Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Unit W2

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Hierarchy of Geobotanical Vegetation Map Units (Walker DA 2002)

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W2. Sedge, moss, dwarf-shrub wetland

Wetland complexes in the milder areas of the Arctic, dominated by sedges, grasses, and mosses, but including dwarf shrubs <40 cm tall. Subzone D.

Detailed Description

Wetland complexes of Subzone D, primarily fens with slightly acidic to circumneutral soil pH. Large components of moist nontussock sedge, dwarf-shrub, moss tundra (see Unit G3) are usually present in slightly elevated microsites such as hummocks and rims of low-centered ice-wedge polygons.
Area: 136 x 1000 km².

Representative Syntaxa

Communities of the class Scheuchzerio-Caricetea.

Dominant Plants

Sedges, grasses, and mosses. Prostrate dwarf-shrubs and forbs are often present. Acidic variants on raised microsites have hypoarctic, oligotrophic dwarf shrubs (see also Unit G4 and Unit S1).

1. 1. Sedge: Carex aquatilis; Carex chordorrhiza; Carex rariflora; Eriophorum angustifolium; Eriophorum triste;
   2. Grass: Arctophila fulva; Dupontia fisheri;
   3. Moss: Pseudocalliergon brevifolius; Scorpidium scorpioides; Cinclidium latifolium; Meesia triquetra; Catoscopium nigritum; Distichium capillaceum;
   4. Prostrate dwarf shrubs: Salix arctica; Salix reptans; Salix fuscescens;
   5. Forb: Pedicularis sudetica ssp. albolabiata; Pedicularis pennellii; Comarum palustre;
   6. Hypoarctic, oligotrophic dwarf shrubs: Ledum; Salix pulchra; Empetrum; Betula nana s.l.; Vaccinium;

^a=acidic, ⁿ=non-acidic