Print Report
D044 Salix arctica - Ledum palustre ssp. decumbens / Dryas integrifolia Tundra Division
Type Concept Sentence: This circumarctic tundra and barrens type contains low shrubs, dwarf-shrubs, cushion shrubs, chamaephyte herbs, hemicryptophyte herbs, lichens, and sparse vegetation generally occurring north of the treeline.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Arctic Willow - Marsh Labrador-tea / Entireleaf Mountain-avens Tundra Division
Colloquial Name: Arctic Tundra & Barrens
Hierarchy Level: Division
Type Concept: This division includes all vegetation located in the Arctic, generally north of the treeline, except for some coastal ecosystems. In North America, it includes vegetation of the Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Alaska Tundra and Brook Range Tundra and Southern Arctic ecoregions. Worldwide it includes the following floristic regions: European Russia - West Siberia, East Siberia, Beringia, Canada, North Atlantic. This division is characterized by a complete absence of tree growth forms, limited participation by tall or short shrubs, and high participation of creeping shrubs, dwarf-shrubs and cushion shrubs. Lichens can have high prominence both in terms of biodiversity and biomass. Lichens can blend with dwarf-shrubs and herbs within the same height layer. All the Arctic floristic provinces share a significant number of common species and at the same time at least 10% of species and even genera are endemic or subendemic to this division. Large numbers of species are circumarctic, present in all or the majority of the Arctic floristic provinces. These include Cassiope tetragona, Luzula confusa, Oxytropis arctica, Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena, Polygonum viviparum, and Saxifraga oppositifolia. This division can be divided into five floristically and physiognomically distinctive bioclimatic subzones. The most southern subzone can be characterized by dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa - east and center of North American Arctic and Betula nana - west of North American Arctic and Eurasian Arctic), several subspecies of Salix glauca and Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp. minus. For the central subzones, characteristic dwarf-shrub species include Arctostaphylos alpina, Arctostaphylos rubra, Cassiope tetragona, Dryas integrifolia, Empetrum nigrum, Ledum palustre ssp. decumbens, and Vaccinium uliginosum. And finally, the most northern subzone shares Luzula confusa, Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena, Salix arctica, and Saxifraga oppositifolia. Several lichen species are common and have high fidelity in this division, including Alectoria ochroleuca, Gowardia nigricans, Arctoparmelia centrifuga, Bryocaulon divergens, Bryoria nitidula, Cetraria aculeata, Cladonia arbuscula, Flavocetraria nivalis, Flavocetraria cucullata, Pseudephebe minuscula, Rhizocarpon geographicum, Sphaerophorus fragilis, Thamnolia vermicularis, and Solorina crocea. The climate is the paramount factor responsible for the specific features of this vegetation. The winter is long and cold, and summer is short and cool. The warmth of summer is not enough to melt soil ice (permafrost) and soils stay frozen all the time. As climate is generally not favorable for growth, Arctic plants have developed ways to use very local microclimates or even create their own microclimates through special anatomical features. Most common of them is a lower stature that allows the plants to use heat radiated from the soil and rock to compensate for frigid air temperatures and to avoid desiccation by cold wind in winter under a protective snow cover.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Treeless terrestrial ecosystems north of the treeline that are not influenced by the seawater and not flooded to the surface level or above for a significant part of the vegetation season. Large numbers of species are circumarctic, present in all or the majority of the Arctic floristic provinces. These include Cassiope tetragona, Luzula confusa, Oxytropis arctica, Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena, Polygonum viviparum, and Saxifraga oppositifolia. At the same time at least 10% of species and even genera are endemic or subendemic to this division. Yurtsev (1978) identified a few widespread endemic and subendemic genera, including Arctophila, Dupontia, Parrya s.s., Phippsia, Pleuropogon s.s., as well as several endemic or subendemic sections in genera such as Cerastium, Draba, Silene, Oxytropis, Papaver, Poa, Potentilla, Puccinellia, and Taraxacum (e.g., the Taraxacum section Arctica).
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: It might be worth considering splitting this division into Shrub Tundra and Lichen-Herb Tundra. In European proposals, the arctic and alpine shrub tundra vegetation of Europe and North America are grouped together within the Loiseleurio-Vaccinetea (and its single order the Rhododendro-Vaccinietalia) with arctic types recognized at the alliance level (Rodwell et al. 2002), and the herbaceous vegetation in a variety of arctic and alpine classes (Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii, Salicetea herbaceae (Rodwell et al. 2002). The sparse "polar desert" vegetation may also be treated as their own class, the Draba corymbosae-Papaveretea dahlianae, an approach comparable to ~Arctic Scree, Rock & Cliff Barrens Macrogroup (M175)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This division is characterized by a complete absence of tree growth forms, limited participation by tall or short shrubs, and high participation of creeping shrubs, dwarf-shrubs and cushion shrubs. Lichens can have high prominence both in terms of biodiversity and biomass. Lichens can blend with dwarf-shrubs and herbs within the same height layer. Annual species are essentially absent.
Floristics: Large numbers of species are circumarctic, present in all or the majority of the Arctic floristic provinces. These include Cassiope tetragona, Luzula confusa, Oxytropis arctica, Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena (= Poa alpigena), Polygonum viviparum, and Saxifraga oppositifolia. This division can be divided into five floristically and physiognomically bioclimatic subzones. The most southern subzone can be characterized by dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa - east and center of North American Arctic and Betula nana - west of North American Arctic and Eurasian Arctic), several subspecies of Salix glauca and Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp. minus. For the central subzones, characteristic dwarf-shrub species include Arctostaphylos alpina, Arctostaphylos rubra, Cassiope tetragona, Dryas integrifolia, Empetrum nigrum, Ledum palustre ssp. decumbens, and Vaccinium uliginosum (= ssp. alpinum). And finally, the most northern subzone shares Luzula confusa, Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena, Salix arctica, and Saxifraga oppositifolia. Several lichen species are common and have high fidelity in this division, including Alectoria ochroleuca, Gowardia nigricans (= Alectoria nigricans), Arctoparmelia centrifuga, Bryocaulon divergens, Bryoria nitidula, Cetraria aculeata, Cladonia arbuscula, Flavocetraria nivalis, Flavocetraria cucullata, Pseudephebe minuscula, Rhizocarpon geographicum, Sphaerophorus fragilis, Thamnolia vermicularis, and Solorina crocea.
Dynamics: All processes are slow and many communities were developed over hundreds or thousands of years.
Environmental Description: This is a very broad division that unites communities across a broad range of the environmental upland conditions as well as across a significant climate gradient within the Arctic. It includes communities on sites with water regimes from subxeric to subhygric and with nutrient regimes from very poor to rich. The communities that are influenced by salt/brackish waters are excluded. The warmth of summer is not enough to melt soil ice (permafrost) and soils stay frozen all the time. The chemistry of the soil substrate also plays an important role and all soil chemistry types from acidic to alkaline are included in this division. Another important environmental driver in the Arctic is snow regime. This division includes the whole range of snow regimes from sites where snow is commonly sparse in winter on windswept sites to snowbanks where snow accumulates during winter and melts during a significant portion of the growing season. Summer is too short to allow vegetation species to complete a full life cycle from seed to seed and therefore annual species are virtually absent from the Arctic flora. Only perennial species have a chance to germinate, produce a seedling and survive, when the rare favorable conditions occur. Since climate is generally not favorable for growth, Arctic plants have developed ways to use very local microclimates or even create their own microclimates through special anatomical features. Most common of them is a lower stature that allows the plants to use heat radiated from the soil and rock to compensate for frigid air temperatures and to avoid desiccation by cold wind in winter under a protective snow cover.
Climate: Climate is the main factor responsible for specific features of this division. Distinctive features of the climate include very long and cold winters, short and cool summers and absence of night during summer that intensifies the vegetation growing processes, allowing them to be completed in a relatively short time.
Soils/substrate: Permafrost and cryoturbation are important processes shaping soils.
Biogeography: A significant portion of this division was repeatedly glaciated during the Pleistocene with complete extermination of flora and soil and new re-colonization of new substrates. Some areas within this division did not have an interruption in vegetation during the Pleistocene and have a much richer flora. A floristic regionalization of Arctic vegetation was developed by Yurtsev (1978) and then adopted by the CAVM Team (2003).
Climate: Climate is the main factor responsible for specific features of this division. Distinctive features of the climate include very long and cold winters, short and cool summers and absence of night during summer that intensifies the vegetation growing processes, allowing them to be completed in a relatively short time.
Soils/substrate: Permafrost and cryoturbation are important processes shaping soils.
Biogeography: A significant portion of this division was repeatedly glaciated during the Pleistocene with complete extermination of flora and soil and new re-colonization of new substrates. Some areas within this division did not have an interruption in vegetation during the Pleistocene and have a much richer flora. A floristic regionalization of Arctic vegetation was developed by Yurtsev (1978) and then adopted by the CAVM Team (2003).
Geographic Range: This division includes all vegetation located in the Arctic, generally north of the treeline, except for some coastal ecosystems. In North America, it includes vegetation of the Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Alaska Tundra and Brook Range Tundra and Southern Arctic ecoregions. Worldwide it includes the following floristic regions: European Russia - West Siberia, East Siberia, Beringia, Canada, and North Atlantic (CAVM Team 2003).
Nations: CA,DK,GL,IS,NO,RU,US
States/Provinces: AK, LB, MB, NF, NT, NU, QC, YT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860275
Confidence Level: High
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 4 Polar & High Montane Scrub, Grassland & Barrens Class | C04 | 4 |
| Subclass | 4.B Temperate to Polar Alpine & Tundra Vegetation Subclass | S12 | 4.B |
| Formation | 4.B.2 Polar Tundra & Barrens Formation | F031 | 4.B.2 |
| Division | 4.B.2.Xa Arctic Tundra & Barrens Division | D044 | 4.B.2.Xa |
| Macrogroup | 4.B.2.Xa.1 Arctic Scree, Rock & Cliff Barrens Macrogroup | M175 | 4.B.2.Xa.1 |
| Macrogroup | 4.B.2.Xa.2 Feltleaf Willow - Eight-petal Mountain-avens - Tussock Cottongrass Tundra Macrogroup | M173 | 4.B.2.Xa.2 |
Concept Lineage: Split between D044 and D031 (DFL 7-12).
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Aleksandrova, V. D. 1980. The Arctic and Antarctic: Their division into geobotanical areas. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. (English translation by D. Löve of the original Russian book from 1977.)
- Barbour, M. G., and W. D. Billings, editors. 2000. North American terrestrial vegetation. Second edition. Cambridge University Press, New York. 434 pp.
- Bay, C. 1992. A phytogeographical study of the vascular plants of northern Greenland - north of 74°N latitude. Meddelelser om Grønland, Bioscience 36.
- Bliss, L. C. 1981. North American and Scandinavian tundras and polar deserts. Pages 8-24 in: L. C. Bliss, O. W. Heal, and J. J. Moore, editors. Tundra ecosystems: A comparative analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Bliss, L. C. 2000. Arctic tundra and polar desert biome. Pages 1-40 in: M. G. Barbour and W. D. Billings, editors. North American terrestrial vegetation. Second edition. Cambridge University Press, New York.
- Bliss, L. C., and N. V. Matveyeva. 1992. Circumpolar arctic vegetation. Pages 59-89 in: F. S. Chapin, III, R. L. Jefferies, J. F. Reynolds, G. R. Shaver, J. Svoboda, and E.W. Chu, editors. Arctic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate: An Ecophysiological Perspective. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
- Böcher, T. W. 1954. Oceanic and continental vegetation complexes in southwest Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland 148.
- CAVM Team. 2003. Circumpolar arctic vegetation map (Scale 1:7 500 000). Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Map No. 1, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK.
- Daniëls, F. J. A. 1994. Vegetation classification in Greenland. Journal of Vegetation Science 5:(6):781-790.
- Daniëls, F. J., H. Bültmann, C. Lünterbusch, and M. Wilhelm. 2000. Vegetation zones and biodiversity of the North American Arctic. Berichte der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft 12:131-151.
- Edlund, S. A. 1990. Bioclimatic zones in the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Pages 421-441 in: C. R. Harington, editor. Canada''s Missing Dimension: Science and History in the Canadian Arctic Islands, Volume1. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa.
- Edlund, S. A., and B. T. Alt. 1989. Regional congruence of vegetation and summer climate patterns in the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic 42:3-23.
- Elvebakk, A., R. Elven, and V. Y. Razzhivin. 1999. Delimitation, zonal and sectorial subdivision of the Arctic for the Panarctic Flora Project. Pages 375-386 in: I. Nordal and V. Y. Razzhivin, editors. The Species Concept in the High North - A Panarctic Flora Initiative. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Hultén, E. 1973. Supplement to the flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. A study in the flora of Alaska and the transberingian connection. Botaniska Notiser 126:459-512.
- Porsild, A. E. 1964. Illustrated flora of the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Second edition. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa.
- Porsild, A. E., and W. J. Cody. 1980. Vascular plants of Continental Northwest Territories, Canada. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa.
- Reznicek, S. A, and J. Svoboda. 1982. Tundra communities along a microenvironmental gradient at Coral Harbour, Southampton Island, N.W.T. Naturaliste Canadien 109:585-595.
- Savile, D. B. O. 1972. Arctic adaptations in plants. Canadian Department of Agriculture Monograph 6, Ottawa.
- Thompson, D. C. 1980. A classification of the vegetation of Boothia Peninsula and the northern district of Keewatin, N.W.I. Arctic 33:73-99.
- Young, S. B. 1978. Phytogeography of the North American Arctic. In: B. A. Yurtsev, editor. The Arctic Floristic Regions. Nauka, Leningrad.
- Yurtsev, B. A. 1994. Floristic division of the Arctic. Journal of Vegetation Science 5:765-776.
- Yurtsev, B. A., editor. 1978. The Arctic Floristic Regions. Nauka, Leningrad.