Coniferous Forests 



The slopes of the plateau support a number of subalpine and 

 montane forest communities typical of southwest and south-central 

 Montana (Pfister et al. 1977). These forest types are all prone 

 to fire (Fischer and Clayton 1983) and most stands are in serai 

 stage as evidenced by the presence or dominance of Pinus contorta 

 and Pseudotsuqa menziesii at all but the highest elevations. 

 Coniferous forest occurs between 6,000 and 9,500 ft. Forest 

 habitat types for Montana have been described by Pfister et al. 

 (1977) . The following types were observed in the study area, and 

 common types are vouchered by plot data acguired using ECODATA 

 methodology. Due to the predominance of steep slopes in the 

 forest zone, extensive representations of riparian communities 

 are rare or absent. 



(9) Pinus albicaulis h.t. 



Ridge crests, warm slopes and other exposed sites near 

 timberline (8,500-9,500 ft) support forests dominated by Pinus 

 albicaulis . Picea enqelmanii and Abies lasiocarpa were scarce 

 and of small stature. The ground layer was dominated by Festuca 

 idahoensis , Carex phaeocephala , Lupinus arqenteus and Trif olium 

 parryi . Numerous species of forbs were common but had low cover. 



Many stands of P^. albicaulis supported large trees that were 

 150+ years old, and most stands appeared healthy. I observed no 

 extensive areas of beetle kill or blister rust. 



(10 Abies lasiocarpa - Pinus albicaulis / Vaccinium scoparium h.t. 



Cool slopes near timberline on the north side of the Line 

 Creek Plateau support forests dominated by Abies lasiocarpa , Pinus 

 albicaulis , P. contorta and Picea enqelmannii . Lodgepole pine 

 was more common at the lower reaches of the type, while spruce 

 became more common above. Vaccinium scoparium was the dominant 

 shrub, although Spiraea betulifolia and Shepherdia canadensis may 

 be common in lower stands. The ground layer was generally sparse 

 with Arnica cordif olia , A. latifolia and Potentilla diversif olia 

 the most common species. This type merges into the Abies 

 lasiocarpa / Vaccinium scoparium h.t. below, and the two may be 

 difficult to distinguish over large portions of the study area. 



(11) Abies lasiocarpa / Vaccinium scoparium h.t. 



Between 7,600 and 9,200 ft on the north side of the Line 

 Creek Plateau, forests are dominated by Pinus contorta and Abies 

 lasiocarpa . Pinus albicaulis was common only in more exposed 

 positions, and Pseudotsuqa menziesii occurred in warmer stands. 

 These successional stands generally had a dense shrub layer of 

 Vaccinium scoparium with Juniperus communis and Shepherdia 

 canadensis often present. Colonies of Alnus sinuata may persist 



