Alaska Trees and Shrubs (Natural History)

628 Pages·1986·10.31 MB·English

by  Leslie A. Viereck

Alaska Trees and Shrubs Agriculture
title: Handbook (United States. Dept. of
Agriculture) ; No. 410
author: Viereck, Leslie A.; Little, Elbert Luther
publisher: University of Alaska Press
isbn10 | asin: 0912006196
print isbn13: 9780912006192
ebook isbn13: 9780585207391
language: English
Trees--Alaska--Identification, Shrubs--
Alaska--Identification, Trees--Alaska--
subject
Classification, Shrubs--Alaska--
Classification.
publication date: 1986
lcc: QK146.V54 1986eb
ddc: 582.1609798
Trees--Alaska--Identification, Shrubs--
Trees--Alaska--Identification, Shrubs--
Alaska--Identification, Trees--Alaska--
subject:
Classification, Shrubs--Alaska--
Classification.

Page i
Alaska Trees and Shrubs
by
Leslie A. Viereck, Principal Plant Ecologist
Institute of Northern Forestry
Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station
U.S.D.A. Forest Service, College, Alaska
and
Elbert L. Little, Jr., Chief Dendrologist
Division of Timber Management Research
U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Washington, D.C.
Agriculture Handbook No. 410
Forest Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C.
1972
Reprinted by the
University of Alaska Press
Fairbanks, Alaska
Page ii
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-050727
International Standard Book Number: 0-912006-19-6
Printed in the United States of America.
Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture
First Printing, Agriculture Handbook No. 410, 1972
University of Alaska Press
Second Printing, 2,000 copies, 1986
Third Printing, 2,000 copies, 1988
Fourth Printing, 2,500 copies, 1991
Fifth Printing, 2,500 copies, 1994
Cover: The scratchboard cover design by William D. Berry is a
typical white spruce paper birch stand in interior Alaska in early
winter. The shrub layer is alder and willow.
Page iii
Contents
List of species iv
Introduction 1
Previous work 2
Preparation of this handbook 3
Plan 4
How to use this handbook 5
Acknowledgments 5
Statistical summary 6
Growth forms 6
Alaska trees 8
Geographic distribution 9
Local and rare species 10
Vegetation of Alaska 11
Coastal forests 13
1. Coastal spruce-hemlock forests 14
Interior forests 15
2. Closed spruce-hardwood forests 15
3. Open, low growing spruce forests 18
4. Treeless bogs 19
5. Shrub thickets 20
Tundra 21
6. Moist tundra 21
7. Wet tundra 22
8. Alpine tundra 22
Vegetation map 23
Keys for identification 24
Key to Alaska trees based mainly on leaves 25
Winter key to deciduous trees of Alaska 28
Key to genera of Alaska shrubs 30
Winter key to Alaska shrubs 34
Alaska trees and shrubs 43
Key to Alaska willows 78
Vegetative Key to Alaska willows 82
Selected references 254
Index of common and scientific names 260
Page iv
List of Species
1
Yew family (Taxaceae)
1. Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia Nutt. (LS-ST, C, R) 44
Pine family (Pinaceae)
2. lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Dougl. (ST-LT, C) 45
3. tamarack, Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch (ST-MT, I) 48
4. black spruce, Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. (ST-MT, I) 51
5. *white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (MT-LT, I- 52
c)
6. *Sitka spruce, Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. (LT, C) 54
7. *western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. (LT, 58
C)
8. *mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carr. 59
(ST-LT, C)
9. Pacific silver fir, Abies amabilis (Dougl.) Forbes (MT- 61
LT, C, R)
10. subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (ST-LT, C,62
R)
Cypress family (Cupressaceae)
11. *western redcedar, Thuja plicata Donn (LT, C) 64
12. *Alaska-cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) 66
Spach (MT-LT, C)
13. common juniper, Juniperus communis L. (PS-SS, I-C) 68
14. creeping juniper, Juniperus horizontalis Moench (PS, I) 69
Willow family (Salicaceae)
15. *balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera L. (MT-LT, I-c) 72
16. *black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray 74
(LT, C)
17. *quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. (SM-MT, 76
I)
18. netleaf willow, Salix reticulata L. (PS, I-C) 86
19. Setchell willow, Salix setchelliana Ball (PS, I-c) 87
20. polar willow, Salix polaris Wahlenb. ssp. pseudopolaris 88
(Flod.) Hult. (PS, I-c)
21. skeletonleaf willow, Salix phlebophylla Anderss. (PS, I)89
22. least willow, Salix rotundifolia Trautv. (PS, I-C) 90
23. arctic willow, Salix arctica Pall. (PS, I-C) 91
1 Size is indicated by letters: LT, large tree; MT, medium tree; ST, small
tree; LS, large shrub; MS, medium shrub; SS, small shrub; PS, prostrate
shrub. General distribution is given as I, interior, and C, coastal, with
small letter where restricted, and R, rare. The 10 tree species producing
nearly all the commercial timber are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Explanation under Statistical Summary, page 6.
Page v
24. Alaska bog willow, Salix fuscescens Anderss. (PS, I- 92
C)
25. ovalleaf willow, Salix ovalifolia Trautv. and Salix 94
stolonifera Cov. (PS, i-C)
26. grayleaf willow, Salix glauca L. (MS-ST, I-C) 95
27. barren-ground willow, Salix brachycarpa Nutt. ssp. 97
niphoclada (Rydb.) Argus (SS-MS, I)
28. halberd willow, Salix hastata L. (MS, I) 98
29. low blueberry willow, Salix myrtillifolia Anderss. (SS, 99
I)
30. tall blueberry willow, Salix novae-angliae> Anderss. 101
(LS, I)
31. Barclay willow, Salix barclayi Anderss. (MS-LS, I-C) 102
32. Hooker willow, Salix hookeriana Cov. (LS-ST, C, R) 106
33. undergreen willow, Salix commutata Bebb (MS, I-C) 106
34. Chamisso willow, Salix chamissonis Anderss. (PS, I) 108
35. park willow, Salix monticola Bebb. (MS-LS, I-c) 108
36. Richardson willow, Salix lanata L. ssp. richardsonii 110
(Hook.) A. Skwortz. (MS-LS, I-C)
37. Barratt willow, Salix barrattiana Hook. (SS, I) 110
38. feltleaf willow, Salix alaxensis (Anderss.) Cov. (LS- 112
ST, I-C)
39. silver willow, Salix candida Fluegge (MS, I, R) 115
40. Bebb willow, Salix bebbiana Sarg. (LS-ST, I-C) 116