Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map
Vegetation Units
Introduction -
Barrens:
B1B1. Cryptogam, herb barren -
B2B2. Cryptogam barren complex (bedrock) -
B3B3. Noncarbonate mountain complex -
B4B4. Carbonate mountain complex ||
Graminoid Tundras:
G1G1. Rush/grass, forb, cryptogam tundra -
G2G2. Graminoid, prostrate dwarf-shrub, forb tundra -
G3G3. Non-tussock sedge, dwarf-shrub, moss tundra -
G4G4. Tussock-sedge, dwarf-shrub, moss tundra
Prostrate-shrub Tundras:
P1P1. Prostrate dwarf-shrub, herb tundra -
P2P2. Prostrate/hemiprostrate dwarf-shrub tundra ||
Erect-shrub Tundras:
S1S1. Erect dwarf-shrub tundra -
S2S2. Low-shrub tundra ||
Wetlands:
W1W1. Sedge/grass, moss wetland -
W2W2. Sedge, moss, dwarf-shrub wetland -
W3W3. Sedge, moss, low-shrub wetland
Eureka vicinity, Ellesmere Island, Canada (Photo: D.A. Walker).
Select image to enlarge
G2. Graminoid, prostrate dwarf-shrub, forb tundra
Moist to dry tundra, with open to continuous plant cover. Sedges are dominant, along with prostrate shrubs <5 cm tall. Subzone C, some Subzone B.
Detailed Description
Moist to dry tundra in Subzone C and warmer parts of Subzone B on fine-grained, often hummocky circumneutral soils with moderate snow. This is the zonal vegetation on nonacidic soils of Subzone C. Plant cover is moderate (40-80%) and 5-15 cm tall. The diversity of plant communities is much greater than in Unit G1 and includes Cassiope tetragona snowbeds, well-developed mires, and streamside plant communities.
Representative syntaxa
Communities of the class Carici-Kobresietea, e.g., Carici-Dryadetum integrifoliae Dan. 1982 (Greenland).
Dominant plants
Sedges, rushes, and prostrate dwarf-shrubs are common. Other common plants include grasses, forbs, mosses, liverworts, and lichens.
- Sedges
- Rushes
- Prostrate dwarf-shrubs
- Grasses
- Forbs
- Mosses
- Liverworts
- Lichens
a=acidic, n=non-acidic