The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Climax species-A species that is self-perpetuating in the absence of disturbance,with no evidence of replacement by other plant species.Climax vegetation-(1) The pattern or complex of climax communities (associations)in a landscape corresponding lo the pattern of environmental gradients or habitats;(2) the stabilized plant community of a particular site, where the plant cover reproducesitself and does not change so long as the environment remains the same;(3) the final, stable community in an ecological succession that is able to reproduceitself indefinitely under existing environmental conditions.Codominant-One of several species dominating a plant community, no one to theexclusion of the others.Colluvial-(1) In soils, material that has been transported downhill and has accumulatedon lower slopes or at the bottom of the hill; (2) pertaining to materialtransported and deposited by mass-wasting and local unconcentrated runoff onand at the base of steep slopes.Community-A general term for an assemblage of plants living together andinteracting among themselves in a specific location with no particular ecologicalstatus being implied. The basic unit of vegetation.Community-type-An abstract community. or a group or class of similar abstractcommunities, that is relatively stable and recurs in similar habitats. Successionalstatus is uncertain.CompetitIowThe influence of one plant on another that results when both drawfrom one or more resources in short supply.Conlfer-(n.) A plant belonging to Coniferales that bears cones and needlelike orscalelike leaves. Sometimes misleadingly referred to as a softwood,Conlferou+(adj.)Bearing cones.Constancy-The relative consistency of occurrence of a species in stands of equalsize located in a community-type, expressed as a percentage of the stands in whichthe species occurs.Cover-(1) Any vegetation producing a protecting mat on or just above the soilsurface; (2) the area of ground covered by the vertical projection of the aerial partsof plants of one or more species; (3) the entire canopy of all plants of all sizes andspecies found in an area.CanOpycoVer-The proportion of the ground area covered by the verticalprojection of the canopy. Expressed as a percentage of area.Crown cover-The ground area covered by the crown of a tree or shrub, asdelimited by the vertical projection of its outermost perimeter.Crown-The upper portion of a tree or shrub including the branches and foliage.Crown closure-(1) The closing together of the crowns of trees in a forest as theyage and grow; (2) by extension of the term, the proportion of the ground area coveredby the aggregate vertical projection of all the tree crowns in a crown cover. Expressedas a percentage of area.258