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Northern Ontario Plant DatabaseNorthern Ontario Vegetation Type (V-type)Summary: A mixedwood stand dominated by trembling aspen in the canopy, with white spruce occurring as the most common conifer species, although balsam fir dominates the regeneration. Other tree species in the canopy, which occurred in 30-40% of sample plots, include white birch, balsam fir, black spruce, and jack pine. The shrub layer contains a variety of tall and low shrubs, including beaked hazel, mountain alder, and serviceberries in the tall shrub layer, and bush honeysuckle and prickly wild rose in the low shrub layer. The rich herb layer is dominated by dwarf raspberry, wild sarsaparilla, largeleaf aster, rose twisted-stalk, and all of the characteristic boreal forest species. The presence of sweet coltsfoot and kidneyleaf violet indicate calcareous soils or substrates. The forest floor is dominated mainly by broadleaf litter; mosses cover only 5% of the ground surface. Soil & Ecosite Types: The Trembling Aspen Mixedwood Vegetation Type (NW-V9) 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. Vegetation Type NW-V9 is similar to, but contains less balsam fir in the canopy than in type NW-V7. There is also less mountain maple in the shrub layer of this V-type than in type NW-V8. This V-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 can be found commonly on calcareous substrates, mainly with deep, dry to fresh, well-drained, upland mineral soils with a variety of textures (S1, S2, S3, and S6). 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:trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) [10]regeneration: tall shrubs:Dwarf Shrubs & Herbs:beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)low shrubs: dwarf shrubs:Bryophytes:dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens)forbs: Schreber's feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi) |