Lodgepole Pine Forest - Code: Ne1I

Lodgepole Pine forest is a common habitat in mountainous areas of the w. Nearctic. It generally occurs at 8,500–10,000 ft. (2,600–3,000m), in areas where the climate is wet and cool with a very brief frost-free period in summer. 
Lodgepole Pine forest is a near monoculture that colonizes after major fires or other large-scale disturbances. Characterized by dense stands of even-age Lodgepole Pines (Pinus contorta), this forest has few other canopy trees. The postfire forests  are often called “Dog-hair stands” and can reach incredible densities of 20,000 trees per acre (50,000/ha). If soil conditions are favorable, small pockets of other early successional trees like Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) may be found. 
The shrub and forb layers are also sparse and depauperate. Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.), huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.), buckbrush (Ceanothus spp.), and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) are the most common shrubs and can be abundant in early successional stages of this forest. Despite the relatively sparse understory, this habitat can be surprisingly difficult to move through. Exposed to frequent fire and high winds, the forest floor is often a maze of fallen trunks. Younger, generations of Lodgepole Pines grow on top of old burns. Short forests with the burned trunks of previous generations still intact and standing are a common landscape feature. 
Lodgepole Pine has fire-adapted serotinous cones, which open and release seeds only after exposure to fire or other heat. If left undisturbed, Lodgepole Pine forest is replaced by NEARCTIC MONTANE SPRUCE-FIR FOREST or NEARCTIC MONTANE MIXED-CONIFER FOREST. But with the increased frequency and scale of fires in the w. Nearctic, the extent of Lodgepole Pine forest has increased.