Study of the Alaska Tundra with Reference to its Reactions to Reindeer and other Grazing Page: 33
ii, 48 p. : ill., fold. maps ; 24 cm.View a full description of this report.
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STUDY OF THE ALASKA TUNDRA
of 5 percent grasses, 11 percent weeds, 80 percent browse species,
and 4 percent lichens and mosses.
Summary.-On completely denuded areas, as represented by
the spaded quadrat, the initial invasion was by mosses and
Equisetum. Following these were the grasses and weeds, rep-
resented by such species as Calamagrostis, Carex, Petasites,
Arenaria, Polemonium, and Artemisia. Browse species were the
last to become reestablished.
When the vegetation was removed by cutting a more rapid re-
vegetation occurred. This was likely due, at least in part, to the
viable roots left after cutting the aerial portions. Weed species,
especially Equisetum, were aggressive in recovering the area
and browse plants also made rapid progress. Essentially the
same species were found in the new vegetative cover as were
originally present, but the disturbance caused considerable
changes in their specific abundances.
Changes in composition were noted also in .the undisturbed
check quadrat. Although they were quantitatively of minor
importance, it is possible that these changes may reflect an un-
stabilized condition of the type.
LICHEN-BROWSE TYPE
DEXTER CREEK
The lichen-browse type is typical of the lower hills back from
the coast on Seward Peninsula. The soil is well drained, shallow,
rocky loam, with a thin humus layer on the surface. Soil mois-
ture is plentiful during the spring and fall, but scant in summer.
The vegetation is made up largely of lichens with a small percent-
age of browse, mosses, and sedges. This type is of major impor-
tance, as it furnishes a large part of the winter forage for the
reindeer in that section.
The site chosen for the study was about 7 miles north of Nome
in the Dexter Creek drainage. The plot, on a 20-percent north
slope, was at an elevation of approximately 750 feet. A fenced
exclosure containing four 1-meter-square quadrats was estab-
lished there in 1922 (fig. 14).
Half-cut quadrat.-The first of these quadrats when estab-
lished had a full cover of vegetation, composed of 92 percent lich-
ens (Cladonia alpestris, C. sylvatica, C. sylvatica sylvestris, C.
rangiferina and C. uncialis, 80 percent; and Cetraria islandica, 12
percent) ; 5 percent browse (Ledum) ; and 3 percent sedges. The
lichens averaged 4 inches in height. The top half of the vegeta-
tion was removed by cutting to simulate light grazing. Five
years after establishment of the quadrat the density of the veg-
etation was estimated to be 0.3, the plant cover being com-
posed of 38 percent browse (Empetrum, 15 percent; blueberry,
10 percent; ground birch, 5 percent; Ledum, 4 percent; and cran-
berry, 4 percent) ; 42 percent lichens, and 20 percent sedges. The
proportion of browse species and sedges had increased markedly,
but this was due largely to decrease in density rather than to any
great increase in the area covered by these species.33
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Palmer, Lawrence J. & Rouse, Charles H. Study of the Alaska Tundra with Reference to its Reactions to Reindeer and other Grazing, report, 1945; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc100536/m1/38/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.