Plant Species?
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 1:38 pm
Does anyone know what species this is? The needles seem to grow perpendicular to the branches like fir, but the needles look like elongated hemlock needles. It's growth form is a bush/shrub and grows sprawling patches. I have noticed them in Stony Clove up the slopes of Plateau, and in immense quantities on the Twin slope in Pecoy Notch.
I'm embarrassed - after completing my undergraduate thesis on Catskill high elevation boreal biogeography, I come across this and a few other thingz up high and have no idea what's going on.
I can't think of any main plant associations I have noticed them with. They do grow at the thickest around Balsam fir, but do quite well in very thin soils under Sugar Maple in stony clove. I'm sure once I know the species I can figure out its main plant associations and ecosystem types...
This one is pretty blurry, but it still shows the surrounding area well... I think...
Luckily my study was more about the geology, glaciers, soil, trees, herb, moss, and lichen. Not much discussion about the brush stratum besides hobblebush. Whatever species this is, I have never seen it on a boreal summit.
These look like they spread as clone colonies through roots, like Beech, but I'm not sure. I'm just basing that on the fact that all the sprouts seem to be growing from the ground at the same angle and direction in small areas. If propagated by seed however, they obviously germinate and establish well in thick leaf litter, unlike the commonly associated boreal ground stratum herbaceous species that can't germinate or grow under leaves and rely on the moss for nutrient support and water retention. I'l stop blabbering.
I'm embarrassed - after completing my undergraduate thesis on Catskill high elevation boreal biogeography, I come across this and a few other thingz up high and have no idea what's going on.
I can't think of any main plant associations I have noticed them with. They do grow at the thickest around Balsam fir, but do quite well in very thin soils under Sugar Maple in stony clove. I'm sure once I know the species I can figure out its main plant associations and ecosystem types...
This one is pretty blurry, but it still shows the surrounding area well... I think...
Luckily my study was more about the geology, glaciers, soil, trees, herb, moss, and lichen. Not much discussion about the brush stratum besides hobblebush. Whatever species this is, I have never seen it on a boreal summit.
These look like they spread as clone colonies through roots, like Beech, but I'm not sure. I'm just basing that on the fact that all the sprouts seem to be growing from the ground at the same angle and direction in small areas. If propagated by seed however, they obviously germinate and establish well in thick leaf litter, unlike the commonly associated boreal ground stratum herbaceous species that can't germinate or grow under leaves and rely on the moss for nutrient support and water retention. I'l stop blabbering.