6.0 CENTRAL AND NORTHERN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
Typically a dense, broad-leaved, mixed or coniferous mixed forest, with shrub and herb dominated understories, which includes plant communities that succeed through trembling aspen seral forests to a white spruce climax.
Found in the northeastern portion of the province, from the intersection of the Rocky mountains and the Alberta border north to the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Found at lower elevations, between 300 and 1050m, in the more northerly locations. In the southern portions it occurs at higher elevations, between 750-1050 m.
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The canopy is codominated by white spruce and trembling aspen; some black spruce is often present. Prickly rose, black twinberry and highbush-cranberry make up a moderate shrub layer. A well developed herb layer is typically composed of twinflower, bunchberry, trailing raspberry, one-sided wintergreen, common mitrewort, palmate's coltsfoot and tall bluebells. The moss and lichen layer characteristically contains step moss, Knight's plume and red-stemmed feathermoss.
Willow and fireweed are typical of the early stages; a succession to hairy wildrye may result from further disturbance. Later stages are typically dominated by pole-sapling aspen communities. Many sites, particularly in the mw2, remain aspen dominated due to repeated fires that have destroyed most of the conifer seed source.
Occurs on fine-textured lacustrine or morainal materials which have high soil moisture.
Atypical site with a well developed shrub layer composed of various species including green alder, willow, northern gooseberry, red-osier dogwood and red honeysuckle. In addition to the characteristic species, the well developed herb layer also contains wild sarsaparilla, heart-leaved arnica and creamy peavine.
Sites occurring on cooler aspects tend to have a white spruce dominated canopy, with scrub birch, willow and Labrador tea occurring as secondary species in the understory.
Delong, C., A. MacKinnon and L. Jang. 1990. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northeast Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 22., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Typically an open coniferous forest with shrub, moss or terrestrial lichen understories, on gently sloping dry or wet sites, usually with lodgepole pine communities that progress to a black spruce climax.
Generally found in the northern half of the province, north of 53 N. Located throughout the region east of the Rocky mountains to the Alberta border and north to the Northwest Territories. It is also found at lower to middle elevations of the major river valleys in the Skeena, Omineca and Central Canadian Rocky Mountains, as well as in the Fraser Basin, Rocky Mountain Trench and northern portions of the Fraser Plateau. Typically the elevation ranges between 350m and 1200m. The majority of sites are located in cool areas, either low lying valley floors or on north facing slopes.
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Moderate canopy dominated by lodgepole pine and black spruce, some hybrid white spruce may be present, as well as tamarack in the far north. Sparse understory composed of a variety of shrub species including Labrador Tea, prickly rose, soopolallie, black huckleberry, black twinberry and crowberry. Bunchberry, twinberry, dwarf blackberry, lingonberry and crowberry are found within the herb layer. Cladonia and Cladina lichens are often present in the dense moss and lichen layer however, feathermosses dominate, forming a thick carpet-like layer.
At higher elevations subalpine fir may be present in the canopy with lodgepole pine and black spruce remaining dominant. White-flowered rhododendron is usually present in the shrub layer, along with black huckleberry and Labrador tea. Five-leaved bramble may also be present in the herb layer, in addition to the typical herb species. The moss and lichen layer remains dominated by a thick carpet-like layer of feathermosses.
Typically found at lower to middle elevations in areas subject to cool air drainage; usually on a cool aspect or in valley bottoms. Associated with a variety of materials, including glaciofluvial, lacustrine and morainal deposits. Soils are typically deeply leached and acidic.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thomson, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Cariboo Forest Region. 1989. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Cariboo Forest Region. B.C. Min. For., Williams Lake, B.C.
Delong, C., G. Hope and A. McLeod. 1984. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the SBSe2, Prince George Forest Region. First Approximation. B.C. Min. For., Prince George, B.C.
Delong, C., S. Jenvey and A. McLeod. 1986. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the SBSjl, Prince George Forest Region. Second Approximation. B.C. Min. For., Prince George, B.C.
Delong, C. 1988. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the BWBSc1, Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 16. B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C., A. MacKinnon and L. Jang. 1990. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northeast Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 22., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C., D. Tanner and M.J. Jull. 1993. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Southwest Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 24, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C., D. Tanner and M.J. Jull. 1994. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northern Rockies Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 29, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
MacKinnon, A., C. Delong and D Meidinger. 1990. A Field Guide to the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northwest Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 21, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Meidinger, D., A. McLeod, A. MacKinnon, C. Delong and G. Hope. 1988. A Field Guide to the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Rocky Mountain Trench, Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 15, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Meidinger, D. 1995. A field guide for site identification and interpretation for the southeast portion of the Prince George forest region (Draft). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Typically a dense, boreal coniferous forest that includes plant communities that succeed through lodgepole pine seral forests to a white spruce climax.
Found at elevations ranging from 300m to 1200m throughout the northeastern plains, north of the Rocky Mountain/Alberta border intersection to the Northwest Territories. It also occurs extensively along the walls of major valleys in the Northern Boreal Mountains; including the Northern Rocky Mountains, Cassiar Ranges, St. Elias Mountains and all of the adjacent plateaus.
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White spruce and lodgepole pine dominate with some black spruce and trembling aspen also occurring. Soopolallie, prickly rose and highbush-cranberry characterize the shrub layer; scattered Labrador tea may also be present. Bunchberry, twinflower, lingonberry, fuzzy-spiked wildrye, bastard toad-flax and fireweed are common herbaceous species. Characteristically step moss, red-stemmed feathermoss and knight's plume are present in the moss and lichen layer.
White spruce forms an open to closed canopy with scattered trembling aspen and balsam poplar present. Highbush-cranberry, prickly rose, black twinberry, red swamp currant, Labrador tea and devil's club characterize the shrub layer. Horsetails, twinflower, tall bluebells, lingonberry, bunchberry, oakfern, dwarf scouring-rush and trailing raspberry are commonly found in the herb layer. Step-moss, red-stemmed feathermoss and knight's plume dominate a dense moss and lichen layer.
Lodgepole pine and white spruce dominate the canopy often with minor amounts of trembling aspen. Soopolallie, prickly rose, common juniper and highbush-cranberry characterize the shrub layer. Common herbs include twinflower, bunchberry, lingonberry, kinnikinnick, heart-leaved arnica and fuzzy-spiked wildrye. Typically a dense moss and lichen layer composed of step moss, red-stemmed feathermoss and knight's plume, with scattered amounts of Cladonia lichens present.
A dense cover of willows, highbush cranberry, prickly rose, alder and fireweed are commonly found in early successional stages.
A dense cover of willows, highbush cranberry, prickly rose, alder and fireweed are commonly found in early successional stages.
Willow and fireweed are typical of the early stages; a succession to hairy wildrye may result from further disturbance.
Occurs on gradual middle to lower slopes with well drained morainal, fluvial or glaciofluvial parent materials.
Typically occurs on imperfectly to poorly drained sites or receiving sites located in middle to toe slope positions. Glaciofluvial, fluvial and morainal deosits are most common.
Occurs on gentle to moderate slopes and/or level areas, typically on warm aspects in an upper to crest mesoslope position. Glaciofluvial deposits and morainal or colluvial blankets over rock are most common.
Black huckleberry may occur in the shrub layer at higher elevations.
Aspen is quite common and can be found with lodgepole pine and white spruce.
Similar to the composition of the mesic sites trembling aspen commonly occurs on these drier units.
Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thomson, J. Pojar and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A Field Guide to Site Identification and Interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. No. 26., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C. 1988. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the BWBSc1, Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 16. B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Delong, C., A. MacKinnon and L. Jang. 1990. A Field Guide for the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northeast Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 22., B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
MacKinnon, A., C. Delong and D Meidinger. 1990. A Field Guide to the Identification and Interpretation of Ecosystems of the Northwest Portion of the Prince George Forest Region. Land Manage. Handb. 21, B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.