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Spruce-Fir Swamp
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International Vegetation Classification Associations [-]
This New York natural community encompasses all or part of the concept of the following International Vegetation Classification (IVC) natural community associations. These are often described at finer resolution than New York's natural communities. The IVC is developed and maintained by NatureServe.


NatureServe Ecological Systems [-]
This New York natural community falls into the following ecological system(s). Ecological systems are often described at a coarser resolution than New York's natural communities and tend to represent clusters of associations found in similar environments. The ecological systems project is developed and maintained by NatureServe.


Characteristic Species [-]
Trees > 5m
  • Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
  • Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
  • Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
  • Tamarack (Larix laricina)
  • Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
  • Red Spruce (Picea rubens)
  • Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
  • Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Shrubs < 2m
  • Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
  • American Mountain-ash (Sorbus americana)
  • Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
  • Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
Herbs
  • Billings' Sedge (Carex trisperma)
  • Goldthread (Coptis trifolia)
  • Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
  • Canada May-flower (Maianthemum canadense)
  • Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)
  • White Wood-sorrel (Oxalis montana)
  • Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris)
  • Northern Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Nonvascular
  • Bazzania trilobata
  • Sphagnum magellanicum
Similar Ecological Communities
  • Black spruce-tamarack bog
    Black spruce-tamarack bogs are distinguished from spruce-fir swamps by having a peat substrate (instead of mineral soil) and a combined tree and tall shrub cover of tamarack and black spruce that is greater than that of balsam fir and red spruce.
  • Balsam flats
    Spruce-fir swamps are located at lower elevations than balsam flats, which are dominated by balsam fir; the swamps also have wetland soils and patches of peat mosses. Black cherry, a characteristic species of balsam flats, is notably absent from spruce-fir swamps.
  • Spruce flats
    Spruce-fir swamps are located at lower elevations than spruce flats, which are dominated by red spruce and red maple; the swamps also have wetland soils and patches of peat mosses. Black cherry, a characteristic species of spruce flats, is notably absent from spruce-fir swamps.
  • Northern white cedar swamp
    Spruce-fir swamps are distinguished from northern white cedar swamps by having predominately mineral soils and a combined tree and tall shrub cover of balsam fir and red spruce that is greater than that of northern white cedar and black ash.
Vegetation
Trees > 5m
Shrubs 2-5m
Shrubs < 2m
Herbs
Nonvascular
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent Cover
This figure helps visualize the structure and 'look' or 'feel' of a typical Spruce-Fir Swamp. Each bar represents the amount of 'coverage' for all the species growing at that height. Because layers overlap (shrubs may grow under trees, for example), the shaded regions can add up to more than 100%.

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© 2004-2012 New York Natural Heritage Program, a partnership between
the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and
the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Please cite this page as:
New York Natural Heritage Program. 2013. Online Conservation Guide for Spruce-Fir Swamp. Available from: http://acris.nynhp.org/guide.php?id=9905. Accessed June 19th, 2013.
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