Alaska Arctic Tundra Vegetation Map
Vegetation Units
Introduction
Barren Complexes:
B2.1B2.1 Lichens on Lava (Seward Peninsula) -
B3d.1B3d.1 Acidic mountain complexes (St. Lawrence Is.) -
B3e.1B3e.1 Acidic mountain complexes (Brooks Range) -
B3e.2B3e.2 Acidic mountain complexes (NW Alaska) -
B3e.3B3e.3 Acidic mountain complexes (Kuskokwim Mtns.) -
B4d.1B4d.1 Nonacidic mountain complexes (Seward Peninsula) -
B4d.2B4d.2 Nonacidic mountain complexes (St. Lawrence Is.) -
B4e.1B4e.1 Nonacidic mountain complexes (Brooks Range) -
B4e.2B4e.2 Nonacidic mountain complexes (NW Alaska)
Non-Tussock Graminoid Tundras:
G3.1G3.1 Moist nonacidic tundra (N. Arctic Coastal Plain) -
G3.2G3.2 Moist nonacidic tundra (St. Lawrence Is.) -
G3.3G3.3 Moist nonacidic tundra (Arctic Foothills, Seward Peninsula)
Tussock Graminoid Tundras:
G4.1G4.1 Tussock tundra (entire map) -
G4.2G4.2 Lichen-rich tussock tundra (Seward Peninsula) -
G4.3G4.3 Tussock tundra on sands (Arctic Coastal Plain)
Prostrate Dwarf-Shrub Tundras:
P2.1P2.1 Dry tundra (St. Matthew Is.)
Erect Dwarf-Shrub Tundras:
S1.1S1.1 Shrubby, tussock tundra (NE Alaska) -
S1.2S1.2 Dwarf-shrub, lichen tundra (NW Alaska) -
S1.3S1.3 Dwarf-shrub tundra on volcanic rock (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
S1.4S1.4 Dwarf-shrub, lichen tundra (Kuskokwim Mtns.)
Low-Shrub Tundras:
S2.1S2.1 Willow-birch tundra (entire map) -
S2.2S2.2 Alder shrublands (entire map)
Wetlands:
W1.1W1.1 Wet acidic coastal complex (N Alaska) -
W1.2W1.2 Wet nonacidic coastal complex (N Alaska) -
W2.1W2.1 Wet acidic complex (N Alaska, Seward Peninsula) -
W2.2W2.2 Wet nonacidic complex (Subzone D, N Alaska) -
W3.1W3.1 Wet acidic complex with tussock tundra (W Alaska) -
W3.2W3.2 Wet acidic complex with dwarf-shrub tundra (lower parts of Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.3W3.3 Wet acidic complex with low-shrub tundra (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.4W3.4 Wet acidic complex with dwarf-shrub tundra (inland parts of Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) -
W3.5W3.5 Wet acidic complex (Nunivak Is.) -
W3.6W3.6 Wet nonacidic complex (warmer parts of NW Alaska) -
W3.7W3.7 Wet coastal saline tundra (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta)
S1.4 Dwarf-shrub, lichen tundra (Kuskokwim Mountains)
Erect dwarf-shrub, lichen communities (comm. 50), commonly in complexes with rock outcrops and alder-dominated drainages (comm. 51). Foothills of the Kuskokwim Mountains, Subzone E.
Plant Communities:
Community 50
Map Units 1,3 (Talbot et al. 1985); Map Unit M12 (Tande and Jennings 1986); Map Unit L3 (Wibbenmeyer et al. 1982) (Kuskokwim Mtns.).
Low shrub:
Betula nana;
Sedge:
Eriophorum vaginatum;
Dwarf shrub:
Ledum decumbens, Rubus chamaemorus, Vaccinium uliginosum, V. vitis-idaea, Empetrum nigrum;
Moss:
Sphagnum spp.;
Lichen:
Cladina spp., Cetraria spp.
Community 51
Alder types; green alder shrub thicket (Hanson 1953); Map Unit 22 -tall shrub hillside (Racine and Anderson 1979); Releves C15,C18,QC25 (Raynolds et al. 2002) (Seward Peninsula).
Map Unit 8, subalpine scrub (Talbot et al. 1985); Map Units D2,D5,F1,F2 (Wibbenmeyer et al. 1982) (Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta).
Low shrub:
Alnus viridis ssp. fruticosa, Spiraea stevenii;
Grass:
Calamagrostis canadensis;
Fern:
Dryopteris expansa