Name:
Picea rubens - Abies balsamea - Betula papyrifera Forest
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
These red spruce - balsam fir forests are widespread on lower-elevation slopes across boreal regions of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. They occur in cool and generally moist upland settings, on well-drained tills, and occasionally on kame deposits or eskers. Some areas of poorly drained soils may be present. Most are at elevations of 800-2000 feet. Cold-air drainage allows them to occur in lowlands elevationally below northern hardwood forests. These low-diversity forests have a closed canopy and very sparse shrub and herbaceous layers, except in gaps where regeneration can be dense. The canopy is dominated by Picea rubens, with a minor to moderate amount of Abies balsamea. Associate canopy species may include Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Betula alleghaniensis (= Betula lutea), Betula papyrifera, and minor amounts of Acer rubrum, Populus tremuloides, or Larix laricina. Tsuga canadensis and Pinus strobus may be present, but are rarely abundant. The shrub layer is patchy and typically includes Acer pensylvanicum and Viburnum lantanoides (= Viburnum alnifolium). Occasional shrubs include Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides, Nemopanthus mucronatus, and Sorbus americana or Sorbus decora. The herb layer includes Oxalis montana (= Oxalis acetosella), Cornus canadensis, Gaultheria hispidula, Clintonia borealis, Huperzia lucidula (= Lycopodium lucidulum), Aralia nudicaulis, Tiarella cordifolia, and Trillium erectum. The bryoid layer varies from sparse to locally well-developed, and is typified by Dicranum spp. and Bazzania trilobata. Feathermosses, including Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, and Thuidium delicatulum, are often present but less abundant than in other spruce-fir forest types. The influence of local cold-air drainage creates a micro-climate that favors this coniferous forest at elevations below the norm for montane spruce-fir. Certain high-elevation species such as Dryopteris campyloptera and Sorbus decora are less abundant here while other lower-elevation species such as Aralia nudicaulis, Tiarella cordifolia, and Trillium erectum may be more abundant. This association is distinguished from other spruce-fir forest types by the combination of upland soils, low- to mid-elevation setting, absence or low importance of black spruce, and not maritime-influenced.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.26600.PICEARUBENSABIE
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
