[From introduction] This study is concerned with the forest vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones, part of a larger project to investigate the plant ecology of the Olympic Mountains massif. Dense coniferous forests cover the slopes of the Olympics from sea level to 1800m, but this investigation is limited to those between 550 and 1800m. Because so little was known about the ecology of these forests, several different kinds of data and observations were needed. Information was desired on the location, composition, and structure of the montane and subalpine forests; the relationships of the different community types to each other and how the pattern of species and communities is affected by temperature and precipitation. Additional information was sought on the role of fire in these forests; the effect of vegetation, environmental factors, and slope exposure on soil development; and the relationship of parent material and soil fertility levels to forest pattern. Finally, we wanted to know the position of the Olympic Mountains forests in the ecology and phytogeography of the Pacific Northwest mountain systems.