Print Report
CEGL006267 Picea rubens - Fagus grandifolia - Betula alleghaniensis / Viburnum lantanoides Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Picea rubens - Fagus grandifolia - Betula alleghaniensis / Hobblebush Forest
Colloquial Name: Red Spruce - Northern Hardwood Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This transitional hardwood - spruce forest occurs in montane regions of northern New England, the Northern Appalachians, and in adjacent Canada. This forest is most extensive at middle elevations, between 305 and 760 m (1000-2500 feet), occurring on slopes with rocky, nutrient-poor, and often shallow till soils that are well-drained to excessively well-drained. This association forms a relatively broad transitional zone between northern hardwood forests and montane spruce-fir forests. The canopy varies from nearly closed to partly open. Shrubs, herbs, and tree regeneration forms a dense cover in gaps; under closed canopies, understory layers can be sparse. The dominant trees are Picea rubens and a variable mixture of the northern hardwoods Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, and Fagus grandifolia. Other canopy associates include Acer rubrum, Abies balsamea, Thuja occidentalis, and Betula papyrifera. Abies balsamea may be the major conifer, in either the canopy or subcanopy, in stands that have been selectively logged. Shrub and herbaceous layers contain species common to both northern hardwood and spruce-fir forests. Characteristic shrubs include Sorbus americana, Sorbus decora, Acer pensylvanicum, Acer spicatum, and Viburnum lantanoides. Characteristic herbs include Dryopteris intermedia, Dryopteris campyloptera, Clintonia borealis, Oxalis montana, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum canadense, Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus, and Aralia nudicaulis. The bryophyte layer is of variable cover and may include Bazzania trilobata, Dicranum scoparium, Hypnum imponens, Hylocomium splendens, Leucobryum glaucum, and Polytrichum commune. On the ground, this community can grade into both northern hardwood forest and spruce-fir forest types; this type is distinguished by the codominance of conifers and hardwoods.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy varies from nearly closed to partly open. Shrubs, herbs, and tree regeneration forms a dense cover in gaps; under closed canopies, understory layers can be sparse. The dominant trees are Picea rubens and a variable mixture of the northern hardwoods Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, and Fagus grandifolia. Other canopy associates include Acer rubrum, Abies balsamea, Thuja occidentalis, and Betula papyrifera. Abies balsamea may be the major conifer, in either the canopy or subcanopy, in stands that have been selectively logged. Shrub and herbaceous layers contain species common to both northern hardwood and spruce-fir forests. Characteristic shrubs include Sorbus americana, Sorbus decora, Acer pensylvanicum, Acer spicatum, and Viburnum lantanoides (= Viburnum alnifolium). Characteristic herbs include Dryopteris intermedia, Dryopteris campyloptera, Clintonia borealis, Oxalis montana, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum canadense, Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus (= Streptopus roseus), and Aralia nudicaulis. The bryophyte layer is of variable cover and may include Bazzania trilobata, Dicranum scoparium, Hypnum imponens, Hylocomium splendens, Leucobryum glaucum, and Polytrichum commune.
Dynamics: This association forms a relatively broad transitional zone between northern hardwood forests and montane spruce-fir forests.
Environmental Description: This transitional hardwood - spruce forest occurs in montane regions of northern New England, the northern Appalachian Mountains, and in adjacent Canada. This forest is most extensive at middle elevations, between 305 and 760 m (1000-2500 feet), occurring on slopes with rocky, nutrient-poor, and often shallow till soils that are well-drained to excessively well-drained. This association forms a relatively broad transitional zone between northern hardwood forests and montane spruce-fir forests.
Geographic Range: This forest occurs in montane regions of northern New England, the Northern Appalachians, and adjacent Canada.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: MA, ME, NB, NH, NS, NY, QC?, VT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685368
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Na Eastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D008 | 1.B.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Na.7 Sugar Maple - Yellow Birch - Eastern Hemlock Forest Macrogroup | M014 | 1.B.2.Na.7 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.7.d Red Spruce - Balsam Fir - Paper Birch Forest Group | G744 | 1.B.2.Na.7.d |
| Alliance | A4442 Red Spruce - Yellow Birch - Sugar Maple Forest Alliance | A4442 | 1.B.2.Na.7.d |
| Association | CEGL006267 <i>Picea rubens - Fagus grandifolia - Betula alleghaniensis</i> / Hobblebush Forest | CEGL006267 | 1.B.2.Na.7.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Red Spruce - Yellow Birch: 30 (Eyre 1980)
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