Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Unit S2
- CAVM
- Vegetation
- About the Vegetation Map Units
- Bioclimate Subzones
- Floristic Provinces
- AVHRR
- Elevation
- Lake Cover
- Physiography
- NDVI and Phytomass
- Substrate Chemistry
- Coastline
- Literature
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
Hierarchy of Geobotanical Vegetation Map Units (Walker DA 2002)
S2. Low-shrub tundra
Tundra dominated by low shrubs >40 cm tall. Subzone E.
Detailed Description
Moist tundra in Subzone E dominated by low shrubs >40 cm tall sometimes on permafrost-free soils. Peatlands with permafrost are common in wet areas. This highly variable unit includes some areas with scattered Pinus pumila stlaniks in the Anadyr-Penzhina subprovince, but excludes areas of continuous stlaniks.
Area: 613 x 1000 km2.
Representative Syntaxa
Communities of the classes Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea, e.g., Betulo-Salicetum glaucae Dan. 2002 prov. (Greenland), Betulo-Adenostyletea Br.-Bl. et Tx 1943 and Salicetea purpureae Moor 1958.
Dominant Plants
Upland areas have mainly oligotrophic hypoarctic shrubs. Thick moss carpets are common in most shrublands. Along drainages and near treeline, low and tall willows and alders are abundant. Salix glauca dominates this zonal tundra in Greenland. Some trees reach into this subzone along the southern river valleys.
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- Oligotrophic hypoarctic shrubs: Betula nana s.l. ; Betula middendorfii/glandulosa ; Spiraea stevenii ; Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. microphyllum ; Vaccinium vitis-idaea ; Ledum palustre spp. decumbens ; Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum ;
- Moss carpets: Hylocomium splendens ; Sphagnum ; Aulacomnium turgidum ; Sanionia uncinata ;
- Low and tall willows and alders: Salix pulchra ; Salix glauca ; Salix richardsonii ; Salix alaxensis ; Salix krylovii ; Salix burjatica ; Salix boganidensis ; Salix arbusculoides ; Alnus crispa ; Alnus fruticosa ;
- Tree: Betula tortuosa ; Betula cajanderi ; Populus balsamifera ; Populus suaveolens ; Chosenia arbutifolia ; Larix laricina ; Larix cajanderi ; Picea obovata ; Picea glauca ; Picea mariana ;
a=acidic, n=non-acidic