Name:
West-Central North American Boreal Forest & Woodland Macrogroup
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This macrogroup describes upland boreal and Rocky Mountain foothill forests and woodlands in west-central Canada, ranging from southern Yukon and Northwest Territories to northwestern Ontario. Forest canopies can be coniferous, broad-leaved cold-deciduous or a conifer - broad-leaved mixture. These forests are maintained on the landscape by stand-replacing fire, with most parts of the range experiencing short (<100 years) to intermediate (100-270 years) regional fire cycles. Dominant tree species include <i>Populus tremuloides, Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Pinus banksiana, Pinus contorta var. latifolia</i>, and <i>Pinus banksiana</i>. <i>Populus balsamifera</i> occurs on nutrient-rich, usually moist sites. <i>Betula papyrifera</i> is an early-seral species that becomes more common eastward in the range. At higher elevations or in fire-sheltered locations, <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> or <i>Abies balsamea</i> co-occur with white spruce in late-seral stands. Understories range from dense, species-rich shrub and herb conditions to sparse and open, with continuous feathermoss and/or lichen ground cover. Common understory species include <i>Calamagrostis canadensis, Chamerion angustifolium, Hylocomium splendens, Ledum groenlandicum, Leymus innovatus, Mertensia paniculata, Pleurozium schreberi, Rosa acicularis, Vaccinium vitis-idaea</i>, and <i>Viburnum edule</i>. Three subtypes distinguish Central boreal forests (Central Boreal Forest (M496a)), Cordilleran low elevation boreal and foothills forests (Cordilleran Boreal Forest (M496b)) and higher elevation Cordilleran boreal woodlands (Cordilleran Boreal Woodland (M496c)).<br /><br />The area occupied by this macrogroup is characterized by a subhumid continental boreal climate, with long, cold winters and short, mild summers. Continental effects are modified in the Cordilleran portion of the range (M496b and M496c), where higher elevations and mountain influences mitigate temperature extremes and generate greater precipitation than in the northern and eastern parts of the range. Mean annual temperature varies from about -5°C at the northern limit in the Northwest Territories to about +2°C in the southern Alberta foothills. Annual precipitation varies between approximately 300 and 750 mm across the geographic range of the macrogroup, depending on latitude, longitude and elevation. Elevations are generally <500 mASL in the eastern portion of the range (i.e., northwestern Ontario to central Saskatchewan), rising gradually westward to approximately 800 mASL in northwestern Alberta, then extending to the lower boundary of the Cordilleran subalpine zone in western Alberta and central British Columbia (approximately 1400 mASL), and to treeline in Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia (1000-1500 mASL). Regional geologic and topographic features of the Cordilleran, Interior Plains and western Precambrian Shield physiographic regions produce an array of local site conditions. Essentially, all parts of the range experienced Pleistocene glaciation; soils are mostly Brunisols and Luvisols developed in surficial glacial materials.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40797-{61CEFC28-50D1-495B-9B36-955EF96303D4}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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