Abstract for CNVC00088


Populus tremuloides / Vaccinium myrtilloides / V. vitis-idaea

Trembling Aspen / Velvet-leaved Blueberry / Lingonberry
Peuplier faux-tremble / Bleuet fausse-myrtille / Airelle rouge

CNVC00088 is a boreal hardwood forest Association that ranges from Alberta to Manitoba. The canopy is primarily trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), sometimes with paper birch (Betula papyrifera) as an associate. Canopy cover is usually moderately closed but can vary from open to closed. The moderately developed shrub layer is typically dominated by velvet-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides), although green alder (Alnus viridis) or common Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum) can be dominant where present. Trembling aspen saplings often occur in canopy openings. The dwarf shrub and herb layer is often moderately developed and typically includes twinflower (Linnaea borealis), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) and wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense). Common bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is dominant on some sites. The forest floor cover is mainly broad-leaf litter, so the moss layer is sparse, with only minor cover of red-stemmed feathermoss (Pleurozium schreberi) and stairstep moss (Hylocomium splendens). CNVC00088 is an early seral condition that typically establishes after fire. It occurs in a region with a subhumid continental boreal climate, usually on dry to mesic, nutrient-poor to medium sites. Three subassociations are distinguished: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Rhododendron groenlandicum and Alnus viridis.