Common Shrub Species – Northwestern Ontario Forest

Table of Contents Acer spicatum – Mountain Maple – “White Maple” Alnus crispa – Green Alder Alnus rugosa – Speckled Alder Amelanchier bartramiana – Mountain Juneberry Amelanchier humilis – Shadbush Amelanchier sanguinea Saskatoon – “Red-twigged Serviceberry, Juneberry” Andromeda glaucophylla – Bog Rosemary Arctostaphylos uva-ursi – Bearberry Chamaedaphne calyculata – Leatherleaf Chimaphila umbellata – Pipsissewa – … Read more

Siberian Chipmunk – Tamias Sibiricus

Distinguishing Features – The Siberian chipmunk’s body length is 12 – 17cm, two-thirds of its total length. Like other chipmunks, it has brightly colored fur, dark stripes, and large cheek pouches. Its ears are small and slightly rounded at the tips. The fur on the back is brown-gray to ocher yellow, depending on the origin … Read more

Common Polypody – Polypodium Vulgare

General – smallish evergreen fern of rock crevices, 10 – 25 cm high; fronds form a network of spreading, mat-like rhizomes. Leaves – single; leathery, green, erect or spreading; blade elongated, tapering to a pointed tip, deeply cut almost to the central axis; leaflets almost altemate, hairiess, margins entire or shallowly toothed, blunt-tipped; central axis … Read more

Ground Cedar – Lycopodium Complanatum

General – perennial with rooting, horizontal stems creeping on or near ground surface, up to 1 m long; erect-ascending stems, whitish green, much branched, 5 – 30 cm tall, flattened (cedar-like). Leaves – in 4 vertical rows, sharp-pointed, partially fused to a stem, in 3 forms; largest on upper side, with elevated base; smaller on … Read more

Hair Cap Mosses

General – dark green, robust, unbranched, 4 – 15 cm tall or more; single-sexed, males have enlarged heads at plant tips, females produce sporophytes; lower portion covered by grey rhizoids. Leaves – 6 – 10 mm long, lance-shaped, sharply pointed; spread at right angles when moist, erect-flattened and rolled when dry; membranous, sheathing base; edges … Read more

Forest Management in Russia

Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Russia has 22% of the world’s forest area (as defined by FAO – the most in the world. By comparison, the next largest forest countries are: Brazil with 16%, Canada 7% and U.S. 6 % of the world’s forest cover. The most often referred figure for Russia’s total forested … Read more

Shrubs, Herbs and Other Plants

  World Boreal Species of Common Shrubs   Acer circinatum – Vine Maple Alnus incana – Mountain Alder Amelanchier alnifolia – Western Serviceberry Cassiope mentensiana – White Mountain Heather Crataegus douglasii – Black Hawthorn Elaeagnus angustifolia – Russian Olive Kalmia angustifolia – Sheep Laurel Malus baccata – Siberian Crab Apple Myrica pensylvanica – Northern Bayberry … Read more

Reindeer Lichens – Cladina

Cladina mitis Green Reindeer Lichen or Yellow Reindeer Lichen General – shrub lichen, upright, 4 – 7 cm (sometimes to 10 cm) tall, pale yellowish green, intricately branching from a main stem, not copiously fork-branching from the base; branches hollow, with dull, appressed-cottony surface; end branchlets tending to point in one direction. Habitat Forms mats … Read more