Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NW-V21: Cedar (inc. Mixedwood) / Mountain Maple

Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by white cedar in the canopy. A number of other tree species may occur, including balsam fir, white birch, and white spruce. In sample plots, trembling aspen, black spruce, balsam poplar, and black ash also occurred, but with only 10-30% frequency. Regeneration is dominated by balsam fir and white cedar, with the cedar regen often forming a dense, second canopy. The shrub layer is relatively open, but contains a variety of tall and low shrubs, including mountain maple, showy mountain ash, and beaked hazel in the tall shrub layer. Low shrubs include Canada fly honeysuckle and swamp red currant.

The herb layer is comparatively species-rich, with dwarf shrubs, such as dwarf raspberry and twinflower, and the herbaceous characteristic boreal forest species, as well as naked mitrewort, wild sarsaparilla, rose twisted-stalk, fragrant bedstraw and largeleaf aster. The occurrence of kidneyleaf violet, often found with naked mitrewort, indicates calcareous substrates or soils. The forest floor is covered by a combination of conifer and broadleaf litter, with scattered patches of feathermosses, particularly shaggy moss.

Soil & Ecosite Types: The Cedar (inc. Mixedwood)/Mountain Maple Vegetation Type (NW-V21) is found mainly on Ecosite Type ES 17 (White Cedar, fresh-moist, coarse-fine loamy soil), and occasionally on wet lowland sites, such as ES 37 (Rich Swamp: Cedar [Other Conifer], organic soil). These cedar forests occur on a wide range of soils, including rich, fresh mineral soils (S3, S4, S6, and S10) to wet, lowland organic soils (S12S, S12F).

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:

white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) [10]
balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [5]
white birch (Betula papyrifera) [4]
white spruce (Picea glauca) [4]
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) [3]
black spruce (Picea mariana) [2]
balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) [1]
black ash (Fraxinus nigra) [1]

regeneration:

balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

Shrubs:

tall shrubs:

mountain maple (Acer spicatum)
showy mountain ash (Sorbus decora)
beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)

low shrubs:

Canada fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
swamp red currant (Ribes triste)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs:

dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)
twinflower (Linnaea borealis)

forbs:

starflower (Trientalis borealis)
kidneyleaf violet (Viola renifolia)
naked mitrewort (Mitella nuda)
wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense)
bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis)
bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
rose twisted-stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus)
fragrant bedstraw (Galium triflorum)
largeleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla)

Ferns & Fern Allies:

ferns:

oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris)

Bryophytes:

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
shaggy moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus)
stairstep moss (Hylocomium splendens)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
woodsy moss (Plagiomnium cuspidatum)
sickle moss(Sanionia uncinata)