The ABLA/CLUN-VACA plot is located on a broad 

 flat terrace of glacial outwash near Monture Creek 

 Campground. The soil is a Typic Udorthent, with moder- 

 ately thick organic horizons— 2.4 inches (6 cm), a cobbly 

 sandy loam surface mineral horizon, and 85 percent 

 angular gravel and cobbles throughout the soil profile. 



The overstory on the plot is a dense stand, 

 predominantly of moderate-sized Larix occidentalis, 

 Pseudotsuga ^enziesii, and Pinus contorta. Pinus 

 ponderosa and Picea engelmannii are also present. 

 Canopy cover is about 90 percent. The ground cover is 

 dominated by low woody species, particularly Linnaea 

 borealis (fig. 4). Berberis repens. Spiraea betulifolia, and 

 Calamagrostis nibescens are also abundant. 



The Abies lasiocarpa/Vaccinium caespitosum 

 (ABLA/VACA) habitat type plots are located on a hum- 

 mocky bench northwest of Seeley Lake. The soil is an 

 Andic Dystrochrept, with thin organic horizons— 1.4 

 inches (3.5 cm), a cobbly fine sandy loam surface mineral 

 horizon, and gravel and cobbles constituting from 20 

 percent of the surface horizon to 60 percent of the lower 

 horizons. 



On one plot about two-thirds of the mature trees are 

 Pinus contorta; the rest are Larix occidentalis. Canopy 



Figure 4.— General view of the vegetation 

 near thie Abies lasiocarpa/Clintonia 

 uniflora-Vaccinium caespitosum phiase plot. 



cover is about 65 percent. The other plot is entirely pole- 

 sized Pinus contorta, with a canopy coverage of 85 per- 

 cent. Abies lasiocarpa is the most abundantly reproduc- 

 ing tree species. The ground cover of the two plots is 

 similar; they have 21 of 26 species in common and a 

 similarity index, based on relative cover (Bray and 

 Curtis 1957), of 69 percent. Vaccinium caespitosum is 

 dominant on both plots. Other abundant species include 

 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Xerophyllum tenax, 

 Calamagrostis rubescens, and Lupinus argenteus (fig. 5). 

 Mosses, primarily species of Brachythecium, are 

 abundant. 



The Abies lasiocarpa/Xerophyllum tenax-Vaccinium 

 globulare phase (ABLA/XETE-VAGL) habitat type plots 

 are located on a stream terrace close to the ABLA/CLUN 

 plot above Dunham Creek. The soil is an Andic Dys- 

 trochrept, with very thin organic horizons— 0.3 inch 

 (0.7 cm), a silt loam surface mineral horizon, and coarse 

 fragment content that increases from 5 percent gravel 

 close to the surface, to 85 percent gravel and cobbles 

 below 11 inches (28 cm). 



The overstory on both plots is predominantly pole- 

 sized Pinus contorta, with lesser amounts of Pseudotsuga 

 menziesii, Abies lasiocarpa, and Larix occidentalis. 

 Canopy coverage is about 70 percent. The ground cover 

 of the two plots is very similar; 14 of 19 species are 

 shared and the similarity index is 81 percent. Vaccinium 

 scoparium, Xerophyllum tenax, and Vaccinium globulare 

 are the most abundant vascular plants and together 

 comprise about 90 percent of the total vascular plant 

 cover (fig. 6). Mosses, particularly species of 

 Brachythecium and Dicranum, and lichens, mostly 

 Cladonia spp., are especially abundant on these plots. 



The Pseudotsuga menziesii/Symphoricarpos albus- 

 Calamagrostis rubescens phase (PSME/SYAL-CARU) 

 habitat type plots are located on a side slope about 100 

 yards (100 m) above Monture Creek. The soil is a Eutric 

 Glossoboralf, with moderately thick organic horizons— 

 2.4 inches (6 cm), a fine gravelly silty loam surface hori- 

 zon, and coarse fragment content that increases from 30 

 percent gravel in the surface horizon to 80 percent 

 gravel and cobbles in the lower horizons. 



The overstory on both plots is predominantly 

 moderate-sized Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus 

 contorta, with some Larix occidentalis. Canopy cover is 

 about 80 percent. The ground cover of the two plots is 

 quite similar (similarity index = 76 percent), although 

 the plots have only 21 of 33 species in common. 

 Calamagrostis rubescens is the most abundant plant on 

 both plots. Medium-sized shrubs (<3 ft [1 m] tall) 

 characterize this habitat type (fig. 7). Spiraea betulifolia, 

 Berberis repens, and Symphoricarpos albus are particu- 

 larly abundant. 



The Festuca scabrella-F. idahoensis (FESC-FEID) habi- 

 tat type plots are located on a hilltop and a flat bench 

 100 ft (30 cm) below the hilltop. The soil is a Typic 

 Haploboroll, with thin organic horizons— 1.2 inches 

 (3 cm), a gravelly silty loam surface horizon, and a 

 gravel content of about 45 percent. 



8 



