Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NW-V18: Jack Pine Mixedwood / Feathermoss

Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by jack pine, with considerable amounts of black spruce, trembling aspen, and/or white birch in the canopy. Balsam fir and white spruce, respectively, occurred in only 20% and 10% of sample plots. Black spruce, balsam fir, and trembling aspen regen are present in the shrub layer. The shrub layer is usually dominated by low shrubs, including blueberries, bush honeysuckle, and prickly wild rose. Occasionally, mountain alder may appear with the conifer regen in the tall shrub layer.

Dwarf shrubs, such as twinflower and creeping snowberry are common in the herb layer, along with the herbaceous characteristic boreal forest species. The forest floor is dominated by feathermoss carpets, but patches of broadleaf and conifer litter are also present.

The Jack Pine Mixedwood/Feathermoss V-type is similar to the Jack Pine/Ericaceous Shrub/Feathermoss type (NW-V29), but the latter can be distinguished by the pure, even-aged jack pine canopy.

Soil & Ecosite Types: The Jack Pine Mixedwood Feathermoss Vegetation Type (NW-V18) is found primarily on Ecosite Type ES 14 (Pine-Spruce Mixedwood, sandy soil). It occurs on rapidly-drained, dry to fresh, sandy or coarse-textured, upland, mineral soils (mainly S1, S2, and S3.

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:

jack pine (Pinus banksiana) [10]
black spruce (Picea mariana) [7]
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) [7]
white birch (Betula papyrifera) [6]
balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [2]
white spruce (Picea glauca) [1]

regeneration:

black spruce (Picea mariana)
balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Shrubs:

tall shrubs:

serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
mountain alder (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa)

low shrubs:

velvetleaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)
bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
prickly wild rose (Rosa acicularis)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs:

twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula)

forbs:

wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense)
bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis)
starflower (Trientalis borealis)

Bryophytes :

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
wavyleaf moss (Dicranum polysetum)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
stairstep moss (Hylocomium splendens)

Lichens:

gray reindeer lichen (Cladina rangiferina)