The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Primary references-Hanson 1951, Ritchie and others 1981, Stephens and Billings1967.Communities-Deschampsia beringensis (Batten and others 1978 Hanson 1951,Ritchie and others 1981, Seguin 1977, Stephens and Billings41967 ). Deschampsiaberingensis-Juncus arcticus (Batten and others 1978). Deschampsia beringensis-Carex lyngbyaei (McCartney 1976). Deschampsia beringensis-Festuca rubra (Battenand others 1978, Hanson 1951).lli.A.2. Mesic Graminoid HerbaceousCommunities dominated or codominaled by graminoids and occupying relativelymesic sites are included here. Forbs may be codominant in some communities andshrubs may be present, but these provide less than 25 percent cover.lll.A.2.a.Bluejoint MeadowDescrlption4luejoint meadows are dominated by bluejoint reedgrass(Calamagrostis canadensis), though a community dominated by C. nutkaensishas been reported from the Aleutian Islands (fig. 62). Other grasses and herbsmay be present but not codominant. Mosses are often absent or scarce, especiallyin well-developed, dense stands of bluejoint. In slightly more open stands, a patchylayer of feathermosses may be present. Lichens and woody plants are absent orscarce within the bluejoint meadows, though often a mosaic pattern composed ofbluejoint meadows and tall shrub (especially alder) communities exists. The vegetationis usually very dense; cover is usually complete and canopy height is 0.8 to1.4 meters (32 to 55 in), occasionally reaching 2 meters (6 11). Bluejoint meadowsoften occur as nearly pure stands of Calamagrostis canadensis, but sometimesminor amounts of species such as Heracleum lanatum, Angelica lucida. €pilobiumangustifolium, Trientalis europaea. Merfensia paniculata, Viburnum edule, andEquisetum awense are present.Distrlbutlon and site characteristics-Bluejoint meadows are very common insouth-central and southwestern Alaska and are present in the Aleutian Islands andnorthwestern and interior Alaska. They occur on flood plains, upland slopes fromvalley bottoms to tree line, streambanks, lowland fens, and recently drained lakebasins. They often occur in a mosaic pattern with shrub or broadleaf forest communities.They do not occur on windswept alpine sites. Though sometimes abundantat the fringes of coastal marshes, they are freshwater communities. Soils are usuallysilts, loams, mucks, or sedge peats and may be extremely wet (more or less permanentlyflooded with a few centimeters of water) to mesic or even dry. A mulch ofdecaying plant material several centimeters or even decimeters thick usually ispresent at the soil surface. The wetter sites usually are hummocky. Soils are acid,usually ranging from pH 5 to 6. Permafrost has not been reported in bluejointmeadows but may exist at depths of 1 meter (3 ft) or more below the surface ofcommunities in western Alaska.‘ Reported by Stephens and Billings (1967) as Deschampsia(= Vahlodwa) atropurpurq but species identification isquestionable.166