Print Report
M299 North American Boreal Conifer Poor Swamp Macrogroup
Type Concept Sentence: This boreal swamp type is found across the North American boreal region, from Alaska to Newfoundland, including poor to intermediate swamp forests, primarily on peatland soils, dominated by Picea mariana, Larix laricina, Abies balsamea, and/or Betula papyrifera.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: North American Boreal Conifer Poor Swamp Macrogroup
Colloquial Name: North American Boreal Conifer Poor Swamp
Hierarchy Level: Macrogroup
Type Concept: Boreal poor to intermediate swamp forests and woodlands develop on wet soils with permanent or semipermanent water tables at or near the soil surface, where the flow rate, subsurface depth and chemistry of groundwater determine site moisture and nutrient characteristics. These treed wetlands are common on the boreal landscape, occurring at scales ranging from small discrete patches in landscape depressions to extensive wetland complexes over large areas of level, poorly drained terrain. They usually occur on organic soils composed of sphagnum or graminoid peat. Regional west to east differences in nutrient levels: Picea mariana is dominant or codominant in nutrient-poor and intermediate peatlands, while Larix laricina occurs with Picea mariana across all regions in treed wetlands that are moderately well-supplied with nutrients (intermediate). In eastern Canada, Abies balsamea and Betula papyrifera also occur in intermediate wetlands; in western Canada, Picea glauca can be present. Several understory shrub, herb, moss and lichen species are indicative of relative moisture and nutrient status in these forests and woodlands. The poor swamps have a set of widely distributed characteristic species, such as Ledum groenlandicum, Maianthemum trifolium, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Rubus chamaemorus, Kalmia polifolia, and Vaccinium oxycoccos. Other species are regionally distributed: Vaccinium vitis-idaea is the primary Vaccinium species in western and northern Canadian poor swamps, while Vaccinium myrtilloides and Vaccinium angustifolium fill that role in eastern Canada; Kalmia angustifolia is an important heath component in eastern Canada.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This macrogroup is characterized by open stands of Picea mariana, Larix laricina, Abies balsamea, and/or Betula papyrifera on saturated peatland soils
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Terminology for wooded weakly minerotrophic wetlands is challenging. In the USNVC, poor swamps is the typical term, encompassing what are sometimes called wooded poor fens. Adding to the challenge is that thresholds for tree heights in poor swamp conditions are more often set at 2 m and 10 m. For that reason, we set a variable range of height thresholds for poor swamps at 5-10 m, with >10% cover, and we rely on a combination of vegetation structure, ecology, and floristics to help make the distinction between treed bogs and poor swamps. Types <5 m in height, on peat soils, and lacking minerotrophic indicators are treated as treed bogs and poor fens in the bog and fen formation. The short or stunted tree cover is variable. This is consistent with a number of treatments that place treed bogs with open bogs, separate from swamps. For example, Harris et al. (1996) and Rydin and Jeglum (2006) use 10 m as the cutoff for swamps versus bogs and fens, and 2 m to distinguish treed bogs from open bogs. The CNVC and USNVC more often use 5 m and 10%. Rydin and Jeglum (2006, Table 1.2) provide a key to the vegetation types based on those thresholds. Further description of this type is available from the CNVC Technical Committee [see cnvc-cnvc.ca].
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This macrogroup is dominated by needle-leaved evergreen trees with an open woodland canopy. These poor swamps are 5-10 m in height with >10% canopy cover.
Floristics: Regional west to east differences in nutrient levels: Picea mariana is dominant or codominant in nutrient-poor and intermediate peatlands, while Larix laricina occurs with Picea mariana across all regions in treed wetlands that are moderately well-supplied with nutrients (intermediate). In eastern Canada, Abies balsamea and Betula papyrifera also occur in intermediate wetlands; in western Canada, Picea glauca can be present. Several understory shrub, herb, moss and lichen species are indicative of relative moisture and nutrient status in these forests and woodlands. The poor swamps have a set of widely distributed characteristic species, such as Ledum groenlandicum, Maianthemum trifolium, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Rubus chamaemorus, Kalmia polifolia, and Vaccinium oxycoccos. Other species are regionally distributed: Vaccinium vitis-idaea is the primary Vaccinium species in western and northern Canadian poor swamps, while Vaccinium myrtilloides and Vaccinium angustifolium fill that role in eastern Canada; Kalmia angustifolia is an important heath component in eastern Canada. In Alaska, this type includes acidic swamps. Picea mariana is the dominant overstory species in an open canopy (30-50% canopy cover). Other overstory associates may include Larix laricina, Picea glauca, or, in the subboreal Rocky Mountain region, Picea glauca x engelmannii (hybrid white spruce). Shrubs may include Andromeda polifolia, Betula nana, Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium uliginosum, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Rubus chamaemorus, Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia, Betula nana, and Ledum groenlandicum. Characteristic herbaceous species include Carex aquatilis, Carex pluriflora, Eriophorum angustifolium, Equisetum spp., and Petasites frigidus. Moss cover is high; typical species include Aulacomnium palustre, Tomentypnum nitens, Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum spp., and Hylocomium splendens, among others. Well-developed bogs may have a significant lichen component in the ground layer composed largely of Cladonia spp.
Dynamics: Acidic swamps are in contact with weakly minerotrophic water, typically in peatland soils. An abundance of woody material in swamps provides another important distinction in that the peat is primarily composed of both decomposing woody material (shrub and tree) and Sphagnum- or sedge-dominated peats (National Wetlands Working Group 1998).
Environmental Description: This type often occurs as part of a larger wetland complex, where there is an adequate flow of near-surface groundwater, often along peatland edges or inactive floodplain channels. Trees root on microsites that are elevated above the water table. Soils are saturated and may be made up of well-decomposed woody peat or fine-textured mineral deposits. Stands occur on wet soils with permanent or semipermanent water tables at or near the soil surface, where the flow rate, subsurface depth and chemistry of groundwater determine site moisture and nutrient characteristics. These treed wetlands are common on the boreal landscape, occurring at scales ranging from small discrete patches in landscape depressions to extensive wetland complexes over large areas of level, poorly drained terrain. They usually occur on organic soils composed of sphagnum or graminoid peat.
Geographic Range: This macrogroup is found from eastern Canada, including the maritime region, extending south into the most northern parts of northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and parts of New York) and westward into Quebec, Ontario and northern regions of the Great Lakes region (including northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan), extending through Manitoba, Saskatchewan, northwestern Alberta, northern British Columbia and boreal Alaska.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB, AK, BC, LB, MB, ME, MI, MN, NB, NF, NH, NS, NY, ON, PE?, QC, SK, VT, WI, YT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860512
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.5 Boreal Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F036 | 1.B.5 |
| Division | 1.B.5.Na North American Boreal Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D016 | 1.B.5.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.5.Na.1 North American Boreal Conifer Poor Swamp Macrogroup | M299 | 1.B.5.Na.1 |
| Group | 1.B.5.Na.1.a Black Spruce - Balsam Fir Atlantic Boreal Poor Swamp Group | G807 | 1.B.5.Na.1.a |
| Group | 1.B.5.Na.1.c Black Spruce Ontario-Québec Boreal Poor Swamp Group | G806 | 1.B.5.Na.1.c |
| Group | 1.B.5.Na.1.f Black Spruce Alaskan-Yukon Boreal Wet Forest Group | G546 | 1.B.5.Na.1.f |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Fpn Northern Forest Rich Peatland System (Minnesota DNR 2003)
< I.A.2.f - Black spruce (open) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< I.A.2.h - Black spruce-tamarack (open) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< I.A.3.d - Black spruce (woodland) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< II.B.1.f. - Closed tall shrub swamp (Viereck et al. 1992)
< II.B.2.f - Open tall shrub swamp (Viereck et al. 1992)
< I.A.2.f - Black spruce (open) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< I.A.2.h - Black spruce-tamarack (open) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< I.A.3.d - Black spruce (woodland) (Viereck et al. 1992)
< II.B.1.f. - Closed tall shrub swamp (Viereck et al. 1992)
< II.B.2.f - Open tall shrub swamp (Viereck et al. 1992)
- Banner, A., W. MacKenzie, S. Haeussler, S. Thomson, J. Pojar, and R. Trowbridge. 1993. A field guide to site identification and interpretation for the Prince Rupert Forest Region. Ministry of Forests Research Program. Victoria, BC. Parts 1 and 2. Land Management Handbook Number 26.
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