Stunted Spruce

I am not sure what caused this meadow to form rather than forest. Clearly something must be inhibiting the growth of trees, as this spruce tree has little competition but is still quite stunted. Another interesting thing about this meadow is that there were few, if any (I don't remember seeing any), pine trees.

Location: Indian River Valley, Sitka, Alaska

Previous: Northern Starflower (Trientalis arctica)
Next: White Bog-Orchid (Platanthera dilatata)