Lutz spruce / Oakfern - Bluejoint
	Picea X lutzii / Gymnocarpium dryopteris – Calamagrostis canadensis
	n = 4
	I.A.2. Open needleleaf forest
	Ecosystem: Discharge Slope

Lutz spruce / oakfern - bluejoint grass has been previously described by DeVelice, et. al., (1999) for Chugach National Forest.  Their type has lower diversity and total understory cover.

Three of the plots sampled on the Kenai Lowlands were located above 425 meters (1400 feet) on footslopes of kame-like features associated with the modified moraine west of Caribou Lake. The fourth plot is along the coast near Point Possession.  Spruce bark beetle caused mortality has thinned the canopy, resulting in more bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) cover than would be expected in an un-infested stand.  

A tall open Lutz spruce canopy tops a lush herbaceous understory composed of almost equal parts oakfern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris), bluejoint and fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium). Oakfern covers more ground than the other dominants, but is concealed late in the season under a rich tall forb layer.  Common associates include Canadian burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis), twisted stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) and carpets of trailing raspberry (Rubus pedatus).  Scattered Barclay's willow (Salix barclayi) or, near the coast,  rusty menziesia (Menziesia ferrugenea) and Devil's club (Oplopanax horridus) are present. This type is species rich, with 32 species present across the four plots.  

Lutz spruce bluejoint grass does not typically indicate a wetland, this type is usually found on drier sites.  Organic layers are thin, at three sites they were 4 cm, and at the fourth it was 7 cm thick.  The water table was not encountered within 1.5 meters of the surface at any plot.  However, modern redoximorphic features were found within 16 cm of the surface at two sites possibly indicating a jurisdictional wetland.

Table 1. Frequency of occurrence of soil series named at NRCS holes.

  Table 2.  Summary of plant frequency and average cover for plants occurring in more than 50% of plots. 

Introduction and Key to Plant Communities   Introduction and Key to Ecosystems     Kenai Hydric Soils    Map Unit Summary    Methods    Glossary