Name:
Thuja occidentalis / Abies balsamea - Acer spicatum Forest
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This sub-boreal upland cedar forest type occurs in the northern Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, and occasionally eastward into northern New England. Stands are found on gentle wet-mesic slopes to very steep well-drained slopes, or in the eastern portion of the range on moderately well-drained flats. The predominant aspect is northern to northeast. Soils are fine to moderately coarse-textured, usually calcareous, moderately deep to deep (50-100 cm), and often contain boulders at the surface. The overstory is dominated by coniferous trees, with or without a substantial deciduous component. Thuja occidentalis is the most abundant tree and may occur in pure stands. Other canopy species include Abies balsamea, Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Populus tremuloides, and Pinus strobus. There is usually an abundant shrub/sapling layer with saplings of Thuja occidentalis and Abies balsamea along with Acer pensylvanicum and the shrubs Acer spicatum, Corylus cornuta, Linnaea borealis, Lonicera canadensis, Rubus pubescens, and Sorbus decora. Vaccinium angustifolium and Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides may be present on more acidic sites. The ground layer is typically diverse on mesic to wet-mesic stands and less so on drier stands. Wet-mesic stands can contain a hummock-and-hollow topography, with a seasonally saturated hydrology. Typical species include Aralia nudicaulis, Eurybia macrophylla (= Aster macrophyllus), Clintonia borealis, Coptis trifolia, Cornus canadensis, Dryopteris carthusiana, Galium triflorum, Maianthemum canadense, Mitella nuda, Trillium undulatum, and Trientalis borealis. Mosses include Sanionia uncinata (= Drepanocladus uncinatus), Hylocomium splendens, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, and Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and, in wetter phases of the type, Sphagnum spp.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.22870.THUJAOCCIDENTAL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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