Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NW-V26: White Pine Conifer

Summary: A conifer stand dominated by white pine, with a variety of other conifer species occurring less frequently in the canopy. Regeneration is dominated by balsam fir. The shrub layer is dominated by mountain maple and beaked hazel, although bush honeysuckle may occasionally be abundant. In the Quetico/Rainy River area, red maple regen and common juniper may be prominent in the understorey.

The herb layer is relatively poor; it is dominated by wild sarsaparilla and largeleaf aster, and contains most of the characteristic boreal forest species, but lacks starflower and bluebead lily. Rock polypody may occur on rocky sites. The forest floor is covered with mainly conifer (pine needle) litter, though some patches of feathermoss can be found.

The NW-V26 Vegetation Type is most similar to NW-V12 (White Pine Mixedwood), except that, in the latter type, white birch is very common in the canopy and other hardwood species may also be present. NW-V12 probably represents a successional stage of NW-V26.

Soil & Ecosite Types: The White Pine Conifer Vegetation Type (NW-V26) is found most commonly in the Quetico/Rainy River portions of northwestern Ontario. It occurs on Ecosite Types 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) or on shallow soils with exposed bedrock (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:

white pine (Pinus strobus) [10]
balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [4]
red pine (Pinus resinosa) [4]
white spruce (Picea glauca) [1]
white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) [1]
black spruce (Picea mariana) [1]
white birch (Betula papyrifera) [1]

regeneration:

balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

Shrubs:

tall shrubs:

mountain maple (Acer spicatum)
beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)
serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)

low shrubs:

bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
common juniper (Juniperus communis)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs:

twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)

forbs:

wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense)
wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
largeleaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla)

Ferns & Fern Allies

ferns:

common polypody (Polypodium virginianum)

Bryophytes:

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
wavyleaf moss (Dicranum polysetum)