Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NE-V26: Black Spruce - Leatherleaf - Sphagnum
Summary: A wet, black spruce stand type, dominated by black spruce in the overstorey (21-40% cover) and the understorey (11-20% cover), with balsam fir providing 2-5% cover in the understorey.

The shrub layer is dominated by ericaceous shrubs, including Labrador tea (21-40% cover), leatherleaf (6-10% cover), and blueberries (2-5% cover). Bog laurel and red-osier dogwood may also be present with less than 5% cover. Sheep laurel can provide 11-20% cover in slightly drier sites of this vegetation type, while speckled alder will provide 6-10% cover in wetter sites.

The herb layer is poor, with creeping snowberry, threeleaf false Solomon's seal, and sedges each providing 2-5% cover. Small cranberry, goldthread, bunchberry, and woodland horsetail occur less frequently.

The forest floor is covered with various Sphagnum species in wetter areas, while Schreber's feathermoss forms patches or carpets in slightly drier areas. The most common Sphagnum is the common green peatmoss (21-40% cover), which forms carpets or low mounds, and the northern and red fatleaf peatmosses (each 11-20% cover), which contribute to hummock formation. Narrowleaf peatmoss will occur in the hollows between hummocks, while the common brown peatmoss will occupy hummock tops. A few lichen, leafy liverwort, and other moss species may be found on hummocks, blowdowns, and tree trunks.

Soil and Ecosite Types: The Black Spruce-Leatherleaf-Sphagnum Vegetation Type (NE-V26) occurs on deep organic soils (S17, S18, S19) and shallow organic soils (S16). The NE-V26 vegetation type occurs most commonly on ecosite type ES 11 (Black Spruce-Labrador Tea-Organic Soil), but may also occur on ecosite types ES 5f (Black Spruce-Fine Soil), ES 8 (Black Spruce-Feathermoss-Sphagnum-Moist Soil), ES 12 (Black Spruce-Larch-Labrador Tea-Organic Soil), and ES 14 (Black Spruce-Leatherleaf-Organic Soil).

Trees:

overstorey

black spruce (Picea mariana) [10]

regeneration

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

Shrubs:

tall shrubs

speckled alder (Alnus incana subsp. rugosa)

low shrubs

Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)
leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata)
lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia)
pale laurel (Kalmia polifolia)
velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)
red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs

creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula)
small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus)

forbs

bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
threeleaf false Solomon's seal (Maianthemum trifolium)

graminoids

sedges (Carex spp.)

Ferns and Fern Allies:

horsetails

woodland horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum)

Bryophytes:

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
common green peatmoss (Sphagnum girgensohnii)
northern (or lady's tresses) peatmoss (Sphagnum capillifolium)
midway (or red fatleaf) peatmoss (Sphagnum magellanicum)
wavyleaf moss (Dicranum polysetum)
common brown peatmoss (Sphagnum fuscum)
narrowleaf (or yellow twoleaf) peatmoss (Sphagnum angustifolium)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
naugehyde liverwort (Ptilidium pulcherrimum)

Lichens:

gray reindeer lichen (Cladina rangiferina)
mealy pixie cup (Cladonia chlorophaea)
common powderhorn (Cladonia coniocraea)

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.