[Chap. LIII THE VEGETATION OF NORTH AMERICA 



781 



of the undergrowth which includes tall ferns, and shrubs among which 

 are the devil's club, salmonberry, rhododendron, and dogwood. One of 

 the most remarkable features of this forest is the short distance between 

 trees. It is quite evident that the root systems are small compared with 

 the tops. Such enormous top development is possible onlv where trans- 

 piration is low and soil water alwavs available. 



Still farther south the coastal ranges are clothed with evergreen oaks 

 and chaparral, a community of hard and leathery-leaved evergreen 

 shrubs and trees. 



Fig. 409. Chaparral, Santa Lucia Mountains, Caliiornia. Manzanita (Arcto- 

 staphylos glaiica) , grayish-colored trees in shallow valley on left; coast live oak 

 {Quercus agrifolia), dark-colored trees in deep valley (lower right); chamiso 

 {Adenostoma fasciculata) , the apparentlv smooth vegetation cover on the crests 

 and the more exposed slopes. Photo by W. S. Cooper. 



Other western mountain forests (Figs. 410-416). In the region of 

 Washington, Idaho, and Montana are extensive areas dominated by 

 western white pine, which is accompanied by the western larch, western 

 hemlock, white fir, and red cedar. These latter species form an eastward 

 extension of the coastal forest and here reach their eastern limit as 

 understorv trees among the western white pine. 



Of all the Cordilleran forest trees, the western yellow pine and 



