Growth Form and Distribution of Vine Maple (Acer Cirinatum) on Marys Peak, Western Oregon
Abstract
Vine maple growth form and distribution differ between plant communities. Most stems are erect in the high elevation Pseudotsuga/Acer/Gaultheria community, whereas crown spread, bryophyte cover, height, and diameter attain a maximum in the Pseudotsuga/Acer/Polystichum community. Layering is primarily responsible for the distribution of vine maple and can only occur where the stems become arched and contact the ground. On slopes exceeding 30% most stems lean down or across the slope. In some communities upslone movement of vine maple is restricted because of repeated fires and the step slope which limits layering.
- Publication:
-
Ecology
- Pub Date:
- January 1969
- DOI:
- 10.2307/1934671
- Bibcode:
- 1969Ecol...50..127A