14 



C. Biological characteristics 



1. Vegetation physiognomy and community 

 structure: Lescaierella humilis occurs in 

 Pinus albicaulis (white-bark pine) krummholz 

 and in sparse communities of low herbs and 

 dwarf shrubs above timberline. 



2. Regional vegetation types: The sites 

 occupied by Lescmerella humilis occur in the 

 ecotone between subalpine forest and alpine 

 tundra, and often do not fit well into 

 schemes that focus on larger, modal units. 

 The sites occur in the Rocklands and Mixed 

 High Elevation Vegetation unit of Ross and 

 Hunter (1976) . Daubenmire (1978) places the 

 sites in the upper timberline portion of the 

 Central Section, Picea engelmannii Province, 

 Subarctic-Subalpine Forest Region. The lower 

 altitude portions of the sites fit the Pinus 

 albicaulis habitat type (Pfister et al. 

 1977) . The sites also are within the 

 Douglas-fir Section, Rocky Mountain Province 

 of Bailey (1976), and the Alpine Meadows and 

 Barren type of Kuchler (1964). 



3. Frequently associated species: Frequently 

 associated species include: 



Antennaria rosea (Rosy pussy-toes) 

 Arenaria obtusiloba (Arctic sandwort) 

 Astragalus kentrophyta var. implexus 



(Thistle milkvetch) 

 Dicentra uniflora (Steer 's-head) 

 Douqlasia montana (Douglasia) 

 Draba spp. (Draba) 

 Dry as octopetala (White dryas) 

 Eriqeron simplex (One-flower fleabane) 

 Eritrichium nanum (Pale alpine forget- 

 me-not) 

 Geum rossii (Ross's avens) 

 Haplopappus Ivallii (Lyall's goldenweed) 

 Hulsea algida (Alpine hulsea) 

 Ivesia gordonii (Gordon's Ivesia) 

 Ledum glandulosum (Labrador tea) 

 Pedicularis contorta (Coiled-beak 



lousewort) 

 Phlox hoodii (Hood's phlox) 

 Phlox pulvinata (Cushion phlox) 

 Phvllodoce empetriformis (Red mountain- 

 heath) 



