CLASSIFICATION OF THE GRASSLANDS, SHRUBLANDS, WOODLANDS, FORESTS AND ALPINE VEGETATION ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CUSTER NATIONAL FOREST PORTION OF THE BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHCENTRAL MONTANA

The purpose of this thesis was to classify and describe low-elevation grassland and shrubland vegetation, mid-elevation woodland and forested vegetation, and high elevation alpine vegetation associations of the Beartooth Mountains study area and to compare newly derived associations with existing habitat type and community type classifications of ecologically relevant environments in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Five grassland/shrubland associations, twelve woodland/forested associations and thirteen alpine associations were classified and described for the Beartooth Mountains study area. Prior to this thesis, no comprehensive vegetation association classification of the Beartooth Mountains, the highest, largest and easternmost alpine region in Montana, has been conducted.