Vegetation and altitudinal zonation in continental West Greenland

• Main Authors: Sieg, Birgit, Drees, Birgit, Daniëls, Fred J. A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Danish Polar Center/Museum Tusculanum Press 2006
• Subjects: Arctic; Greenland; Cerastium arcticum
• Online Access: https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_biosci/article/view/142630

Following the principles of the Braun-Blanquet approach a detailed investigation of the vegetation types of mountains in continental West Greenland is presented. The vegetation types are analysed regarding their subdivision into subassociations, variants and elevation forms, as well as the prevailing environmental conditions of their habitats. Special attention is paid to bryophytes and lichens as these play an important role in arctic plant communities and ecosystems. Based on 394 relevés the following communities are dealt with: Calamagrostio lapponicae-Salicetum glaucae ass. nov., Hylocomio splendentis-Cassiopetum tetragonae, Empetro hermaphroditi-Betuletum nanae, Ledo decumbentis-Betuletum nanae (all Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea), Carici nardinae-Dryadetum integrifoliae, Thuidio abietini-Kobresietum myosuroides ass. nov., Rhododendro lapponici-Vaccinietum microphylli, Tortello arcticae-Caricetum rupestris ass. nov., Saxifrago nathorstii-Kobresietum simpliciusculae (all Carici-Kobresietea), Plagiomnio elliptici-Salicetum glaucae ass. nov. (Salicetea purpureae), Cerastium arcticum-Poa community, Pediculari flammeae-Caricetum bigelowii ass. nov. (both Salicetea herbaceae), Caricetum saxatilis, Caricetum rariflorae (both Scheuchzerio-Caricetea) and Racomitrium lanuginosum community (Thlaspietea rotundifolii). Moreover, the importance of all vegetation types in the study area (incl. Phippsietum algidae-concinnae, Cassiopetum hypnoidis, a.o.) regarding the characterization and delimitation of altitudinal vegetation belts is assessed. For this purpose, their altitudinal distribution, elevation forms, change in habitat-type preferences and the substitution of communities along the altitudinal gradient as well as altitudinal indicator values of selected species are discussed. It resulted that the existence of three altitudinal belts with boundaries at 400 and 800 m a.s.l. can be confirmed and that a variety of the considered criteria is necessary for a comprehensive distinction of these vegetation belts. Furthermore, it ...