Umatilla National Forest

Tree Range Maps

The United States Geological Survey recently digitized range maps for tree species of the United States for use with climate modeling studies. The United States Forest Service originally published the range maps in a series of books authored by its chief dendrologist (Elbert L. Little, Jr.). Those books are described below in the References section.

The maps are available in an ArcGIS format. For display purposes, the range maps were “clipped” to the boundary of the Blue Mountains section. The links below provide a map for each of 35 species, and the maps are formatted in a consistent layout for display purposes. The links do not provide the ArcGIS information for the range maps.

Note that “section” is one level in an eight-level national hierarchy of terrestrial ecological units. The Blue Mountains are one section (M332G) in a large and wide-ranging province (M332) called “middle Rocky Mountain steppe – coniferous forest – alpine meadow.” Province M332 includes 7 sections; the Blue Mountains are the westernmost of the 7 sections.

Most, but not all, of the national forest lands in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington occur in the Blue Mountains section (note that a small portion of the Umatilla National Forest occurs in the lower Columbia River basin portion of province 342 – Intermountain Semi-Desert).

The Blue Mountains section has a southwest to northeast orientation from the Ochoco Mountains in central Oregon to the Seven Devils Mountains in west-central Idaho. The Bailey (1998) and McNab and Avers (1994) books in the References section describe the national hierarchy of terrestrial ecological units in more detail.

Arroyo Willow Bebb Willow Big Sagebrush Bitter Cherry Black Cottonwood Black Hawthorn Blueberry Elder Cascara Buckthorn Common Chokecherry Common Juniper Coyote Willow Curlleaf Cercocarpus Douglas-fir Engelmann Spruce Grand Fir Green Mountain-Ash Lodgepole Pine Pacific Yew

Peachleaf Willow Ponderosa Pine Quaking Aspen Rocky Mountain Maple Red-Osier Dogwood Scouler Willow Sitka Alder Sitka Willow Subalpine Fir Thinleaf Alder Water Birch Western Juniper Western Larch Western Serviceberry Western White Pine White Alder Whitebark Pine

References

Bailey, Robert G. 1995. Description of the ecoregions of the United States. Miscellaneous Publication 1391. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 108 p.

Critchfield, William B.; Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1966. Geographic distribution of the pines of the world. Miscellaneous Publication 991. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 97 p.

Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1971. Atlas of United States trees: volume 1, conifers and important hardwoods. Miscellaneous Publication No. 1146. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 230 p.

Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1976. Atlas of United States trees: volume 3, minor western hardwoods. Miscellaneous Publication No. 1314. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 230 p.

McNab, W. Henry; Avers, Peter E. 1994. Ecological subregions of the United States: section descriptions. WO-WSA-5. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 267 p.

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USDA Forest Service - Umatilla National Forest
Last Modified:  Wednesday, 17-Nov-2004 12:16:33 EST