Arctic tussock gravelly frozen slopes

Description

There are three plant communities within the reference state. Wildfire is the main form of disturbance, although fire regimes in arctic tundra are not thoroughly understood (Higuera et al 2011). The reference plant community supports vegetation that can be characterized as tussock tundra (Viereck et al 1994).

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

Dominant plant species

1. tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), grass

2. Bigelow's sedge (Carex bigelowii), grass

3. (Flavocetraria cucullata), grass

4. island cetraria lichen (Cetraria islandica), grass

5. cup lichen (Cladonia), grass

6. sphagnum (Sphagnum), grass

Submodel