|
Northern Ontario Plant DatabaseNorthern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by trembling aspen, with black spruce and jack pine occuring as associates in 70% of sample stands. Regeneration is dominated by balsam fir and trembling aspen, with lesser amounts of black spruce. The shrub layer is rich and diverse, with low shrubs occurring with more abundance than tall shrubs. The low shrub layer is dominated by bush honeysuckle, blueberries, and prickly wild rose. Tall shrubs, including serviceberries, mountain alder, and showy mountain ash, are present, but occur in lower numbers than low shrub species. Occasionally, balsam fir and black spruce regen, and alders may form dense cover in the shrub layer. Other tall shrubs that are typically found in trembling aspen stands, such as mountain maple and beaked hazel, are uncommon or lacking in this vegetation type. Dwarf shrubs, such as twinflower and dwarf raspberry are common in the herb layer, along with forbs wild sarsaparilla, rose twisted-stalk, largeleaf aster, and the characteristic boreal forest species. The forest floor is covered with broadleaf litter (73% cover), with small patches of feathermosses and conifer litter. Soil & Ecosite Types: The Trembling Aspen-Black Spruce-Jack Pine/Low Shrub Vegetation Type (NW-V10) is most commonly found in the Central Plateau region of NW Ontario and on ecosite types ES 16 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, sandy soil), ES 19 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, sandy-coarse loamy soil), ES 28 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, silty soil), and ES 29 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, fine loamey-clayey soil). NW-V10 occurs on deep, dry to fresh, rapidly drained, coarse-textured mineral soils (mainly S1, S2, and S3).] Note: The percentage of sample plots that contained overstorey tree species is given in square brackets after each scientific name. Other species are listed in order of frequency, according to the NW-FEC manual. Trees: overstorey:Shrubs:trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) [10]regeneration: tall shrubs:Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)low shrubs: dwarf shrubs:Ferns & Fern Allies:twinflower (Linnaea borealis)forbs: clubmosses:Bryophytes:running clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum) Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi) |