Alpine dwarf scrub gravelly limestone slopes

Description

The reference plant community is characterized as Dryas tundra (Viereck et al. 1992). This ecological site has no known associated disturbance regimes and has one plant community within the reference state.

Circles, stripes, and solifluction lobes are all associated periglacial microfeatures. For this ecological site, no alternative state or plant communities were developed for these patterned features. One reason being that sorted circles and stripes are primarily barren rock. Nonsorted circles and solifluction lobes are small and uncommon features that are currently thought to lack a vegetation mosaic for this ecological site.

All plant communities associated with this ecological site have limited data, so the state-and-transition model is provisional.

Dominant plant species

1. eightpetal mountain-avens (Dryas octopetala ssp. octopetala), shrub

2. Lapland rosebay (Rhododendron lapponicum), shrub

3. northern singlespike sedge (Carex scirpoidea), grass

4. purple mountain saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia), grass

Submodel