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MOUNT RAINIER
The Forest Communities of Mount Rainier National Park |
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APPENDIX A:
KEYS TO TYPICAL FOREST TYPES OF MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
| 1. Forests less than 150 years old |
| go to Key A |
| 1. Forests over 150 years old |
| 2 |
| 2. Forests above 1100 m (3,600 ft) elevation |
| go to Key B |
| 2. Forests below 1100 m (3,600 ft) elevation |
| 3 |
| 3. Forests of valleys or toeslopes or wet sideslopes and benches Oplopanax horridum and/or ferns (Polystichum munitum, Blechnum spicant, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Athyrium filix-femina) common |
| go to Key C |
| 3. Forests of dry or mesic (but not wet) sideslopes, ridges, or benches. Oplopanax horridum absent or rare |
| 4 |
| 4. Forests of mesic slopes and benches. Dominant trees are Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, Abies amabilis, Abies procera, and sometimes Chamaecyparis nootkatensis |
| go to Key D |
| 4. Forests of dry slopes and exposures. Dominant trees are Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, and sometimes Pinus monticola |
| go to Key E |
Key A. Forests Less Than 150 Years Old |
| 1. Abies lasiocarpa dominates regeneration and canopy |
| Abies lasiocarpa/Valeriana sitchensis |
| 1. Abies lasiocarpa minor or absent |
| 2 |
| 2. Alnus rubra dominates or codominates canopy |
| Alnus rubra/Rubus spectabilis |
| 2. Alnus rubra minor or absent |
| 3 |
| 3. Menziesia ferruginea cover greater than 5 percent. Abies amabilis dominates or codominates canopy |
| Abies amabilis/Menziesia ferruginea |
| 3. Menziesia ferruginea cover less than 5 percent, Pseudotsuga menziesii usually dominant or codominant in canopy |
| 4 |
| 4. Ceanothus velutinus present |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii/Ceanothus velutinus |
| 4. Ceanothus velutinus absent |
| 5 |
| 5. Xerophyllum tenax cover less than 5 percent, and Viola sempervirens cover more than 1 percent |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii/Viola sempervirens |
| 5. Xerophyllum tenax cover more than 5 percent and/or Viola sempervirens cover less than 1 percent |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii/Xerophyllum tenax |
Key B. High-Elevation Forests, Tsuga mertensiana Zone |
| 1. Oplopanax horridum more than 2 percent cover |
| Abies amabilis/Oplopanax horridum |
| 1. Oplopanax horridum less than 2 percent cover |
| 2 |
| 2. Gaultheria shallon more than 5 percent cover |
| Abies amabilis/Gaultheria shallon |
| 2. Gaultheria shallon less than 5 percent cover |
| 3 |
| 3. Berberis nervosa more than 3 percent cover |
| Abies amabilis/Berberis nervosa |
| 3. Berberis nervosa less than 3 percent cover |
| 4 |
| 4. Abies lasiocarpa dominates regeneration and canopy, Valeriana sitchensis more than 5 percent cover |
| Abies lasiocarpa/Valeriana sitchensis |
| 4. Abies lasiocarpa minor or absent, Valeriana sitchensis usually less than 5 percent cover |
| 5 |
| 5. Xerophyllum tenax more than 10 percent cover |
| Abies amabilis/Xerophyllum tenax |
| 5. Xerophyllum tenax less than 10 percent cover |
| 6 |
| 6. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis at least codominant in canopy or regeneration and either Vaccinium ovalifolium or Rubus pedatus cover more than 10 percent |
| Chamaecyparis nootkatensis/Vaccinium ovalifolium |
| 6. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis absent or minor or both Vaccinium ovalifolium and Rubus pedatus less than 10 percent cover |
| 7 |
| 7. Shrub cover appreciably less than the usually profuse herb cover |
| Abies amabilis/Tiarella unifoliata |
| 7. Shrub cover equal to or greater than herb cover |
| 8 |
| 8. Menziesia ferruginea cover greater than 5 percent or Rhododendron albiflorum cover greater than 5 percent or Vaccinium alaskaense cover greater than 5 percent |
| 9 |
| 8. Menziesia ferruginea or Rhododendron albiflorum or Vaccinium alaskaense cover less than 5 percent |
| 11 |
| 9. Vaccinium alaskaense cover greater than 10 percent or Rhododendron albiflorum and Menziesia ferruginea cover both less than 1 percent |
| Abies amabilis/Vaccinium alaskaense, go to key D. step 3 |
| 9. Vaccinium alaskaense cover less than 10 percent and Rhododendron albiflorum or Menziesia ferruginea cover greater than 1 percent |
| 10 |
| 10. Rhododendron albiflorum cover greater than Menziesia ferruginea cover |
| Abies amabilis/Rhododendron albiflorum |
| 10. Rhododendron albiflorum cover less than Menziesia ferruginea cover |
| Abies amabilis/Menziesia ferruginea |
| 11. Erythronium montanum cover greater than 10 percent |
| Abies amabilis/Rubus lasiococcus, Erythronium montanum phase |
| 11. Erythronium montanum cover less than 10 percent |
| Abies amabilis/Rubus lasiococcus, Rubus lasiococcus phase |
Key C. Forests of Wet Sites Below 1100 m (3,600 ft) Elevation |
| 1. Oplopanax horridum cover greater than 2 percent |
| 2 |
| 1. Oplopanax horridum cover less than 2 percent |
| 3 |
| 2. Abies amabilis codominant or dominant in canopy or regeneration |
| Abies amabilis/Oplopanax horridum |
| 2. Abies amabilis minor |
| Tsuga heterophylla/Oplopanax horridum |
| 3. Abies amabilis codominant in regeneration or canopy |
| Tsuga heterophylla/Polystichum munitum, Abies amabilis phase |
| 3. Abies amabilis minor |
| Tsuga heterophylla/Polystichum munitum |
Key D. Forests of Mesic Sites Below 1100 m (3,600 ft) Elevation |
| 1. Abies amabilis minor in canopy and regeneration, Achlys triphylla cover usually greater than 10 percent |
| Tsuga heterophylla/Achlys triphylla |
| 1. Abies amabilis dominant or codominant |
| 2 |
| 2. Total cover of shrubs greater than or equal to total cover of herbs |
| Abies amabilis/Vaccinium alaskaense phases |
| 3 |
| 2. Shrub cover less than the rather profuse herb cover |
| Abies amabilis/Tiarella unifoliata |
| 3. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis codominant in canopy and regeneration |
| Chamaecyparis nootkatensis phase |
| 3. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis minor |
| 4 |
| 4. Rubus pedatus cover greater than 10 percent |
| Rubus pedatus phase |
| 4. Rubus pedatus cover less than 10 percent |
| 5 |
| 5. Berberis nervosa cover greater than 5 percent |
| Berberis nervosa phase |
| 5. Berberis nervosa cover less than 5 percent |
| Typical Vaccinium alaskaense phase |
Key E. Forests of Dry Sites Below 1100 m (3,600 ft) Elevation |
| 1. Gaultheria shallon cover greater than 5 percent |
| 2 |
| 1. Gaultheria shallon cover less than 5 percent, Berberis nervosa cover usually greater than 5 percent |
| Abies amabilis/Berberis nervosa |
| 2. Abies amabilis dominant or codominant in canopy or regeneration, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis often present |
| Abies amabilis/Gaultheria shallon |
| 2. Abies amabilis minor, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis never present |
| Tsuga heterophylla/Gaultheria shallon |
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Last Updated: 06-Mar-2007