Cold Wet Conifer Mountains and Plateaus (ABLA/VASC-VAME)

Description

The Historic Reference state of this ecological site was influenced by a variety of disturbance elements, including the impacts of mixed and stand replacement fires which occurred on a relatively infrequent basis. Disturbances to the ecologic site also came in the form of other biotic and abiotic factors, most notably from larger scaled insect and disease mortality. Although the impact of wildfire was a less dominant disturbance agent compared to warmer and drier forests, it was still an important factor in the ecological processes of these forests. Given the high elevation of this site, potential constraints to timber production and ecological resilience to altered disturbance due to high precipitation, no alternative states are described.

Dominant plant species

1. subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), tree

2. grouse whortleberry (Vaccinium scoparium), shrub

3. thinleaf huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), shrub

4. elk sedge (Carex garberi), grass

5. pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens), grass

6. Columbia brome (Bromus vulgaris), grass

Submodel