

Alec Haulotte
Erin Kreutz
Abigail Field
Max Ross
Erik Dahlke

Approval

Grant Petersen, 5/15/2025

Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Author(s)/participant(s)
Contact for lead author
Date	05/16/2025
Approved by	Grant Petersen
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

Dominant:

Sub-dominant:

Other:

Additional:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
Perennial plant reproductive capability:

Download reference sheet

Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.

Ecosystem states

1. Reference

State 1 submodel, plant communities

1.1. Cascade Bilberry, Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, and Showy Sedge

1.2. Edible Thistle and Common Beargrass

1.3. Sitka Valerian, Green False Hellebore, Showy Sedge, and Greenleaf Fescue

1.4. Subalpine Fir, Alaska Cedar, and Cascade Bilberry

1.1A	-	High-intensity disturbance
1.1B	-	Time without disturbance
1.2A	-	Time without disturbance
1.3B	-	Time without disturbance
1.3A	-	High-intensity disturbance
1.4A	-	High-intensity disturbance

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Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site AX001X01X305

Cryic Udic Wet Subalpine Meadow

Last updated: 5/15/2025 Accessed: 05/22/2025

General information

MLRA notes

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Legacy ID

Ecosystem states

State 1 submodel, plant communities

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 5/15/2025
Accessed: 05/22/2025