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Northern Ontario Plant DatabaseNorthern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by white pine and white birch in the canopy; with the white pine often forming a taller upper canopy. A variety of other conifers and hardwood species also occur in the dense lower canopy, but with less frequency. Trembling aspen and balsam fir occurred in 50% of sample plots, and other species were present in 10-40% of sample plots. Regeneration is dominated by balsam fir. The shrub layer contains both tall and low shrubs. Beaked hazel and balsam fir regen dominate the tall shrub layer, especially in western portions of northwestern Ontario, with mountain maple becoming more common towards the east. In some stands, red maple regen and roughleaf dogwood may also occur in abundance. Common low shrubs include Canada fly honeysuckle and bush honeysuckle. The herb layer is dominated by wild sarsaparilla, largeleaf aster, and the characteristic boreal forest species. The forest floor is covered primarily by coniferous and broadleaf litter. The NW-V12 Vegetation Type is most similar to NW-V26 (White Pine Conifer), except that, in the latter type, white birch plays a minor role in the overstorey and other hardwood species are absent. NW-V12 probably represents a successional stage of NW-V26. Soil & Ecosite Types: The White Pine Mixedwood Vegetation Type (NW-V12) is found most commonly in the Thunder Bay/Quetico/Rainy River portions of northwestern Ontario. It occurs on ecosites NW-ES 11 (Red Pine-White Pine-Jack Pine; very shallow soil), NW-ES 15 (Red Pine-White Pine; sandy soil), NW-ES 24 (Red Pine-White Pine; fresh, fine loamy soil), and sometimes NW-ES 18 (Red Pine-White Pine; fresh, coarse loamy soil). This vegetation type occurs on deep, dry to fresh, rapidly-drained, non-calcareous, coarse-textured, upland mineral soils (mainly S1, S2, S3, S4, and SS6). 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:Shrubs:white pine (Pinus strobus) [10]regeneration: tall shrubs:Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)low shrubs: dwarf shrubs:Bryophytes:twinflower (Linnaea borealis)forbs:wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)graminoids: Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi) |