Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NW-V25: White Spruce - Balsam Fir / Feathermoss

Summary: A conifer stand dominated by white spruce and balsam fir in the canopy, often also with black spruce. Other tree species occurred in less than 30% of sample plots. Balsam fir dominates the regeneration layer. The rich shrub layer includes a variety of tall and low shrubs, though low shrubs are more common, especially bush honeysuckle. Tall shrubs include serviceberry, showy mountain ash, mountain maple, and beaked hazel, which occur in lower numbers than in NW-V24.

The herb layer includes all of the characteristic boreal forest species, plus dwarf raspberry, wild sarsaparilla, and goldthread. The presence of kidneyleaf violet indicates calcareous substrates or soils. The forest floor is dominated by carpets of feathermosses, with some conifer litter.

Soil & Ecosite Types: The White Spruce-Balsam Fir/Feathermoss Vegetation Type (NW-V25) can be found on Ecosite Types ES 17 (White Cedar, fresh-moist, coarse-fine loamy soil) and occasionally ES 21 (Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, coarse loamy soil). It occurs on fresh, well-drained, upland mineral soils (mainly S3, S4, and S6).

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:

white spruce (Picea glauca) [9]
balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [8]
black spruce (Picea mariana) [6]
jack pine (Pinus banksiana) [3]
white birch (Betula papyrifera) [2]

regeneration:

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

Shrubs:

tall shrubs:

serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
showy mountain ash (Sorbus decora)
mountain maple (Acer spicatum)
beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)

low shrubs:

bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
prickly wild rose (Rosa acicularis)
velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs:

twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)

forbs:

bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense)
bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis)
wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
rose twisted-stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus)
starflower (Trientalis boreails)
goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
kidneyleaf violet (Viola renifolia)
naked mitrewort (Mitella nuda)

Bryophytes:

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
wavyleaf moss (Dicranum polysetum)
stairstep moss (Hylocomium splendens)
shaggy moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus)
dusky broom moss (Dicranum fuscescens)