Vascular plant vegetation of the Southern Circumpolar Region in relation to antarctic, alpine, and arctic vegetation

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Botany
• Main Author: Bliss, L. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1979
• Subjects: Plant Science; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Tundra
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b79-270; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b79-270

Classification of southern circumpolar vegetation has been based upon a system quite different than that used for alpine and arctic vegetation. Although the flora and in part the physiognomy of the vegetation is quite different in the Southern Circumpolar Region, it is felt that a more uniform classification system is needed.This paper subdivides the vegetation of the southern polar region into a Subantarctic and an Antarctic Biome. The former includes closed forest, scrub fern bush, maritime and montane tussock grassland. The Antarctic Biome includes tundra-like closed vegetation, cushion plant open fellfield, and the grass-herb fellfield, moss and lichen communities of the Antarctic Continent and adjacent islands.