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Forest communities of the northern whitefish range, rocky mountains, Montana, U.S.A.

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Abstract

The montane and subalpine forests of a mountain range in northwestern Montana were investigated using phytosociological and numerical methods. Twelve associations and two subassociations were identified, of which eight are described here for the first time. The forest vegetation of valleys and lower slopes is strongly affected by repeated fire and is placed in the new orderCalamagrostio-Pseudotsugetalia glaucae, which includes temperate, low elevation forests in inland regions of northwestern North America. These forests bear only weak resemblance to forests traditionally assigned to the classVaccinio-Piceetea, and occupy the habitats filled by broad-leaved forests elsewhere at temperate latitudes. Montane and subalpine forest vegetation is moister and has longer snow duration and a shorter growing season. Upper montane vegetation more closely resembles that of other temperate montane forests of the classVaccinio-Piceetea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, ul. Kopernika 27, PL-31-501, Kraków, Poland

    Alina Stachurska-Swakoń

  2. Department of Systematic Botany, Albrecht von Haller Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Toby Spribille

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  1. Alina Stachurska-Swakoń
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  2. Toby Spribille
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Correspondence to Alina Stachurska-Swakoń.

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Stachurska-Swakoń, A., Spribille, T. Forest communities of the northern whitefish range, rocky mountains, Montana, U.S.A.. Folia Geobot 37, 509–540 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02803259

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