Alaska Arctic Tundra Vegetation Map
Select image to enlarge.
Moist tundra component of unit W2.2; Community No. 9 on nonacidic soils, near Camden Bay, Arctic coast, Alaska. (Photo: D.A. Walker.)
Vegetation Units
Introduction
Barren Complexes:
B2.1B2.1 Lichens on Lava (Seward Peninsula) -
B3d.1B3d.1 Acidic mountain complexes (St. Lawrence Is.) -
B3e.1B3e.1 Acidic mountain complexes (Brooks Range) -
B3e.2B3e.2 Acidic mountain complexes (NW Alaska) -
B3e.3B3e.3 Acidic mountain complexes (Kuskokwim Mtns.) -
B4d.1B4d.1 Nonacidic mountain complexes (Seward Peninsula) -
B4d.2B4d.2 Nonacidic mountain complexes (St. Lawrence Is.) -
B4e.1B4e.1 Nonacidic mountain complexes (Brooks Range) -
B4e.2B4e.2 Nonacidic mountain complexes (NW Alaska)
Non-Tussock Graminoid Tundras:
G3.1G3.1 Moist nonacidic tundra (N. Arctic Coastal Plain) -
G3.2G3.2 Moist nonacidic tundra (St. Lawrence Is.) -
G3.3G3.3 Moist nonacidic tundra (Arctic Foothills, Seward Peninsula)
Tussock Graminoid Tundras:
G4.1G4.1 Tussock tundra (entire map) -
G4.2G4.2 Lichen-rich tussock tundra (Seward Peninsula) -
G4.3G4.3 Tussock tundra on sands (Arctic Coastal Plain)
Prostrate Dwarf-Shrub Tundras:
P2.1P2.1 Dry tundra (St. Matthew Is.)
Erect Dwarf-Shrub Tundras:
S1.1S1.1 Shrubby, tussock tundra (NE Alaska) -
S1.2S1.2 Dwarf-shrub, lichen tundra (NW Alaska) -
S1.3S1.3 Dwarf-shrub tundra on volcanic rock (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
S1.4S1.4 Dwarf-shrub, lichen tundra (Kuskokwim Mtns.)
Low-Shrub Tundras:
S2.1S2.1 Willow-birch tundra (entire map) -
S2.2S2.2 Alder shrublands (entire map)
Wetlands:
W1.1W1.1 Wet acidic coastal complex (N Alaska) -
W1.2W1.2 Wet nonacidic coastal complex (N Alaska) -
W2.1W2.1 Wet acidic complex (N Alaska, Seward Peninsula) -
W2.2W2.2 Wet nonacidic complex (Subzone D, N Alaska) -
W3.1W3.1 Wet acidic complex with tussock tundra (W Alaska) -
W3.2W3.2 Wet acidic complex with dwarf-shrub tundra (lower parts of Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.3W3.3 Wet acidic complex with low-shrub tundra (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.4W3.4 Wet acidic complex with dwarf-shrub tundra (inland parts of Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.5W3.5 Wet acidic complex (Nunivak Is.) -
W3.6W3.6 Wet nonacidic complex (warmer parts of NW Alaska) -
W3.7W3.7 Wet coastal saline tundra (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta)
W3.6 Wet nonacidic complex (warmer parts of NW Alaska)
Wet sedge, moss communities (comm. 77) on nonacidic sites, with moist communities (G3.3, comm. 75) on higher microsites. NW Alaska and Seward Peninsula, Subzone E.
(See G3.3)
Plant Communities:
Community 75
Northern Beringian Islands: Dryado integrifoliae-Caricetum bigelowii, moist calcareous tundra (Walker et al. 1994) (Toolik Lake).
Beringian Alaska: Vegetation type Bigelow's sedge tussock dwarf-shrub tundra (Racine and Anderson 1979); Releves R6,7a,33,37,57,58 (Raynolds et al. 2002) (Seward Peninsula).
Vegetation type Bigelow's sedge tussock dwarf-shrub tundra (Racine and Anderson 1979); Releves R6,7a,33,37,57,58 (Raynolds et al. 2002) (Seward Peninsula).
Sedges:
Carex bigelowii, Eriophorum angustifolium ssp. triste, Carex membranacea, E. vaginatum;
Prostrate dwarf shrub:
Dryas integrifolia, Salix reticulata, Arctous rubra;
Erect dwarf shrub:
Salix richardsonii, S. glauca, Vaccinium uliginosum, Rhododendrum lapponicum;
Forb:
Lupinus arcticus, Oxytropis maydelliana, Pedicularis capitata, Lagotis glauca, Eutrema edwardsii, Tephroseris frigida, Bistorta vivipara, Packera cymbalaria, Pedicularis lanata, Tofieldia pusilla;
Horsetail:
Equisetum arvense, Equisetum variegatum;
Moss:
Tomentypnum nitens, Hylocomium splendens, Aulacomnium turgidum;
Lichen:
Thamnolia subuliformis, Flavocetraria spp., Dactylina arctica
Community 77
Eriophorum angustifolium-Carex aquatilis comm., nonacidic marshes (Walker and Barry 1991) (Toolik Lake).
Sedge:
Carex aquatilis, Carex chordorrhiza Carex spp., Eriophorum angustifolium spp.;
Moss:
Drepanocladus brevifolius, Scorpidium scorpioides, Cinclidium latifolium, Meesia triquetra, Catascopium nigritum, Distichium capillaceum