Tundra vegetation of three cirque basins in the northern San Juan Mountains, Colorado

• Main Authors: Rottman, Mary Lou, Hartman, Emily L.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 1985
• Subjects: San Juan; Tundra
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol45/iss1/12; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/gbn/article/3325/viewcontent/27638.pdf

The vegetation of three alpine cirque basins in the northern San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado was inventoried and analyzed for the degree of specificity shown by vascular plant communities for certain types of habitats identified as representative of the basins. A total of 197 vascular plant species representing 31 families was inventoried. Growth forms of all species were noted and a growth form spectrum for all of the communities was derived. The caespitose monocot and erect dicot growth forms are the most important growth forms among the community dominants. The most common growth form among all species is the rosette dicot.