GO KOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE CCEUR D'ALENE MOUNTAINS. 



include the area upon which the subalpine fir forms more or less 

 extended forests of nearly pure growth. The altitudinal limits of the 

 species are very much greater. This zone is always upon the high 

 slopes and summits of the ridges where an abundance of snow Calls and 

 the drainage is good. It is marked by its open character. The under- 

 growth of shrubs is mostly confined to the saddles and northern slopes, 

 and consists of huckleberry shrubs, mountain ash, alder, and menziesia. 

 The trees stand widely apart, and when there is no undergrowth the 

 ground is heavily carpeted by the bear grass. The appearance of the 

 forest then is that of a park. Occasionally the undergrowth, especially 

 in the saddles, is entirely made up of saplings of this fir. In such cases 

 the young trees stand so close that it is impossible for a man, even on 

 foot, to make his way through them without a liberal use of the ax. 

 There is but little fallen timber in this /one. The trees are short and 

 firmly rooted and do not topple over easily. Various species, whose 

 range is mostly at lower elevations, extend into this section, but seldom 

 grow to large size. Such are the Douglas spruce, Engelmann's spruce, 

 and the white and black pines. 



ZONE OF WHITE-BARKED PINE. 



The Crest Line Zone is the uppermost of the forest divisions of the 

 Ocbut d'Alenes. It is composed to the extent of 85 per cent of two 

 species. They are Patton's hemlock and the white-barked pine. The 

 lower limit of its range is 1,700 meters (5,600 feet) ; the upper would 

 doubtless be the timber line did any such exist in this region. The 

 forest here is not continuous, It occurs in large or small groves 

 separated by grassy tracts. Very often over large areas but scattered 

 individuals occur. There is not much undergrowth. Some buckle 

 berry shrubs and the two species of mountain ash (Sorbus sambucifolia 

 and 8. oceidentaUs) which occur in this region constitute the greater 

 part of this. Very few windfalls are seen, and in general the forest is 

 park-like, as in the zone below. By reason of its exposed position a 

 great deal of the ground in the Crest Line Zone is rocky and the soil poor. 



The second classification of the Coeur d'Alene forests is based upon 

 tne age of the majority of the trees, those which form the bulk of the 

 timber growing upon any particular area. This is wholly dependent 

 upon the time that has elapsed since the forest was burned, and while 

 altitudinal limits have nothing to do with this we shall see farther on 

 that by far the largest and most destructive fires occur in the Yellow 

 and White Pine zones. The four subdivisions I will define thus: 



Old Growth. — Areas on which no tires destructive to the forest 

 growth have occurred within the past two hundred years. 



Second. Growth. — Areas which have been wholly or partially burned 

 over inside of two hundred years, but on which no fires have occurred 

 within the past seventy-five years. 



Young Growth. — Areas on which the timber has been destroyed by 



