Lodgepole Pine/Spruce-Fir Complex 



Dense stands of lodgepole pine blanket more than sixty percent of the 

 combined area of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. In Yel- 

 lowstone and in the northern portion of Grand Teton, lodgepole pine 

 attains climax conditions in porous volcanic soils with low fertility. In 

 the central and southern portions of Grand Teton, however, lodgepole 

 pine grows primarily in the soils of glacial moraines. True climax is seldom 

 reached in any of the forested communities of Yellowstone and Grand 

 Teton, however, because of naturally recurring fire. 



The regenerative growth that follows a fire, as well as the standing snags 

 left by a fire, provide nesting sites, cover, and food sources for a variety 

 of birds. Successional rates are slow in the Yellowstone and Northern 

 Grand Teton lodgepole pine complexes because of marginal moisture and 

 low fertility. Whitebark pine is thinly scattered throughout the lodgepole 

 pine complex in Yellowstone, but is confined to mountain canyons above 

 8,000 feet in Grand Teton. Pockets of spruce and fir are found along stream 

 bottoms and pond margins. Forest floor vegetation is short and sparse, 

 consisting primarily of elk sedge, pine grass, and grouse whortleberry. 



In contrast to the lodgepole pine complex, the soils of the spruce-fir 

 complex are generally more moist and fertile. Engelmann spruce and sub- 

 alpine fir are the dominant climax trees. However, lodgepole pine in 

 various stages of succession covers a large portion of the complex. White- 

 bark pine grows in large stands near timberline. The forest floor vegeta- 

 tion of the spruce-fir complex is lush. Dominant plants include globe 

 huckleberry, grouse whortleberry, arnica, aster, and fleabane. 



