Classification of some North Norwegian forest types

• Published in: Nordic Journal of Botany
• Main Author: Mehus, Harald
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1986
• Subjects: Plant Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Norway; Saltfjellet
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1986.tb00886.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1756-1051.1986.tb00886.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1986.tb00886.x

The vegetation in 19 selected forest stands in N Norway north of Saltfjellet mountains have been described and classified. Two different classification methods have been used: An ordinary phytosociological classification, and an automatic, unweighted classification. The two methods give very similar results. All the investigated forests belong in the class Vaccinio‐Piceetea. Some differences from South Norway seem to exist, e.g. Empetrum hermaphroditum and Vaccinium uliginosum are in the present investigation regarded as regional characteristic species of the class. The associations Barbilophozio‐Pinetum and Eu‐Piceetum are treated in some detail. Barbilophozio‐Pinetum is divided into three variants: a “continental” variant without Calluna vulgaris , a “Rhacomitrium” and a “Piceetum” variant with dominance of Calluna vulgaris. The two former variants are clearly to be classified as belonging in Cladonio‐Vaccinietalia, while Vaccinio‐Piceetalia species are abundant in the “Piceetum” variant. The syntaxonomic position of this variant is uncertain. The material does not support a subdivision of Eu‐Piceetum into a Myrtilletosum and a Dryopteridetosum subassociation in N Norway.