Spruce - Pine Woodland These Plants Are Frequently Found in This Community Type
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Characteristic Plants Spruce - Pine Woodland These plants are frequently found in this community type. Those with an asterisk are State Rank S4 often diagnostic of this community. (pH 4.6-5.2) and nutrient poor. Some Canopy Community Description sites show evidence of past fire, but many Balsam fir* This type is a mixed canopy woodland do not. Black spruce* (25-70% closure) in which red spruce Northern white cedar* and/or white pine is always present Diagnostics Paper birch* and associated species vary. Red spruce Sites are woodlands on bedrock, with Red spruce* or white pine is strongly dominant conifer cover exceeding deciduous cover. White pine* at some sites; at others, the canopy is Red spruce is typically dominant, or White spruce* occasionally co-dominant with white pine Sapling/shrub mixed, with no one tree species strongly Spruce – Pine Woodland dominant. White spruce may rarely or red spruce. Bayberry* replace red spruce at coastal sites. The spruce (an oak - spruce mix), but have Shadbush shrub layer is typically very sparse (and Similar Types more deciduous than coniferous tree Wild-raisin* variable in composition), and the herb Other upland coniferous woodlands cover. Moving downslope, or into areas of Dwarf Shrub layer has mostly 15-50% cover. Heath may include red spruce but will have greater soil development, these woodlands Black huckleberry* shrubs are the dominant feature of the other tree species (northern white cedar, can grade into spruce or pine forests, but Lowbush blueberry* herb layer; herb species rarely exceed pitch pine, red pine, jack pine, or black those have more continuous canopy and Sheep laurel* 8% cover. The bryoid layer is sparse at spruce) in greater abundance. Oak - Pine less shrub and herb cover. Herb some sites (<25%) and well developed Woodlands may have considerable red Bracken fern at others (35-70%). Fruticose lichens Conservation, Wildlife, and Bryoid typically make up half or more of the Location Map Management Considerations Dicranum moss bryoid cover. Most sites have little pressure from Red-stemmed moss development or timbering; the primary Reindeer lichen* Red Spruce - Mixed Conifer Woodland Soil and Site Characteristics impacts are from recreational use. Sites occur on mid to upper slopes Communications towers or wind turbines (usually 10-20% slope) and low summits could have an impact on some of these at elevations up to 2000’. Soils are thin woodlands on mid-elevation summits. Examples on Conservation (<25 cm), consisting of coarse mineral Several sites are in public or private Lands You Can Visit soil or poorly decomposed duff, and conservation ownership. • Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park form patches over the bedrock substrate. – Hancock Co. The very well drained soils are acidic Birds that may nest in this habitat include • Mahoosuc Mountain, Mahoosuc the sharp-shinned hawk, gray jay, yellow- Public Lands – Oxford Co. bellied flycatcher, boreal chickadee, • Mansell Mountain, Acadia National Blackburnian warbler, red crossbill, and Park – Hancock Co. northern parula. • Nahmakanta Public Lands – Piscataquis Co. Distribution • Petit Manan Point, Petit Manan New England - Adirondack Province National Wildlife – Washington Co. and Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, extending eastward, westward, and northward from Maine. Wild Raisin Landscape Pattern: Small Patch Maine Natural Areas Program.