Vegetation Environmental

The overstory of Picea glauca of this plant association has a cover value of 40%. Picea glauca seedlings are evident. The shrub layer is composed of Salix glauca, Salix barclayi and Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra, all with an average cover of 10%. Betula nana (10% cover), Potentilla fruticosa (15% cover) and occasionally Vaccinium uliginosum also occur in the shrub layer. The major species found in the herbaceous layer are Salix reticulata (10% cover), Arctostaphylos rubra (10% cover), Festuca altaica (25% cover), Agropyron violaceum (25% cover), Artemisia tilesii (5% cover), Carex scirpoidea (5% cover), Sausserea angustifolia (5% cover), Hedysarum alpinum (5% cover), Poa arctica (10% cover) and Senecio lugens (5% cover). The major species of the nonvascular layer are mosses of the Bryales family (30% cover), Stereocaulon species (25% cover), Peltigera canina var. rufescens and Cladonia species. This plant association is similar to C13 although the overstory is more closed.

The average altitude of this type is 776 meters ranging from 732 to 820 meters. The mean age is 182 years, and the type is found on alluvial deposits.