Sand Dunes Provisional Ecological Site Group (R/F)

Description

The characteristic plant community or reference plant community for the Stable Sand Dunes State is an open forest of aspen-paper birch woodland and is the latest successional stage and the presumed potential vegetation. The open forest overstory community consists of birch (Betula papyrifera), and aspen (Populus tremuloides) with tree density less than 30 percent. A diverse shrub community of labrador tea and bunchberry dominate the shrub understory with high bush cranberry, prickly rose, twinflower, blue joint grass and fireweed prominent in the community. Mosses, lichens, and other bryophytes are common.

Dominant plant species

1. paper birch (Betula papyrifera), tree

2. quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), tree

3. black spruce (Picea mariana), tree

4. Labrador tea (Ledum), shrub

5. rusty menziesia (Menziesia ferruginea), shrub

6. American dunegrass (Leymus mollis), grass

7. bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis), grass

8. slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus), grass

9. Moss (Moss), grass

10. fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), grass

11. Schreber's big red stem moss (Pleurozium schreberi), grass

Submodel

Description

The characteristic plant community or reference plant community for the Active Dunes and Ridges State is a sparse grass and scrub community. Mosses, lichens, and other bryophytes are minimal.

Submodel