Vegetation Environmental

The closed overstory of this plant association is 5% Picea glauca and 35% Betula papyrifera or Populus balsamifera. The regeneration was predominantly deciduous. The shrub cover was Alnus crispa (20% cover), Salix alaxensis (5% cover), Salix arbusculoides (5% cover), Salix species (10% cover), Rosa acicularis (10% cover), Ribes triste (1% cover) and Viburnum edule (3% cover). Spiraea beauverdiana and Ledum palustre ssp. groenlandicum are occasional associates. The herbaceous species composition is Calamagrostis lapponica (30% cover), Equisetum silvaticum (20% cover), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (5% cover), Cornus canadensis (5% cover) and Epilobium angustifolium (10% cover). The major species of the nonvascular layer are Polytrichium species (50% cover), Cladonia species (10% cover), Peltigera species, Aulacomnium species and Hylocomium splendens (10% cover). This type has an overstory of Betula papyrifera or Populus balsamifera. The under stories are similar. The Betula papyrifera overstory subtype was disturbed by a 1968 fire which left evidence in fire-charred Picea glauca and Betula papyrifera.

The overstory of this subtype was found at a mean altitude of 404 meters with and elevation range of 198 to 610 meters. The Populus balsamifera overstory subtype was found on a 39% slope of south exposure with an altitude of 610 meters.