Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NE-V25: Black Spruce - Larch - Speckled Alder - Stairstep Moss
Summary: A wet, black spruce stand with black spruce dominant in the overstorey (21-40% cover) and understorey (11-20% cover). Larch occurs frequently in the overstorey, but not consistently, providing 11-20% cover. Compared to vegetation type NE-V23 (Black Spruce-Labrador Tea-Speckled Alder-Stairstep Moss), this V-type is slightly wetter and contains more peatmoss than feathermoss species.

The tall shrub layer is dominated by speckled alder (11-20% cover), with Labrador tea (2-5% cover) the most common low shrub species. A variety of other ericaceous shrubs, including leatherleaf and blueberries, may occur, along with alderleaf buckthorn, red osier dogwood, and currants.

The herb layer is species-rich, with sedges (6-10% cover) and creeping snowberry, dwarf raspberry, threeleaf false Solomon's seal, and naked mitrewort occurring consistently with 2-5% cover, along with the characteristic boreal forest species. Grasses, such as Canada bluejoint and nodding woodreed provided 2-5% cover in 1/3 to 2/3 of sample plots. Several other herbaceous species, such as small cranberry and woodland horsetail occur with up to 1% cover.

The forest floor is carpeted with a combination of Sphagnum and feathermoss species, including the common green peatmoss (21-40% cover), Schreber's feathermoss and stairstep moss (each 11-20% cover), northern peatmoss (6-10% cover), and shaggy and plume mosses (2-5% cover). Hummocks with midway peatmoss (11-20% cover), and common brown peatmoss (2-5% cover) occurred in 1/3 to 2/3 of sample plots. Between hummocks, the hollows may contain water and narrowleaf peatmoss (6-10% cover).

Soil and Ecosite Types: The Black Spruce-Larch-Speckled Alder-Stairstep Moss Vegetation Type (NE-V25) is found on wet, shallow (S16) to deep organic soils (S17, S18, S19). This vegetation type occurs most frequently on ecosite type ES 13p (Black Spruce-Larch-Speckled Alder-Organic Soil-Species Poor), may occur on ecosite types ES 9p (Black Spruce-Larch-Moist Soil-species poor), ES 12 (Black Spruce-Larch-Labrador Tea-Organic Soil), ES 13r (White Cedar-Black Spruce-Organic Soil-Species Rich), and ES 14 (Black Spruce-Leatherleaf-Organic Soil).

Trees:

overstorey

black spruce (Picea mariana) [10]
tamarack (or larch) (Larix laricina) [6]
white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) [1]

regeneration

black spruce (Picea mariana)
balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

Shrubs:

tall shrubs

speckled alder (Alnus incana subsp. rugosa)
serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)

low shrubs

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)
northern fly honeysuckle (Lonicera villosa)
alderleaf buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia)
leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata)
red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
wild red raspberry (Rubus idaeus)
swamp red currant (Ribes triste)
bristly black currant (Ribes lacustre)
lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs

creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula)
dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)
twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus)

forbs

three leaf false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum trifolium)
naked mitrewort (Mitella nuda)
goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
violets (Viola spp.)
starflower (Trientalis borealis)
wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
sweet coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus)
wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense)
fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)
wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)

graminoids

sedges (Carex spp.)
drooping woodreed (Cinna latifolia)
Canada bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis)

Ferns and Fern Allies:

horsetails

woodland horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum)

Bryophytes:

common green peatmoss (Sphagnum girgensohnii)
Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
stairstep moss (Hylocomium splendens)
northern (or lady's tresses) peatmoss (Sphagnum capillifolium)
shaggy moss (or electrified cat's-tail) (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
felt round moss (Rhizomnium pseudopunctatum)
midway (or red fatleaf) peatmoss (Sphagnum magellanicum)
narrowleaf (or yellow twoleaf) peatmoss (Sphagnum angustifolium)
common brown peatmoss (Sphagnum fuscum)
sickle moss (Sanionia uncinata)
wavyleaf moss (Dicranum polysetum)
dusky broom moss (or curly heron's-bill) (Dicranum fuscescens)

Lichens:

gray reindeer lichen (Cladina rangiferina)

Note: Species listed above are taken from the Vegetation type description and the Species Percentage Cover by Vegetation Type Tables (pg. D 34). Species are listed in order of most cover and abundance.