More info for the terms: fern, organic soils, peat, taiga
Habitat: Kinnikinnick is most often a dominant understory species in open
pine forests under jack pine (Pinus banksiana), lodgepole pine (P.
contorta), limber pine (P. flexilis), ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) or
pitch pine (P. rigida) [47,96,113,138,148]. It is also found in the
understories of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), subalpine fir
(Abies lasiocarpa), white spruce (Picea glauca), black spruce (P.
mariana), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), aspen, and some eastern
deciduous forests [6,30,96,134]. In the Pacific Northwest and Rocky
Mountains, it grows on steep, sunny, dry slopes [41,131]. In the
southern boreal forests of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, kinnikinnick is
characteristic of dry and very dry forests [113]. It is common in
heathland communities but grows in a variety of boreal forest sites,
including eroded banks and peat bogs. It also grows in sand-dune areas
of subboreal regions [111]. Kinnikinnick is fairly abundant in the alpine
zone of the Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains and may be dominant
on stable, well drained, south-facing sites [10,27,31,32,33]. It grows
under Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) in Washington woodlands [42].
Kinnikinnick is conspicuous in the Badlands of eastern Alberta [96]. In
the foothills of the northern Great Plains, it grows in the rough fescue
(Festuca scabrella) prairie [21,80]. In the Alaskan taiga, kinnikinnick
occupies warmer sites [140].
In Michigan and Wisconsin, kinnikinnick is found on dry sand plains, and in
Wisconsin it grows in bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)-grasslands
[18,25]. In Ohio it grows on the beaches and dunes along Lake Erie
[15]. In Ontario, it frequently grows on the shores of lakes and rivers
and in semiopen coniferous woods [127]. In New England it grows in dry
sandy open woods [125]. Kinnikinnick is one of the most abundant low
understory species in the fire-prone, pygmy pine forests of the New
Jersey Pine Barrens [91].
Habitat variation by form: Collections of North American kinnikinnick
plants exhibit form differences between sites. In the Rocky Mountains
these ecological differences between forms are less pronounced
[116,117]. Forma coactilis grows best on the driest sites and is
generally more common on acidic and drier substrates. It is the only
form found along the Coasts (pH of most sites less than 6.6) and on the
relatively moist substrates of the Appalachian Mountains (pH of most
sites 3.7-5.5). Forma coactilis grows most frequently in full sunlight
and is relatively uncommon on shaded sites [116,117]. Forma adenotricha
is most common on basic substrates and seldom occurs on very acidic
soils. It seems to grow better on relatively moist sites. In the Great
Lakes area, it is the most shade-tolerant form [116,117]. Forma
stipitata is more frequent on relatively basic sites; forma longpilosa
grows well on acidic soils. Both grow well on sites with intermediate
moisture status. Forma stipitata is most common on open sites in the
Rocky Mountains; forma longipilosa grows in intermediate light
conditions [116,117].
Soils: Kinnikinnick grows on a wide range of soil textures, although it is
commonly found on well-drained soils that have relatively low amounts of
clay and silt [8,76,142,147,148]. It frequently occurs on sandy soils,
shallow soils, soils on rock outcrops, and rapidly drained
coarse-skeletal soils [70,127]. Along both Coasts and in conifer
forests, kinnikinnick occurs on dry, acidic substrates [117]. In the
Appalachian Mountains, it usually grows on moist, acidic soils. The
sandy to rocky soils on which kinnikinnick grows in the Great Lakes region
are neutral to basic [117]. In Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah,
and Wyoming, kinnikinnick growth is fair to good on acidic soils; poor to
fair on organic soils and poor on saline, sodic and sodic-saline soils.
Optimum soil depth in this area is 10 to 20 inches (25.4-50.8 cm) [30].
In the subalpine zone of western Montana, kinnikinnick grows on soils
derived from granite and quartzite parent materials but not on soils
developed on limestone [48]. However, it grows on soils formed from
calcareous parent materials in the alpine zone [10]. It is found on
basaltic lava flows, mudflow deposits, serpentine outcrops, and coarse
glacial outwash in the Pacific Northwest [42].
Kinnikinnick is common on dry, nutrient-poor soils [8,76,148]. Information
relating kinnikinnick growth habits to specific soil nutrient levels is
available for British Columbia [147]. Results of one study indicate
that leaves are retained longer on plants growing on a sandy,
nutrient-poor substrate than on plants growing on a site with better
nutrient availability [111].
Elevation: Elevational ranges in some western regions are
[20,30,142,150]:
Minimum Maximum
feet meters feet meters
Alberta 500 150 2000 610
Colorado 6000 1829 11700 3566
Montana 2900 884 7700 2347
New Mexico 5000 1524 10000 3048
Utah 7021 2140 11516 3510
Wyoming 4000 1219 9700 2957