Component Projects-Alaska Arctic Tundra Vegetation Map

Alaska Arctic Tundra Vegetation Map

Moist tundra component of unit W1.1, Community No. 2 on acidic soils; Barrow, Alaska

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Moist tundra component of unit W1.1, Community No. 2 on acidic soils; Barrow, Alaska. (Photo: D.A. Walker.)

Wet tundra complex; Barrow, Alaska

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Wet tundra complex; Barrow, Alaska. (Photo: D.A. Walker.)

Wet sedge, moss tundra complex, Community Nos. 2, 3 and 4, Barrow, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska (Photo: D.A. Walker.)

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Wet sedge, moss tundra complex, Community Nos. 2, 3 and 4, Barrow, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska (Photo: D.A. Walker.)

Vegetation Units

W1.1 Wet acidic coastal complex (N. Alaska)

Wet graminoid, moss communities (comm. 4) on wet acidic coastal areas, with moist communities (comm. 2,3) on higher microsites. Northern Arctic Coastal Plain.

Plant Communities:

Community 2

Nodum IV (Webber 1978); Type 6 and 7 (Walker 1977); Saxifraga cernua-Carex aquatilis comm. (Elias et al. 1995) (Barrow, moist, fine-grained soils).

Sedge: Carex aquatilis, Eriophorum angustifolium;
Grass: Poa arctica, Dupontia fisheri;
Rush: Luzula arctica;
Prostrate dwarf shrub: Salix rotundifolia;
Forb: Saxifraga cernua, S. hieracifolia, S. hirculus, Cardamine pratensis, Petasites frigidus, Ranunculus nivalis;
Moss: Oncophorus wahlenbergii, Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum, Aulacomnium turgidum.

Community 3

Nodum 1 (Webber 1978); Type 5 (Walker 1977); Sphaerophorus globosus-Luzula confusa comm., subtype Saxifraga foliolosa  (Elias et al. 1995) (mesic high-centered polygons, zonal vegetation in Barrow area).

Rushes: Luzula confusa, L. arctica;
Grasses: Poa arctica;
Forbs: Potentilla hyparctica, Pedicularis lanata;
Lichens: Alectoria nigricans, Sphaerophorus globosus, Dactylina arctica, Cladonia spp., Ochrolechia frigida;
Mosses: Polytrichastrum alpinum, Polytrichum strictum, Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum.

Community 4

Noda V and VI (Webber 1978); Types 9, 10, 12 and 13 (Walker 1977); Eriophorum angustifolium-Carex aquatilis comm. (Elias et al. 1995) (Barrow, wet sites without standing water).

Sedges: Eriophorum angustifolium, Carex aquatilis;
Grasses: Dupontia fisheri, Arctophila fulva;
Mosses: Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum, Limprichtia revolvens.

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Last modified: December 19, 2011