Imnavait Creek Permanent Vegetation Plots

Walker DA, Lederer ND, and Walker MD. 1987. Permanent vegetation plots: Site factors, soil physical and chemical properties and plant species cover. Department of Energy R4D Program, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.

Home // Vegetation communities and microsites // Summary of areas sampled // Environmental variables // Environmental information // Soil descriptions // Soil physical characteristics // Soil chemical characteristics // Species composition //
Appendices: Plot and soil photos // Equivalent vegetation units // Plot location map

Table 3. Legend for the environmental variables used in the R4D vegetation studies.

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Landforms
1Hill crest
2Sideslope
3Footslope
4Active floodplain
5Stabilized floodplain
6Alluvial fan
7Glaciofluvial outwash
8Stream bluff
9Small streams and water tracks
10Lake basin
11Colluvial basin
12Water
13Disturbed
Estimated snow duration
1.0Snow free all year
2.0Snow free most of the winter; some snow cover persists after storm but is blown free soon afterward
3.0Snow free prior to melt out but with snow most of winter
4.0Snow free immediately after melt out
5.0Snow bank persists 1-2 weeks after melt out
6.0Snow bank persists 3-4 weeks after melt out
7.0Snow bank persists 4-8 weeks after melt out
8.0Snow bank persists 8-12 weeks after melt out
9.0Very short snow free period
10.0Deep snow all year
 
Terrain Unit
1Bedrock
2Till
3Glaciofluvial outwash
4Meander floodplain
5Non-meander floodplain
6Alluvial fan
7Basin colluvium
8Hillslope deposits (undifferentiated retransported deposits)
9Emergent lake bottom
10Pond or lake
11Stream or river
12Disturbed
Stability
1.0Stable
2.0Subject to occasional disturbance
3.0Subject to prolonged but slow disturbance such as solifluction
4.0Annually disturbed
5.0Disturbed more than once annually
 
Exposure Scale
1.0Protected from winds
2.0Moderate exposure to winds
3.0Exposed to winds
4.0Very exposed to winds
Soil Type
blankNo soil
1Pergelic Cryaquoll
2Pergelic Cryohemist
3Pergelic Cryofibrist
4Pergelic Cryorthent
5Pergelic Cryumbrept
6Pergelic Cryaquept
7Histic Pergelic Cryaquept
8Ruptic Pergelic Cryaquept
9Hemic Pergelic Sphagnofibrist
0Ranker soil (Pergelic Cryorthent)
 
Surface Form
1Blockfields and sorted stone stripes
2Non-sorted stone stripes with frost scars
3Hummocky terrain including turf hummocks
4Gelifluction or solifluction features
5High-centered polygons
6Palsa
7Frost scars
8Strangmoor or aligned hummocks in bogs
9Thermokarst pits
10Weakly defined hillslope watertracks (<1.0m relief)
11Well defined hillslope watertracks (>1.0m relief)
12Incised stream drainage
13Active floodplain alluvium
14Irregular relief associated with stress drainages
15Rocky terrain (undifferentiated till and bedrock)
16Featureless ground
17Pond complex
18Water
19Disturbed
Soil Moisture (modified from Komárková 1983)
1.0Very dry - very little moisture; soil does not stick together
2.0Dry - little moisture; soil somewhat sticks together
3.0Damp - noticeable moisture; soil sticks together but crumbles
4.0Damp to moist - very noticeable moisture; soil clumps
5.0Moist - moderate moisture; soil binds but can be broken apart
6.0Moist to wet - considerable moisture; soil binds and sticks to fingers
7.0Wet - very considerable moisture; drops of water can be squeezed out of soil
8.0Very wet - much moisture can be squeezed out of soil
9.0Saturated - very much moisture; water drips out of soil
10.0Very saturated - extreme moisture; soil is more liquid than solid
 
Microsite
1Hummock
2Inter-hummock
3Frost scar
4Inter-frost scar
5In water track
6Shrubby edge of water track
7Top of solifluction lobe
8Inter-solifluction lobe
Animal and Human Disturbance
0.0No sign present
1.0Some sign present; no disturbance
2.0Minor disturbance or extensive sign
3.0Moderate disturbance; small dens or light grazing
4.0Major disturbance; multiple dens or noticeable trampling
5.0Very major disturbance; very extensive tunneling or large pit
 
Site Moisture (modified from Komárková 1983)
1.0Extremely xeric - almost no moisture; no plant growth
2.0Very xeric - very little moisture; dry sand dunes
3.0Xeric - little moisture; stabilized sand dunes, dry ridge tops
4.0Subxeric - noticeable moisture; well-drained slopes, ridges
5.0Subxeric to mesic - very noticeable moisture; flat to gently sloping
6.0Mesic - moderate moisture; flat or shallow depressions
7.0Mesic to subhygric - considerable moisture; depressions
8.0Subhygric - very considerable moisture; saturated but with < 5 % standing water < 10 cm deep
9.0Hygric - much moisture; up to 100% of surface under water 10 to 50 cm deep; lake margins, shallow ponds, streams
10.0Hydric - very much moisture; 100% of surface under water 50 to 150 cm deep; lakes, streams
 
 

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