Vegetation Environmental

The major species of this plant association are Dryas octopetala (35% cover), Vaccinium uliginosum (0.1 meters height, 10% cover), Salix arctica (10% cover), Hierochloe alpina (8% cover), Anemone parviflora (8% cover), Senecio lugens (8% cover), Oxytropis nigrescens (8% cover), Carex microchaeta (10% cover), Diapensia lapponica (2% cover) and Ligusticum mutellinoides ssp. alpinum (5% cover). Other species which occur frequently in this type are Poa arctica (3% cover), Campanula lasiocarpa (5% cover), Carex sciropoidea (5% cover), Luzula confusa (5% cover), Arenaria chamissonis (2% cover), Polygonum bistorta (2% cover), Pedicularis capitata (3% cover), Cassiope tetragona (2% cover), Gentiana algida (2% cover), Primula tschuktschorum ssp. tschuktschorum (2% cover), Castilleja elegans (2% cover), Geum rossii (1% cover), Antennaria friesiana ssp. friesiana and Saxifraga eschscholtzii. The major species of the nonvascular layer are Hylocomium splendens (10% cover), Stereocaulon species (2% cover), Rhacomitrium canescens (5% cover), Polytrichium juniperinum (4% cover), Rhytidium rugosum (3% cover), Dactylina ramulosa (1% cover), Cetraria nivalis (1% cover), Sphaerophorus globosus, Cetraria islandica, Peltigera pratexta, Thamnolia vermicularis, Asahinea chrysantha, Cetraria cucullata, Alectoria species Parmelia species and Cladonia species.

This type is found at an altitude of 1,200 with an 8% slope and an aspect of 165 degrees. The range in elevation is 1,073 to 1,311 meters, the range in slope is 0% to 44%, and the range in aspect is 026 to 326 degrees. The bedrock geology in 33% of the plots is sedimentary/metasedimentary, in 33% of the plots is basalt/gabbroic, in 17% of the plots is volcanic, in 11% of the plots is schist/gneiss and in 6% of the plots is granitic. The surficial geology in 72% of the plots is bedrock, in 22% of the plots is alluvial deposits and in 6% of the plots is older glacial moraines. The ground surface is 28% unvegetated weathered rock and mineral soil.