The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Elymus innovatus types on flood plains develop from pioneer perennial-he& communities,apparently in a few decades if the sites are not disturbed. In the Alaska Range,Betula glandulosa commonly invades the elymus communities to produce an openlow birch shrub scrub in a relatively short time. Elymus innovatus types on steepslopes appear to be stable and may represent microclimatic, topographic. or edaphicclimaxes.Closely related types-Most coastal elymus communities grade seaward intohalophytic herb communities. The point at which Elymus arenarius is sufficientlyabundant to constitute an elymus community is often somewhat arbitrary. Somemidgrass-herb communities of silty coastal slough levees resemble elymus communitiesbut have less Elymus arenarius and often contain Puccinellia spp. orTriglochin marifimum, species not typical of elymus communities, The Aleutian Islandelymus-umbel communities closely resemble some umbel or umbel-fern (mesic forb)communities, distinguished only by a higher cover of Elymus arenarius. The Elymusinnovatus types are similar physiognomically to, and sometimes grade into, some ofthe dry fescue and midgrass types but differ in dominant species.Photographs-Byrd 1984, figure 3 and 4; Hanson 1951, figure 30; Shacklette andothers 1969, figure 5; Viereck 1966, figure 5; figure 58, this publication.Primary references-Byrd 1984, Hanson 1951, Johnson and others 1966, Racineand Anderson 1979, Shacklette and others 1969, Viereck 1966.Communities-€lymus arenarius (Bank 1951 : Batten and others 1978; George andothers 1977; Griggs 1936; Hanson 1951, 1953; Johnson and others 1966; Klein1959; Meyers 1985; Racine and Anderson 1979; Rosenberg 1986; Shacklette andothers 1969; Spetzman 1959; Stephens and Billings 1967; Ugolini and Walters 1974;Young 1971). Elymus arenarius-Honckenya peploides (Manuwal 1979). Elymusarenarius-Honckenya peploides-Mertensia maritima (Fries 1977, Potter 1972,Wiggins and Thomas 1962). Elymus arenarius-Poa eminens-Calamagrostiscanadensis (Quimby 1972). Elymus arenarius-Poa eminens-Carex ramenskii (Byrdand Ronsse 1983). Elymus arenarius-Senecio pseudo-arnica-Lathyrus maritimus(Bank 1951, Hulten 1960, Rausch and Rausch 1968). Elymusarenarius-Seneciopseudo-arnica-Claytonia sibirica (Friedman 1982). Elymus arenarius-Lathyrusmaritimus (Hanson 1951). Elymus arenarius-Lathyrus maritimus-Poa eminens(Hanson 1953). Elymus arenarius-Heracleum lanatum-Angelica lucida (Byrd 1984).Elymus arenarius-Heracleum lanatum-Angelica lucida-Athyrium filix-femina (Byrd1984). Elymus arenarius-Ligusficum scoticum-Anemone narcissiflora (Shacklette andothers 1969). Elymus arenarius/Potenti//a egedii(Crow and Koppen 1977). Elymusarenarius-Fesfuca rubra (Hanson 1951, Palmer and Rouse 1945). Elymus arenarius-Lathyrus maritimus-Senecio pseudo-arnica-Ange/ica lucida (Fries 1977). Elymusarenarius-Polemonium boreale-Senecio pseudo-arnica (Young and Racine 1978).Elymus arenarius-Calamagrostis canadensis-Descbampsia beringensis (Friedman1982). Elymus arenarius-Dryas integrifolia (Komarkova and Webber 1980). Elymusinnovatus-Fesfuca alfaica/Hylocomium splendens (Viereck 1966). Elymusinnovatus-Poa glauca (Hanson 1951).