SOIL INSTABILITY IN TUNDRA VEGETATION*

• Main Authors: Sigafoos R. S, Knowledge Bank Kb. Osu. Edu, R. S. Sigafoos
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Four types of topography are represented on the Seward Peninsula; coastal plain; dissected uplands; Akpatok Island; Arctic; Brintnell Lake; Canada; Freed; Seward Peninsula; Tundra
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.607.354

Movement of the substratum and thawing of perennially frozen ground are of primary importance in northern latitudes in controlling the microdistribution of tundra vegetation. In middle latitudes, however, soil movement receives only minor attention in studies of vegetation, except in specialized habitats. Griggs (1934, pp. 168-170) drew an analogy between vegetation of rocky arctic slopes and weeds of plowed fields of temperate regions. Raup (1947, p. 50) classified the vegetation of the Brintnell Lake region and Polunin (1934, p. 346) classified the vegetation of Akpatok Island according to habitat, rather than according to recognized ecological schemes. Polunin (1935, pp. 192-194) stated that soil movement on Akpatok Island in eastern arctic Canada has retarded the develop-ment of the vegetation since the island was freed of continental ice. Thawing of perennially frozen ground under existing climates is unique to regions of high latitudes where it has a profound effect upon local water tables, thus upon vegetation. The effects of unstable soils upon vegetation were studied on Seward Peninsula