Northern Ontario Plant Database

Northern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)

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NW-V8: Trembling Aspen (White Birch) / Mountain Maple

Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by trembling aspen, with white birch, white spruce, and black spruce, occurring in 50-60% of sample sites. Jack pine and balsam fir occur less frequently. The species-rich shrub layer is dominated by dense thickets of mountain maple, which are characteristic of this vegetation type. A variety of other tall and low shrub species are also present, but are not as abundant as mountain maple.

The herb layer is dominated by wild sarsaparilla, rose twisted-stalk, largeleaf aster, and the characteristic boreal forest species. The presence of kidneyleaf violet indicates sites with calcareous soils. The forest floor is covered primarily by broadleaf litter with small patches of feathermosses.

Soil & Ecosite Types: The Trembling Aspen (White Birch) / Mountain Maple Vegetation Type (NW-V8) occurs most commonly in the Central Plateau region, which extends from west of Lake Nipigon east to the White River area, and corresponds roughly with Site Region 3W; it is seldom found in Site Regions 3S and 4S. The NW-V8 type may occur on Ecosite Types ES 16 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, sandy soil), ES 19 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, sandy- coarse loamy soil), ES 28 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, silty soil), and ES 29 (Hardwood-Fir-Spruce Mixedwood, fresh, fine loamy-clayey soil). It occurs on deep, fresh to dry, well-drained, upland mineral soils with a variety of soil textures (S1, S2, S3, and S4) and is often found on calcareous soils. This vegetation type is most similar to the Trembling Aspen (White Birch)-Balsam Fir / Mountain Maple V-Type (NW-V6), both of which have abundant quantities of mountain maple in the tall shrub layer, but NW-V8 contains less balsam fir in the canopy and regeneration layers. NW-V8 is also similar to NW-V9, but the latter type has less mountain maple in the shrub layer.

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:

trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) [10]
white birch (Betula papyrifera) [6]
white spruce (Picea glauca) [5]
black spruce (Picea mariana) [5]
jack pine (Pinus banksiana) [4]
balsam fir (Abies balsamea) [3]

regeneration:

balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Shrubs:

tall shrubs:

mountain maple (Acer spicatum)
beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)
serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.)
showy mountain ash (Sorbus decora)

low shrubs:

bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
prickly wild rose (Rosa acicularis)
Canada fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)

Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:

dwarf shrubs:

dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)
twinflower (Linnaea borealis)

forbs:

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

Ferns & Fern Allies:

clubmosses:

running clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum)

Bryophytes:

Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi)
plume moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis)
shaggy moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus)
woodsy moss (Plagiomnium cuspidatum)