The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Figure 6-Closed needleleaf forest of mountainhemlock with a sparse understory of Vacciniurnspp. and a dense forest floor covering 01feathermosses in Prince William Sound insouth-central Alasb.Successional status-These communities are thought to be climax. Because theyrarely are logged and rarely are affected by windthrow, secondary succession ispoorly understood. Because of the dense shrub layer and poor growing conditionsat these sites, they probably require substantial time to return to climax conditionafter disturbance.Closely related types-Closed mountain hemlock communities are similar toopen mountain hemlock communities but have greater canopy cover. At lowerelevations, they grade into western hemlock, western hemlock-Alaska-cedar, andwestern hemlock-western redcedar communities.Photographs-Figure 6, this publication.Primary reference-Martin and others 1985.Communities-Tsuga rnertensianaNacciniurn spp. (Fox 1983, Martin and others1985).I.A.1.g. Closed Western Hemlock-Western Redcedar ForestDescription-These stands are dominated by western hemlock and westernredcedar. Other tree species of significance include Alaska-cedar and mountainhemlock. A dense shrub layer composed of Vacciniurn alaskaense, V. ovalifoliurn,V. parvifoliurn, Menziesia ferruginea, Oplopanax horridus, and Gaultheria shallon ispresent. Lysichifon arnericanurn is common as are patches of Sphagnurnspp.Distribution and site characteristics-These stands are common in the southernportion of southeast Alaska (south of Wrangell) on moderately to highly productivesites with somewhat poorly to moderately well-drained soil. The soils may be organicor mineral.Successional status-These communities appear to be climax. After logging orother disturbance, sites supporting these communities often go through a stagedominated by western hemlock, with small proportions of Sitka spruce and frequentlya lodgepole pine component.61