Name:
Thuja occidentalis Forest Alliance
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This alliance is found in the Great Lakes region and northeastern United States and southern Canada. The canopy is closed and dominated by Thuja occidentalis with a mix of other coniferous and deciduous trees. The associated trees vary across the range of this alliance. In the East, Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fraxinus americana, Pinus resinosa (in the eastern parts of this alliance's range), Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus rubra, and Tsuga canadensis are common associates, while in the northern states and Canada Abies balsamea, Betula papyrifera, Pinus strobus (also in the East), and Populus tremuloides can be abundant. The understory is sparse in eastern stands of this alliance but often diverse with a prominent tall-shrub/sapling layer and abundant herbaceous ground layer species in the western Great Lakes states. The tall-shrub/sapling layer contains species such as saplings of Thuja occidentalis and Abies balsamea (in the North) and the shrubs Acer spicatum, Corylus cornuta, Lonicera canadensis, Rubus pubescens, and Sorbus decora. The ground layer is diverse on mesic stands and less so on steep, drier stands. Typical species in the North include Aralia nudicaulis, Eurybia macrophylla (= Aster macrophyllus), Clintonia borealis, Cornus canadensis, Galium triflorum, Maianthemum canadense, Mitella nuda, and Trientalis borealis. In the East the sedge Carex eburnea and the ferns Polypodium virginianum, Cypripedium arietinum, Dryopteris intermedia, and Cystopteris bulbifera characterize the understory. Communities in this alliance are found on gentle wet-mesic slopes to very steep well-drained slopes. The predominant aspect is north to northeast. Soils are fine-textured, calcareous, moderately deep to deep (50-100 cm), and often contain boulders at the surface.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.22871.THUJAOCCIDENTAL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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