Habitat Relations of Cercocarpus montanus (true mountain mahogany) in Central Utah

Abstract

True mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus Raf.) and its habitats were studied in the canyons and foothills of the Wasatch Mountains of Central Utah. Twenty populations were selected and sampled for various biotic and abiotic environmental variables. All study sites contained true mountain mahogany as a dominant or subdominant plant. The communities are shrub dominated with other plant life forms contributing little to the total cover of the sites. The more northern exposed sites appear to be undergoing succession while the more southern exposures seem more stable.