Vegetation sampling was conducted in lodge pole pine and spruce-fir forests. Fifty stands were sampled to obtain quantitative measurements of vascular plant species and the physical attributes of the site. Data analyses included principal component, McNaughton and Wolf's niche index, and discriminate and canonical analyses. The analyses techniques identified under story sensitivity to aspect, elevation, and soil profile attributes that influence soil moisture. The under story species studied exhibited a relative independence to over story composition and dominance.