Geyer Willow

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Geyer willow
silver willow


TAXONOMY:
The currently accepted scientific name of Geyer willow is Salix
geyeriana Anderss. [15,34].

Hitchcock and Cronquist [27] recognize two varieties of Geyer willow:
var. geyeriana and var. meliana Henry. However, recent research in
Idaho has shown that plants designated as var. meliana more closely
match descriptions of Lemmon willow (S. lemmonii) than they do Geyer
willow [9]. Proper identification can be difficult when the two species
grow near each other. In Idaho, these two species are morphologically
and ecologically distinct, but in areas of contact, identification is
complicated by hybridization [9]. Geyer willow may also hybridize with
Sitka willow (S. sitchensis) in British Columbia [6].


LIFE FORM:
Tree, Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status

OTHER STATUS:
NO-ENTRY





DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Salix geyeriana
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Geyer willow occurs from southern British Columbia southward in the
mountains to central California, central Arizona, and southern Colorado.
It is widespread in the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and northern and
central Rocky Mountains, and is found in scattered mountain ranges in
southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, Nevada, northern Utah, southern
Colorado, and Arizona [33,34].

More info for the term: forest

Geyer willow occurs from southern British Columbia southward in the
mountains to central California, central Arizona, and southern Colorado.
It is widespread in the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and northern and
central Rocky Mountains, and is found in scattered mountain ranges in
southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, Nevada, northern Utah, southern
Colorado, and Arizona [33,34].



Distribution of Geyer willow. 1976 USDA, Forest Service map digitized by Thompson and others [56].

Prescribed fire can be used to rejuvenate decadent Geyer willow [5].
Following fire, 5 or more years are required before stems reach
browse-resistant size [30].

Geyer willow often occurs in wet, poorly drained marshes or swamps.
These sites are difficult to burn until they become dry in the late
summer or fall [30].

More info for the terms: forbs, mesic

Geyer willow commonly dominates shrubby communities associated with
lower, middle, and upper elevation mountain streams and meadows
[23,30,44,54]. These communities have an "open and clumpy appearance"
or an "open, corridor-like structure". Large patches of Geyer willow
form the overstory, with lesser amounts of shrubby willow species
intermixed in the openings. Willow associates include Booth willow
(Salix boothii), yellow willow (S. lutea), Bebb willow (S. bebbiana),
planeleaf willow (S. planifolia ssp. planifolia), Drummond willow (S.
drummondiana), and Lemmon willow [5,30,54]. The undergrowth
is often dense, and dominated by sedges (Carex spp.), bluegrasses (Poa spp.), tufted
hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa), bluejoint reedgrass (Calamagrostis
canadensis), or mesic forbs [24,30,44,54].

Published classifications listing Geyer willow as a dominant part of the
vegetation in community types (cts), habitat types (hts), dominance
types (dts), site types (sts), or riparian zone associations are
presented below:

Area Classification Authority

e ID, w WY riparian cts Youngblood & others 1985a
MT riparian dts Hansen & others 1988
e, c MT riparian cts, hts Hansen & others 1990
w-c MT wetland cts Pierce & Johnson 1986
nw MT riparian hts Boggs & others 1990
sw MT riparian sts, cts, hts Hansen & others 1989
NV riparian cts Manning & Padgett 1989
OR: Deschutes,
Ochoco, Fremont &
Winema NF's riparian zone assoc. Kovalchik 1987
UT, se ID riparian cts Padgett & others 1989

Unpublished theses and dissertations describing Geyer willow communities
include:

Area Classification Author

se OR riparian cts Evenden 1989
OR: Malheur NF riparian cts Padgett 1981
Yellowstone NP wetland cts Brichta 1986
Yellowstone NP wetland hts Mattson 1984

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Tree, Shrub

Geyer willow communities are open and easily accessible, and produce
large amounts of forage. They are often heavily used by stock when
nearby uplands become dry [25]. Many Geyer willow communities have a
long history of overgrazing, which has resulted in the replacement of
native grasses and sedges with bluegrasses [30]. Overuse also results
in soil compaction, streambank sloughing, and damage to willows and
other vegetation [24]. Prolonged overbrowsing of Geyer willow results
in poor vigor and decadence, indicated by uneven stem age distribution,
a hedged or clubbed appearance, and dead plants [30]. Decadent plants
will recover from overbrowsing with 5 to 6 years of rest [30].

More info on this topic.

Flowering dates for some western states are as follows:

location month reference

CA May-June [42]
CO May-July [13]
UT June-July [13]
WY May-August [13]

Geyer willow began dispersing seeds on July 1 in east-central Oregon
[43].

More info for the terms: caudex, seed

survivor species; on-site surviving rootcrown or caudex
off-site colonizer; seed carried by wind; postfire years 1 and 2
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2

The currently accepted scientific name of Geyer willow is Salix
geyeriana Anderss. [15,34].

Hitchcock and Cronquist [27] recognize two varieties of Geyer willow:
var. geyeriana and var. meliana Henry. However, recent research in
Idaho has shown that plants designated as var. meliana more closely
match descriptions of Lemmon willow (S. lemmonii) than they do Geyer
willow [9]. Proper identification can be difficult when the two species
grow near each other. In Idaho, these two species are morphologically
and ecologically distinct, but in areas of contact, identification is
complicated by hybridization [9]. Geyer willow may also hybridize with
Sitka willow (S. sitchensis) in British Columbia [6].