Plant Association Information
Picea glauca, Salix planifolia, Vaccinium uliginosum, Empetrum nigrum, Hylocomium splendens
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The community has an overstory of Picea glauca that has a mean cover value of 30%. The shrub layer is composed of Salix species (usually Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra), Vaccinium uliginosum, Betula nana and Ledum palustre with cover values of 30%, 30%, 20%, and 10% respectively. Rosa acicularis, Spiraea beauverdiana are occasionally associates. The herbaceous cover is made up of Empetrum nigrum (75%), Polygonum bistorta (30%), Equisetum arvense (25%), Cornus canadensis (20%), Festuca altaica (25%), Trisetum spicatum (10%), Poa arctica (10%), Anemone parviflora (5%), Petasites frigida (5%), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (10%), Carex bigelowii (5%), and Salix reticulata. The nonvascular layer is composed of Hylocomium splendens (75% cover), Stereocaulon species (5% cover), Nephroma arcticum (5% cover), Peltigera aphthosa (5% cover), Cladonia species (5% cover) and Polytrichium species. The mean age of this type is 124.9 years.
This type is found at a mean altitude of 804 meters with an average slope of 8% with a south exposure. The range in elevation is 328 to 1,000 meters.
Associated Plant Species: Anemone parviflora,
Betula nana,
Bistorta plumosa,
Carex bigelowii,
Cornus canadensis,
Empetrum nigrum,
Equisetum arvense,
Festuca altaica,
Hylocomium splendens,
Peltigera aphthosa,
Petasites frigidus,
Picea glauca,
Poa arctica,
Rhododendron tomentosum ssp. decumbens,
Rosa acicularis,
Salix pulchra,
Salix reticulata,
Spiraea stevenii,
Trisetum spicatum,
Vaccinium uliginosum,
Vaccinium vitis-idaea