open access article the alaska arctic vegetation archive

The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK)

Donald A. Walker*, Amy L. Breen, Lisa A. Druckenmiller, Lisa W. Wirth, Will Fisher, Martha K. Raynolds, Jozef Šibík, Marilyn D. Walker, Stephan Hennekens, Keith Boggs, Tina Boucher, Marcel Buchhorn, Helga Bültmann, David J. Cooper, Fred J.A Daniëls, Scott J. Davidson, James J. Ebersole, Sara C. Elmendorf, Howard E. Epstein, William A. Gould, Robert D. Hollister, Colleen M. Iversen, M.Torre Jorgenson, Anja Kade, Michael T. Lee, William H. MacKenzie, Robert K. Peet, Jana L. Peirce, Udo Schickhoff, Victoria L. Sloan, Stephen S. Talbot, Craig E. Tweedie, Sandra Villarreal, Patrick J. Webber, Donatella Zona

Abstract: The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK, GIVD-ID: NA-US-014) is a free, publically avail-able database archive of vegetation-plot data from the Arctic tundra region of northern Alaska. The archive currently contains 24 datasets with 3,026 non-overlapping plots. Of these, 74% have geolocation data with 25-m or better precision. Species cover data and header data are stored in a Turboveg database. A standardized Pan Arctic Species List provides a consistent nomenclature for vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens in the archive. A web-based online Alaska Arctic Geoecological Atlas (AGA-AK) allows viewing and downloading the species data in a variety of formats, and provides access to a wide variety of ancillary data. We conducted a preliminary cluster analysis of the first 16 datasets (1,613 plots) to examine how the spectrum of derived clusters is related to the suite of datasets, habitat types, and environmental gradients. We present the contents of the archive, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and provide three supplementary files that include the data diction-ary, a list of habitat types, an overview of the datasets, and details of the cluster analysis.

Keywords: Circumpolar, cluster analysis, database, tundra, Turboveg, vegetation classification

Nomenclature: Elven (2011) for vascular plants; Kristinsson et al. (2010) for lichens; Belland (2012, unpub-lished Arctic moss database for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) for mosses; and Konstantinova & Bakalin (2009) for liverworts.

Abbreviations: AVA = Arctic Vegetation Archive; AVA-AK = Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases.

Submitted: 28 March 2016; revised version submitted: 8 May 2016; accepted: 17 May 2016

Co-ordinating Editor: Jürgen Dengler

DOI: 10.1127/phyto/2016/0128© The authors

Gebrüder Borntraeger, 70176 Stuttgart, Germany, www.borntraeger-cramer.de

Phytocoenologia EcoinformaticsPublished online August 2016 Long Database Report

*Corresponding author’s address: Alaska Geobotany Center, Intitute of Arctic Biology and Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States; [email protected]. Complete addresses of all authors can be found at the bottom of the paper.

Open Access Article

phyto_46_2_0000_0000_walker_0128.indd 1 10.08.16 09:19

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2 Donald A. Walker et al.

Introduction

The goal of the Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) project is to gather all the available Arctic vegetation plot data into a publically accessible database and apply it to north-ern issues, including a circumpolar Arctic vegetation classification (Walker et al. 2013a, 2013b, Walker 2014a). The conceptual basis for the AVA originated in the Flora Group of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) (Walker & Raynolds 2011). CAFF is the biodi-versity working group of the Arctic Council, which is an intergovernmental forum that promotes international co-operation, coordination and interaction among the eight Arctic Nations. The plan for the AVA calls for each Arc-tic nation to build their piece of the panarctic archive. Here we describe the Alaska AVA (AVA-AK, GIVD-ID: NA-US-014), the first prototype for the AVA. A work-shop to organize the Alaska piece was held in Boulder, CO, October, 2013, where most of the key datasets were presented in a series of papers (Walker 2014b). This Long Database Record describes the methods for constructing the AVA-AK, its current content, and the results of a pre-liminary numerical analysis.

Background

The geographic scope of the AVA-AK is mainly the Arc-tic portion of Alaska, although the archive also contains a few boreal plots and a dataset from Canoe and Trout lakes in far northwestern Canada (Fig. 1). Early vegeta-tion reconnaissance surveys in Arctic Alaska were con-ducted during the exploration of Naval Petroleum Re-serve No. 4 and early surveys of reindeer ranges in the 1950s. More focused vegetation surveys began with the International Biological Program (IBP) Tundra Biome research starting in the late 1960s. These and later surveys were aimed at an ecological understanding of the controls of tundra vegetation spatial and temporal patterns. Nu-merous vegetation surveys in the 1980s up to the present were done in conjunction with a wide variety of regional landcover mapping and process-level studies. A brief overview of the history and current contents of the AVA-AK are in Supplement S1 with key references. A list of the current datasets in the AVA-AK is in Table S1-1, along with a summary of the available ancillary data and the current status of each record.

Information as of 2016-17-05; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/NA-US-014

GIVD Fact Sheet


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Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive 3

The AVA-AK Turboveg database

The AVA-AK uses a Turboveg v2 database management system to store, select, and export the plot data (Henne-kens & Schaminée 2001). The archive includes standard-ized species-cover and header data. The workflow for the database includes data gathering, digitization of data, georeferencing of plots, assembly of bibliographic mate-rials, import into Turboveg, and creation of metadata (Breen et al. 2014). Data are standardized for import into Turboveg according to a data dictionary (Supplement S2: Table S2-1). The header data include those required for all Turboveg datasets (plot coordinates, elevation, basic environmental data, and canopy structure information) and some recommended environmental data specific to the AVA-AK including habitat type (Supplement S2: Ta-ble S2-2).

The Pan-Arctic Species List (PASL, beta 1.1) (Ray-nolds et al. 2013) provides a uniform taxonomic frame-work for plant species names. The PASL is composed of the Pan Arctic Flora checklist for vascular plants (Elven 2011) and lists of accepted species names and synonyms for the Arctic lichens (Kristinsson et al. 2010), Arctic

mosses (Belland unpubl., provided in 2012), and a Russ-ian list of Arctic liverworts (Konstantinova & Bakalin 2009).

Forty-seven datasets containing approximately 5,300 plots were initially identified for possible inclusion in the database (Breen et al. 2014). This initial list was based largely on our personal knowledge of the literature and other known vegetation datasets in northern Alaska, sev-eral of which are unpublished. Several other potential datasets were identified later. After closer evaluation, some of the datasets were excluded from the Turboveg database for various reasons, including: (1) poor quality of the taxonomic information; (2) use of sampling meth-ods that did not result in complete species lists from ho-mogenous areas of tundra; (3) species cover values were available only in summary form for vegetation types and did not include data from individual plots; and (4) the original data were unavailable because they were consid-ered proprietary information. In some cases, datasets were included in the AVA-AK but with notes regarding the quality of the data that could limit future applica-tions. For example, some datasets were of historic value but had no photographs of the plots or specific location

Fig. 1. Locations of the 24 datasets currently in the Turboveg AVA-AK database. The shaded area is the region of Arctic tun-dra. Names and authors of the datasets are in Supplement S1: Table S1-1.

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information. Some datasets had good information for vascular plants, but weak or no information for crypto-gams. Datasets that were not included in the AVA-AK Turboveg database were still referenced and described in a “Catalog” record of the Alaska Arctic Geoecological Atlas (see below).

The AVA-AK Turboveg database currently contains 24 datasets (3,026 plots) (Fig. 1 and Supplement S2). An-other 13 datasets, containing approximately 1,000 plots are in the process of review and data entry. The data are also being entered into the VegBank database (http://veg-bank.org), which is the main vegetation-plot archive for the U.S. (Peet et al. 2012). Vegetation metadata standards follow those of the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Da-tabases (GIVD) (Dengler et al. 2011) and standards de-veloped for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distri-buted Active Archive Center, which is the archive of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (http://above.nasa.gov), which funded the AVA-AK. The 3,024 AVA-AK plots are also included in sPlot, a global vegetation-plot data-base with standardised plant nomenclature and header data (Dengler & the sPlot Core Team 2014).

A web-based approach for viewing and accessing the plot data

The Turboveg database is a free and publically-accessible through a web-based portal, the Alaska Arctic Geoeco-logical Atlas (AGA-AK, http://alaskaaga.gina.alaska.edu) housed at the Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA), University of Alaska Fairbanks. Each dataset has a “Catalog” record, where a detailed descrip-tion of the dataset can be found along with links to a va-riety of available data and information, including: (1) The main Turboveg file containing all the species data for all the datasets; (2) a link to the Turboveg software; (3) raw source data, which are stored in their original form as .csv files; and (4) available ancillary data. Ancillary data can include any of the following: original species and envi-ronmental data before they were standardized for the Turboveg database, key publications and data reports, maps of plot locations, plot photographs, vegetation structure information, soil and environmental site fac-tors, aboveground phytomass, and ground-based spec-tral information (e.g. hand-held spectroscopy, Normal-ized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and leaf-area-index (LAI) measurements).

Preliminary cluster analysis

We performed a preliminary cluster analysis to character-ize the contents of the AVA-AK up until June 2015. The purpose of the analysis was to determine if a numerical

anlaysis would result in meaningful clusters that would prove useful for characterization of the contents of the archive and for vegetation classification and analysis. These datasets included 1,603 plots within 16 broad habi-tat types (Supplement S2: Table S2-1, Accession numbers 1 to 16), representing 16 high quality datasets from most habitat types along two long north-south bioclimate transects from the Beaufort Sea to the Brooks Range on the eastern transect and from Barrow to the Seward Pen-insula on the western transect. See Supplement S3 for de-tails of the cluster analysis.The peak separability of clusters in the diagram, using the crispness of classification method (Botta-Dukát et al. 2005) within the JUICE program (Tichý et al. 2011), was achieved with four clusters as shown by the top color bar in Fig. 2. At this level, the clusters are heterogeneous, but show sensible ecological organization. Cluster A is the largest and most heterogeneous cluster with 684 relevés, containing many azonal communities, including most wetlands, riparian shrublands, deep late-melting snowbeds, and pioneering communities along streams, rock crevices, and talus slopes. Cluster B contains 233 re-levés, mostly moist to dry acidic ericaceous heath com-munities, including tussock tundra dominated by Erio-phorum vaginatum. Cluster C contains 269 relevés, the bulk of which are from the communities in the one large alpine dataset from the Arrigetch Peaks region in the Brooks Range with many dry-graminoid- and forb-dom-inated communities, and drier dwarf-shrub snowbeds dominated by Cassiope tetragona and lichens. Cluster D contains 382 relevés, most of which are from dry non-acidic tundra and tundra steppe communities on south-facing slopes of pingos and which contain high numbers of Beringian species. Pingos are large ice-cored dome-shaped mounds, sometimes with heights exceeding 20 meters, which are important landscape components of the thaw-lake plains of northern Alaska (Walker 1990). There is a clear break at the highest level in the dendrogram be-tween communities on mainly wet to moist acidic sub-strates of clusters A and B and the mainly moist to dry nonacidic substrates of clusters C and D.

The next highest level of separation power was achieved with 17 subclusters that reflect geographical or ecological affiliation of groups of plant communities (Fig. 2, labels on the branches of the dendrogram). Table S3-1 in Supplement S3 contains lists of the diagnostic, con-stant and dominant taxa within each of the 17 subclusters that were used to further characterize the four main clus-ters. Several subclusters are nearly entirely composed of plots from one of two large datasets. Subclusters 11, 12, and 13 are almost entirely from the Arrigetch Peaks data-set (Cooper 1986), and subclusters 14, 15, and 16 are nearly totally from the Pingos dataset (Walker 1990).

The preliminary cluster analysis revealed that the higher hierarchical levels of the dendrogram generally correspond to higher rank units such as phytosociologi-


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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


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cal classes or alliances, as well as geographical or ecologi-cal affiliation of individual plant communities (Cluster A. – azonal as well as pioneer communities affected by spe-cific environmental condition such as water gradient or disturbance regime; B. – Boreal heathland communities; C. – Alpine communities, D. – Graminoid tundra and dwarf-shrub vegetation including various vegetation types from pingos. There are some artifacts/errors of spa-tial autocorrelation in our analysis where some plots from small regions representing different communities seem to be more similar than the same units from remote areas. The dominance of plots from the large Arrigetch Peaks (439 plots) and Pingos (293 plots) datasets in six of 17 subclusters of the preliminary cluster analysis indi-cates that these two datasets sampled much of the total habitat diversity at the drier end of the ecological gradi-ents. These relatively large datasets also resulted in some spatial autocorrelation that resulted in the close cluster-ing of most of these plots in a few large clusters at the highest level of the dendrogram.

Evaluation

The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK) consti-tutes a major step toward consolidating existing plot data from Arctic Alaska into a single database with consistent species names that can be used for future classification and analysis of Arctic vegetation. A major strength of the AVA-AK is its web-portal, which makes the information easily accessible to users. The “Catalog” function of the portal links the species information in the Turboveg files to a wide variety of ancillary information for analyses. Several of the datasets are linked to field-based geoeco-logical maps and remote-sensing land-cover maps in the Alaska Arctic Map Archive (AMA-AK).

Data gaps

Despite the importance of vegetation for studies of Arc-tic ecosystem change, the vegetation of large areas of Arctic Alaska remains unsurveyed. Only a few areas have been intensively sampled and mapped, mainly in the vi-cinity of permanent Arctic observatories, such as Barrow and the Toolik Research Station. Major data gaps occur in the sand region west of the Colville River, nearly all of the Arctic Foothills, the central and eastern Brooks Range, the west coast of Arctic Alaska, including Bering-ian, and species-rich habitats of the Seward Peninsula and the Yukon-Kuskokwim River delta. More data are needed from under-sampled habitat types, such as coastal salt marshes, sand dunes, aquatic communities, and the large variety of bedrock types and alpine habitats in the Brooks Range and Arctic Foothills.

Need for a more consistent approach to tundra vegetation surveys

The assembly and review of the AVA-AK revealed the need for a more consistent approach to survey Arctic vegetation so as to better support description and classi-fication of Arctic vegetation. Although considerable amounts of vegetation data have been collected for vari-ous projects, much of the available information was pro-ject specific and was based on sampling protocols that are difficult to compare across sites. The older historical datasets were collected prior to the advent of the network of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and do not have accurate location information or permanently marked plots, thereby making it impossible to accurately resample these sites or link them to satellite-based obser-vations. Some had questionable taxonomic determina-tions that were not supported by voucher collections, particularly for the cryptogam species, which limits the extrapolation potential of spatial distribution models that use these data. These and other inconsistencies across datasets point to the need for international standards for Arctic vegetation data collection (Walker et al. 2016). This problem is also recognized globally (De Cáceres et al. 2015).

Urgency of archiving legacy data sets

Assembly of the information for the archive pointed to the urgency to continue this work. Nearly every dataset required close communication with the author(s) to in-sure the accuracy of the information and that everything retrievable is archived, including field photos, maps, and information that may not have been in published reports. The retirement or death of the author(s) often meant loss of the original data and/or critical metadata information. For example, Vera Komárková collected a potentially major data set containing over 700 plots using Braun-Blanquet protocols in the sand region of northern Alaska (Komárková & McKendrick 1988), but the dataset could not be recovered because of her premature death in 2005 before the data could be processed and published.

Conclusions

Our preliminary analysis of first 16 datasets provides the first overview of the variability and hierarchical relation-ships of a broad spectrum of the plant communities in the Arctic region of Alaska. It has also identified gaps. We are continuing to add key datasets to the AVA-AK as they become available and anticipate many applications for examining biodiversity, vegetation classification, species distribution modeling, vegetation change modeling, land-use planning, resource development, and education. Our


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next step will be a full analysis of all the available datasets from Arctic Alaska. We expect this will be an iterative process as we link to Arctic vegetation archives from other parts of the Arctic.

The protocols developed for the AVA-AK could be applied elsewhere in the Arctic toward the goal of a pan-arctic vegetation database. Efforts are currently under-way to apply the approach in Canada (MacKenzie 2014), Greenland (Bültmann & Daniëls 2013) and to the Yamal Peninsula region of northwestern Russia (Ermokhina 2013). Application to the entire circumpolar region will require consensus approval of the approach with appro-priate modification by the international community of Arctic vegetation scientists. The vision for an eventual panarctic AVA is that we will move to Turboveg v3 (Hen-nekens 2014), and model the AVA after the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) (Chytrý et al. 2016). This would allow several independent national databases to be stored in the archive.

Author contributions

M.D.W. & D.A.W. conceived the database. D.A.W., A.L.B., L.A.D.& J.S. created the database and wrote the manuscript. J.P. prepared the figures and edited the report. S.H. provided advice and help with the Turboveg database. J.S. conducted the cluster analysis. H.E.E. and M.B. provided remote-sens-ing and biomass ancillary datasets and organized these data. M.K.R., A.L.B, S.H. and several other coauthros developed the Pan Arctic Species List. L.W.W., W.F., M.B. & J.P. were principally responsible for the web portal and system sup-port; R.K.P. & M.T.L. provided guidance for transferal of data to VegBank and overall database guidance. F.J.A.D. & H.B. provided help with Braun-Blanquet classification and conceptual framework for the study. D.A.W., A.L.B., M.K.R., M.B., M.D.W., K.B., T.B., D.J.C., S.J.D., J.J.E., H.E.E., S.C.E. W.A.G., R.D.H., C.M.I., M.T.J., A.K., W.H.M., U.S., V.L.S., S.S.T., S.V., P.J.W., and D.Z. provided datasets.

Acknowledgments

Funding for the AVA-AK came from the NASA Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) initiative (Grant No. NNX13AM20G). The project was conceived and en-dorsed by the Flora Working Group of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council. Other funding came from the NASA Land Cover and Land-Use Change program (Award No. NNX14AD0G) and the NSF Arctic Science Engineer-ing and Education for Sustainability (ArcSEES) inititiative (Award No. 1233854).

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Breen, A.L., Druckenmiller, L., Hennekens, S.M., Raynolds, M.K., Walker, M.D. & Walker, D.A. 2014. Progress toward an Alaska prototype for the Arctic Vegetation Archive: Workflow and data dictionary. CAFF Proceeding Series Re-port 11: 7–21.

Bültmann, H. & Daniëls, F.J.A. 2013. Greenland data stored in the Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) in Münster. CAFF Pro-ceedings Series Report 10: 29–32.

Chytrý, M., Hennekens, S.M., Jíménez-Alfaro, B., Knollová, I., Dengler, J., Jansen, F., Landucci, F., Schaminée, J.H.J., Aćić, S., (…) & Yamalov, S. 2016. European Vegetation Archive (EVA): an integrated database of European vegetation plots. Applied Vegetation Science 19: 173–180.

Cooper, D.J. (1986) Arctic-alpine tundra vegetation of the Ar-rigetch Creek Valley, Brooks Range, Alaska. Phytocoenolo-gia, 14: 467–555.

De Cáceres, M., Chytrý, M., Agrillo, E., Attorre, F., Botta-Dukát, Z., Capelo, J., Czúcz, B., Dengler, J., Ewald, J., (…) & Wiser, S. K. 2015. A comparative framework for broad-scale plot-based vegetation classification. Applied Vegetation Science, 18: 543–560.

Dengler, J. & the sPlot Core Team. 2014. sPlot: the first global vegetation-plot database and opportunities to contribute. IAVS Bulletin 2014(2): 34−36.

Dengler, J., Jansen, F., Glöckler, F., Peet, R.K., De Cáceres, M., Chytrý, M., Ewald, J., Oldeland, J., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., (…) & Spencer, N. 2011. The Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD): a new resource for vegetation sci-ence. Journal of Vegetation Science 22: 582–597.

Elven, R. 2011. Annotated checklist of the panarctic flora (PAF): vascular plants. National Centre of Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, NO.

Ermokhina, K. 2013. Yamal and Gydan vegetation datasets. Arctic Vegetation Archive CAFF Proceedings Series Report 10: 40–44.

Hennekens, S.M. & Schaminée, J.H.J. 2001. TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: 589–591.

Hennekens, S. 2014. Turboveg v3: a gateway to vegetation plot data. URL: http://www.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/fileadmin/workshop/2014/TV3_Koblenz_Feb_2014.pdf [accessed 14 May 2016].

Komárková, V. & McKendrick, J.D. 1988. Patterns in vascular plant growth forms in arctic communities and environment at Atkasook, Alaska. In: Werger, M.J.A., van der Aart, P.J.M. During, H.J. & Verhoeven, J.T.A. (eds.) Plant form and ve-getation structure, pp. 45−70. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, NL.

Konstantinova, N.A. & Bakalin, V.A. 2009. Checklist of liver-worts (Marchantiophyta) of Russia. Arctoa 18: 1−64.

Kristinsson, H., Steen Hansen, E. & Zhurbenko, M.P. 2010. Panarctic lichen checklist. CAFF Technical Report 20: 1−120.

MacKenzie, W.H. 2014. The Canadian Arctic Vegetation Ar-chive (CAVA) and a preliminary classification of Canadian arctic vegetation. CAFF Proceedings Series Report 11: 56−59.

Peet, R.K., Lee, M.T., Jennings, M.D. & Faber-Langendoen, D. 2012. VegBank – a permanent, open-access archive for vege-tation-plot data. Biodiversity and Ecology 4: 233–241.

Raynolds, M.K., Breen, A.L., Walker, D.A., Elven, R., Murray, D.F., Belland, R., Konstantinova, N.A., Kristinsson, H. &


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Hennekens, S.M. 2013. The Pan-Arctic Species List (PASL). CAFF Proceedings Series Report 10: 92−95.

Tichý, L., Holt, J. & Nejezchlebová, M. 2011. JUICE program for management, analysis and classification of ecological data (2nd edition). Vegetation Science Group, Masaryk University, Brno, CZ. URL: http://www.sci.muni.cz/botany/juice/JCman2011_1st.pdf.

Walker, D.A. 2014a. Toward a pan Arctic vegetation archive and classification: Two recent workshops. IAVS Bulletin 2014(1): 12–16.

Walker, D.A. (ed.) 2014b. Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) Workshop, Boulder, Colorado, USA, October 14-16, 2013. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) [CAFF Proceedings Report no. 11], Akureyri, IS.

Walker, D.A. & Raynolds, M.K. 2011. An International Arctic Vegetation Database: a foundation for panarctic biodiversity studies. CAFF Strategy Series Report 5: 1−28.

Walker, D.A., Breen, A.L., Raynolds, M.K. & Walker, M.D. (eds.) 2013a. Arctic Vegetation Archive Workshop, Krakow, Poland, April 14-16, 2013 . Conservation of Arctic Flora and

Fauna (CAFF) [CAFF Proceedings Report no. 10], Akureyri, IS.

Walker, D.A., Alsos, I.G., Bay, C., Boulanger-Lapointe, N., Breen, A.L., Bültmann, H., Christiansen, T., Damgaard, C., Daniëls, F.J.A., (…) & Wisz, M.S. 2013b. Rescuing valuable Arctic vegetation data for biodiversity models, ecosystem models and a panarctic vegetation classification. Arctic 66: 133–137.

Walker, D.A., Daniëls, F.J.A., Alsos, I., Bhatt, U.S., Breen, A.L., Buchhorn, M., Bültmann, H., Druckenmiller, L.A., Ed-wards, M.E., (…) & Webber, P.J. 2016. Circumpolar Arctic vegetation: A hierarchic review and roadmap toward an in-ternationally consistent approach to survey, archive and clas-sify tundra plot data. Environmental Research Letters 11: Article 055005.

Walker, M.D. 1990. Vegetation and floristics of pingos, Central Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. Dissertationes Botanicae 149: 1−283.

Author addresses

Donald A. Walker (Corresponding author: [email protected])1, Amy L. Breen ([email protected])1,2, Lisa A. Drucken-miller ([email protected])1, Lisa W. Wirth ([email protected])3, Will Fisher ([email protected])3, Martha K. Raynolds ([email protected])1, Jozef Šibík ([email protected])4, Marilyn D. Walker ([email protected])5, Stephan Hennekens ([email protected])6, Keith Boggs ([email protected])7, Tina Boucher ([email protected])7, Marcel Buchhorn ([email protected])1,8, Helga Bültmann ([email protected])9, David J. Cooper ([email protected])10, Fred J.A Daniëls ([email protected])9, Scott J. Davidson ([email protected])11, James J. Ebersole ([email protected])12, Sara C. Elmendorf ([email protected])13, Howard E. Epstein ([email protected])14, William A. Gould ([email protected])15, Robert D. Hollister ([email protected])16, Colleen M. Iversen17, M.Torre Jorgenson ([email protected])18, Anja Kade ([email protected])1, Michael T. Lee ([email protected])19, William H. MacKenzie ([email protected])20, Robert K. Peet ([email protected])19, Jana L. Peirce ([email protected])1, Udo Schickhoff ([email protected])21, Victoria L. Sloan ([email protected])22, Stephen S. Talbot ([email protected])23, Craig E. Tweedie ([email protected])23, Sandra Villarreal ([email protected])23, Patrick J. Webber ([email protected])24, Donatella Zona ([email protected])11,25

1 Alaska Geobotany Center, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States 2 International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States3 Geographic Information Network of Alaska, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States4 Institute of Botany, Department of Geobotany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 23, Bratislava, Slovak Republic 5 HOMER Energy, 1790 30th St. Boulder, CO, 80301, United States 6 Alterra, Wageningen, Box 47, 6700 PB, The Netherlands 7 Alaska Natural Heritage Program, Alaska Center for Conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, United States 8 HyLab, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, United States9 Institute for Plant Ecology, University of Münster, Schlossplatz 8, 48143 Münster, Germany 10 Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States 11 Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, south Yorkshire, S10 2TN, United Kingdom 12 Biology Department, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States; 13 NEON, Inc., 1685 38th St, Boulder, CO, 80301, United States14 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, United States 15 US Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Jardin Botanico Sur, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, 00926, United States16 Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Alendale, MI, 49401, United States 17 Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN, 37831, United States18 Alaska Ecoscience, 2332 Cordes Way, Fairbanks, AK, 99709, United States 19 Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3280, United States20 B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources, Bag 6000, Smithers, B.C. VOJ 2NO, Canada 21 Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany


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22 Faculty of Engineering, Queens Building, University Walker, Clifton, BS8 1TR, United Kingdom23 US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK, 99503, United States24 Systems Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, TX, 79902, United States25 Department of Plant Biology (Emeritus), Michigan State University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48824, United States25 Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States

Electronic Supplements

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Supplement S1: Data dictionary for the AVA-AK. Supplement S2: Overview of vegetation surveys in Arctic Alaska and contents of the AVA-AK.Supplement S3: Cluster analysis of the first 16 datasets in the Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK).

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1

Supporting information to the paper Walker, D.A. et al. The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive

(AVA-AK). Phytocoenologia.

Supplement S3. Cluster analysis of the first 16 datasets in the Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK).

Weperformedapreliminaryclusteranalysistocharacterizethecontentsof

thefirst16datasetsthathadbeenaddedtotheAVA‐AKupuntilJune2015.The

purposeoftheanalysiswastodetermineifanumericalanlaysiswouldresultin

meaningfulclustersthatwouldproveusefulforcharacterizationofthecontentsof

thearchiveandforvegetationclassificationandanalysis.Thesedatasetsincluded

1,603plotswithin16broadhabitattypes(SupplementS2,TableS2‐1,Accession

numbers1to16),representingabroadspectrumofhighqualitydatasetsfrom

mosthabitattypesalongtwolongnorth‐southbioclimatetransectsfromthe

BeaufortSeatotheBrooksRangeontheeasterntransectandfromBarrowtothe

SewardPeninsulaonthewesterntransect.

We eliminated outlier plots in rare or under-sampled habitat types or with poor

data quality by visual analysis of DCA analysis in the CANOCO 5 program, resulting in

a final analyzed dataset of 1,568 plots. The analysis used the cluster analysis routine in

PC-ORD (McCune & Mefford 1999) via the JUICE software (Tichý 2002). We

selected the β-flexible group linkage method (β = -0.25) with Sørensen’s coefficient of

distance measure and square root data transformation based on a subjective comparison

of the results of several methods and the determination that this method provided a

result that made the most ecological sense. We included all species (vascular plant,

bryophytes and lichens) in the analysis. The dendrogram in Fig. S3-1 displays the full

results of the cluster analysis.

The Crispness of Classification method (Botta-Dukát et al. 2005) within the

JUICE program (Tichý et al. 2011) was used to determine the optimal number of

clusters providing the highest ‘separation power’ for the dataset. The peak separability

was achieved with four clusters as shown by the top color bar in Fig. 2 (main paper). At

this level, the clusters are heterogeneous, but show sensible ecological organization.

2

Cluster A is the largest and most heterogeneous cluster with 684 relevés, containing

many azonal communities, including most wetlands, riparian shrublands, deep late-

melting snowbeds, and pioneering communities along streams, rock crevices, and talus

slopes. Cluster B contains 233 relevés, mostly moist to dry acidic ericaceous heath

communities, including tussock tundra dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum. Cluster C

contains 269 relevés, the bulk of which are from the communities in the one large alpine

dataset from the Arrigetch Peaks region in the Brooks Range with many dry-graminoid-

and forb-dominated communities, and drier dwarf-shrub snowbeds dominated by

Cassiope tetragona and lichens. Cluster D contains 382 relevés, most of which are

from dry nonacidic tundra and tundra steppe communities on south-facing slopes of

pingos and which contain high numbers of Beringian species. Pingos are large ice-

cored dome-shaped mounds, sometimes with heights exceeding 20 meters, which are

important landscape components of the thaw-lake plains of northern Alaska (Walker

1990). There is a clear break at the highest level in the dendrogram between

communities on mainly wet to moist acidic substrates of clusters 1 and 2 and the mainly

moist to dry nonacidic substrates of clusters C and D.

The next highest level of separation power was achieved with 17 subclusters that

reflect geographical or ecological affiliation of groups of plant communities (Fig. 2,

main paper) labels on the branches of the dendrogram). Table S3-1 contains lists of the

diagnostic, constant and dominant taxa within each of the 17 clusters, which were used

to further characterize each of the clusters. Several subclusters are nearly entirely

composed of plots from two large datasets. Subclusters 11, 12, and 13 are almost

entirely from the Arrigetch Peaks dataset (Cooper 1986), and subclusters 14, 15, and 16

are nearly totally from the Pingos dataset (Walker 1990).

References:

Botta-Dukát, Z., Chytrý, M. & Hájková, P. 2005. Vegetation of lowland wet meadows along a climatic contenentality gradient in Central Europe. Preslia, 77:89–111.

Chytrý, M., Tichý, L., Holt, J. & Botta-Dukát, J. 2002. Determination of diagnostic species with statistical fidelity measures. Journal of Vegetation Science, 13:79–90.

3

Cooper, D.J. 1986. Arctic-alpine tundra vegetation of the Arrigetch Creek Valley, Brooks Range, Alaska. Phytocoenologia, 14:467–555.

McCune, B. & Mefford, M.J. 1999. PC-ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological data, version 4.0. Gleneden Beach: MjM Software Design, Glenenden Beach, OR.

Sokal, R.R. & Rohlf, F.J. 1995. Biometry: the Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research, 3rd Ed. Freeman, New York.

Tichý, L. 2002. JUICE, software for vegetation classification. Journal of Vegetation Science, 13:451–453.

Tichý, L., Holt, J. & Nejezchlebová, M. 2011. JUICE Program for Management, Analysis and Classification of Ecological Data. Vegetation Science Group, Masaryk University, Brno.

Walker, M.D. 1990. Vegetation and Floristics of Pingos, Central Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. Dissertationes Botanicae, Band 149, J. Cramer, Stuttgart, Germany.

4

Fig. S2-1. Full dendrogram of 1,565 plots in the AK-AVA. The divisions between the 17

subcluster are shown at the bottom of diagram along with the color coded habitat types and datasets

contained in each subcluster. Colors are as in Figure 2 of the main paper. Details of the diagnostic,

constant, and dominant species in each subcluster are contained in the rest of this section. Figure 2 in the

main paper shows the details of the upper portion of the dendrogram above the red line, which uses

approximately 13% of the total information.

5

Table S3-1. Summary of diagnostic, constant and dominant species in each of the 17 subclusters shown in Fig. 2 of the main paper. Diagnostic species are those with

relatively high fidelity to a given subcluster (i.e., the species is relatively common

within the subcluster and relatively rare outside the subcluster). Fidelity is measured

here using the phi coefficient of each group (Sokal & Rohlf 1995; Chytrý et al. 2002). Phi values can range between -1 and 1. The highest phi value of 1 is achieved if the

species occurs in all relevés of the vegetation unit and is absent elsewhere. A positive

value lower than 1 means that the species is absent from some relevés of the vegetation

unit or present in some relevés outside the vegetation unit. A value of 0 is obtained

when the relative frequency of the species in the vegetation unit equals the relative

frequency in the rest of the dataset, thus indicating no relation between the target

species and the target vegetation unit. For convenience, the phi values are multiplied by

100 in the JUICE program (Tichý 2002, Tichý et al. 2011). Species with phi values

greater than 20 are included in the list, and values greater than 50 are shown in bold.

Constant species are those that have high occurrence within the subcluster. Species that

occur in more than 50 percent of the plots in a given subcluster are listed and shown in

bold. Dominant species are those with high mean cover values in the given subcluster.

All species with mean cover greater than one percent are shown, and species with mean

cover greater than 50 percent are shown in bold. Codes in parentheses within a group of

Diagnostic, Constant, or Dominant species identify taxa that also occur as Diagnostic

(Dg), Constant (C), or Dominant (Dm) species within the same subcluster.

Subcluster 1: Mix of azonal communities, mostly moist to wet willow- and dwarf-birch-

dominated riparian and other shrublands (Salix glauca, S. pulchra, S. richardsonii, Betula

nana) Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Salicetea purpureae Moor 1958

Number of plots: 199 Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Salix glauca (C, Dm) 35.3 Arctagrostis arundinacea (Dm) 34.5 Polemonium acutiflorum 31.8 Valeriana capitata 31.7

6

Pyrola grandiflora 31.2 Equisetum arvense (C, Dm) 30.6 Betula nana (C, Dm) 30.0 Climacium dendroides 29.5 Hylocomium splendens (C, Dm) 29.3 Tomentypnum nitens (C, Dm) 28.5 Carex bigelowii (C, Dm) 28.2 Aulacomnium palustre (Dm) 27.5 Salix richardsonii (Dm) 26.9 Micranthes nelsoniana 26.2 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (C, Dm) 25.8 Lagotis glauca 25.6 Saussurea angustifolia 25.3 Anemone richardsonii 25.0 Pedicularis capitata (C) 24.4 Bistorta plumosa 23.1 Luzula rufescens 22.8 Polytrichum juniperinum 22.7 Lupinus arcticus (Dm) 22.2 Stellaria longipes (C) 21.2 Salix pulchra (Dm) 20.4 Arctous rubra (Dm) 20.4 Rhododendron lapponicum 20.3 Campylium hispidulum 20.1 Constant species: Freq. (%) Hylocomium splendens (Dg, Dm) 81 Salix reticulata (Dm) 71 Tomentypnum nitens (Dg, Dm) 66 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (Dg, Dm) 61 Pedicularis capitata (Dg) 60 Equisetum arvense (Dg, Dm) 59 Stellaria longipes (Dg) 58 Carex bigelowii (Dg, Dm) 56 Betula nana (Dg, Dm) 56

7

Dryas integrifolia (Dm) 55 Arctagrostis latifolia (Dm) 53 Salix glauca (Dg, Dm) 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Tomentypnum nitens (Dg, C) 25 Salix pulchra (Dg) 22 Hylocomium splendens (Dg, C) 22 Dryas integrifolia (C) 17 Salix glauca (Dg, C) 15 Salix richardsonii (Dg) 14 Carex bigelowii (Dg, C) 9 Arctagrostis arundinacea (Dg) 9 Equisetum arvense (Dg, C) 7 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (Dg, C) 6 Salix reticulata (C) 6 Sanionia uncinata 4 Arctagrostis latifolia (C) 4 Salix alaxensis 3 Eriophorum vaginatum 3 Eriophorum angustifolium 3 Cassiope tetragona 3 Carex aquatilis 3 Betula nana (Dg, C) 3 Aulacomnium palustre (Dg) 3 Arctous rubra (Dg) 3 Sphagnum teres 2 Salix rotundifolia 2 Rhytidium rugosum 2 Petasites frigidus 2 Festuca altaica 2 Drepanocladus aduncus 2 Aulacomnium acuminatum 2 Vaccinium vitis-idaea 1 Spiraea stevenii 1

8

Sphagnum squarrosum 1 Shepherdia canadensis 1 Salix chamissonis 1 Rubus chamaemorus 1 Ptilidium ciliare 1 Pleurozium schreberi 1 Picea glauca 1 Oncophorus wahlenbergii 1 Mnium blyttii 1 Lupinus arcticus (Dg) 1 Limprichtia revolvens 1 Equisetum scirpoides 1 Empetrum nigrum 1 Dryas punctata s. alaskensis 1 Ditrichum flexicaule 1 Carex scirpoidea 1 Carex podocarpa 1 Carex membranacea 1 Carex fuliginosa s. misandra 1 Campylium zemliae 1 Bryum caespiticium 1 Boykinia richardsonii 1 Alnus viridis 1 Abietinella abietina 1 ____

Subcluster 2: Mainly moist to dry shrublands (Salix alaxensis, S. glauca, Shepherdia

canadensis) and deciduous forest enclaves (Populus balsamifera) Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Salicetea purpureae Moor 1958 Number of plots: 67

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Eurybia sibirica (C, Dm) 76.7 Populus balsamifera (Dm) 67.2 Artemisia tilesii 61.1

9

Salix alaxensis (C, Dm) 58.1 Shepherdia canadensis (Dm) 55.3 Chamerion angustifolium (Dm) 50.9 Salix arbusculoides (Dm) 50.7 Salix hastata (Dm) 46.8 Senecio lugens (C) 42.9 Salix glauca (C, Dm) 42.5 Bromopsis pumpelliana 42.1 Rosa acicularis (Dm) 41.3 Festuca rubra 41.3 Castilleja caudata 38.9 Viburnum edule (Dm) 38.8 Brachythecium turgidum 36.3 Picea glauca 35.7 Hedysarum mackenziei 35.7 Drepanocladus aduncus 34.3 Anticlea elegans 34.1 Galium boreale (Dm) 33.6 Chamerion latifolium 33.5 Calamagrostis canadensis (Dm) 33.1 Delphinium chamissonis 31.7 Alnus incana s. tenuifolia (Dm) 31.5 Aconitum delphinifolium 31.3 Carex concinna 30.8 Orthilia secunda 30.5 Hedysarum americanum (C, Dm) 30.4 Parnassia palustris 30.2 Pyrola asarifolia 30.0 Swida sericea (Dm) 29.1 Cnidium cnidiifolium 29.1 Astragalus nutzotinensis 29.1 Dasiphora fruticosa 29.0 Equisetum arvense (C, Dm) 27.7 Mertensia paniculata 27.5

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Elymus alaskanus 27.1 Pedicularis verticillata 26.9 Peltigera elisabethae 26.6 Rubus arcticus 26.5 Festuca altaica 26.5 Arctous rubra (C, Dm) 26.2 Anemone richardsonii 25.9 Elymus violaceus 25.6 Salix barclayi (Dm) 24.7 Salix bebbiana 23.7 Astragalus alpinus (Dm) 23.7 Polemonium acutiflorum 23.6 Carex riishirensis 23.4 Moehringia lateriflora 21.9 Solidago multiradiata 21.7 Wilhelmsia physodes 21.4 Trisetum spicatum 21.1 Racomitrium ericoides 20.9 Linnaea borealis 20.8 Tanacetum bipinnatum 20.6 Platydictya jungermannioides 20.6 Bupleurum arcticum 20.6 Botrychium lunaria 20.6 Astragalus eucosmus 20.6 Parnassia kotzebuei 20.1 Constant species: Freq. (%) Salix alaxensis (Dg, Dm) 87 Eurybia sibirica (Dg, Dm) 81 Salix glauca (Dg, Dm) 60 Senecio lugens (Dg) 55 Equisetum arvense (Dg, Dm) 55 Arctous rubra (Dg, Dm) 55 Stellaria longipes 51 Hedysarum americanum (Dg, Dm) 51

11

Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Salix alaxensis (Dg, C) 45 Populus balsamifera (Dg) 45 Viburnum edule (Dg) 7 Shepherdia canadensis (Dg) 7 Salix glauca (Dg, C) 7 Equisetum arvense (Dg, C) 7 Rosa acicularis (Dg) 4 Arctous rubra (Dg, C) 4 Salix arbusculoides (Dg) 3 Hypnum bambergeri 3 Alnus viridis 3 Abietinella abietina 3 Swida sericea (Dg) 1 Salix pulchra 1 Salix niphoclada 1 Salix hastata (Dg) 1 Salix barclayi (Dg) 1 Chamerion angustifolium (Dg) 1 Hedysarum americanum (Dg, C) 1 Galium boreale (Dg) 1 Eurybia sibirica (Dg, C) 1 Catoscopium nigritum 1 Campylium stellatum 1 Calamagrostis canadensis (Dg) 1 Astragalus alpinus (Dg) 1 Alnus incana s. tenuifolia (Dg) 1

___________ Subcluster 3: Wet sedge, moss tundra (Carex spp., Eriophorum spp. Sphagnum spp.

Derpanocladus spp.), including nonacidic fens and acidic bogs.

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. classes: Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae Tüxen 1937,

Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl. et Tüxen ex Westhoff et al. 1946 Number of plots: 104

12

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Carex rotundata (Dm) 48.9 Carex rariflora (Dm) 47.5 Salix fuscescens 46.1 Carex chordorrhiza (Dm) 45.9 Eriophorum angustifolium (C, Dm) 44.3 Scorpidium scorpioides (Dm) 37.1 Cinclidium latifolium (Dm) 34.1 Carex aquatilis (C, Dm) 32.5 Sphagnum rubellum (Dm) 29.9 Carex saxatilis 29.8 Drepanocladus brevifolius (Dm) 28.5 Carex atrofusca 28.2 Trichophorum cespitosum (Dm) 27.0 Eriophorum russeolum (Dm) 26.9 Cinclidium subrotundum 26.9 Calliergon stramineum (Dm) 25.4 Andromeda polifolia (Dm) 25.4 Sphagnum angustifolium (Dm) 24.8 Pedicularis albolabiata 24.8 Eriophorum scheuchzeri 24.8 Meesia triquetra 24.2 Comarum palustre (Dm) 23.8 Sphagnum imbricatum 23.7 Saxifraga hirculus 22.5 Sphagnum orientale (Dm) 21.3 Sphagnum fimbriatum 21.2 Constant species: Freq. (%) Eriophorum angustifolium (Dg, Dm) 75 Carex aquatilis (Dg, Dm) 68 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Carex aquatilis (Dg, C) 27 Eriophorum angustifolium (Dg, C) 15

13

Limprichtia revolvens 14 Salix pulchra 12 Drepanocladus brevifolius (Dg) 11 Sphagnum angustifolium (Dg) 6 Betula nana 6 Sarmenthypnum sarmentosum 5 Tomentypnum nitens 4 Rubus chamaemorus 4 Carex chordorrhiza (Dg) 4 Sphagnum orientale (Dg) 3 Sphagnum majus 3 Sphagnum lenense 3 Sphagnum balticum 3 Hylocomium splendens 3 Eriophorum russeolum (Dg) 3 Carex rotundata (Dg) 3 Carex rariflora (Dg) 3 Sphagnum squarrosum 2 Sphagnum rubellum (Dg) 2 Sphagnum girgensohnii 2 Sanionia uncinata 2 Salix richardsonii 2 Aulacomnium turgidum 2 Warnstorfia exannulata 1 Vaccinium vitis-idaea 1 Trichophorum cespitosum (Dg) 1 Sphagnum teres 1 Sphagnum lindbergii 1 Scorpidium scorpioides (Dg) 1 Salix chamissonis 1 Salix arctica 1 Rhododendron tomentosum 1 Ptilidium ciliare 1 Hierochloë pauciflora 1

14

Hamatocaulis vernicosus 1 Drepanocladus sendtneri 1 Comarum palustre (Dg) 1 Cinclidium latifolium (Dg) 1 Campylium hispidulum 1 Calliergon stramineum (Dg) 1 Calliergon megalophyllum 1 Calamagrostis canadensis 1 Andromeda polifolia (Dg) 1 ____

Subcluster 4: Moist to wet coastal tundra (Carex aquatilis, Eriophorum angustifolium, Dupontia

fisheri, Saxifraga cernua) Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae Tüxen 1937 Number of plots: 111

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Dupontia fisheri (C, Dm) 49.7 Carex aquatilis (C, Dm) 49.6 Saxifraga cernua 40.8 Eriophorum russeolum 32.6 Eriophorum angustifolium (C, Dm) 32.4 Micranthes foliolosa 28.8 Claytonia sarmentosa (Dm) 26.1 Cardamine polemonioides 22.9 Ranunculus nivalis 21.9 Calamagrostis holmii 21.6 Cerastium regelii taxon jenisejense 20.7 Limprichtia cossonii (Dm) 20.3 Petasites frigidus (Dm) 20.2 Constant species: Freq. (%) Carex aquatilis (Dg, Dm) 95 Eriophorum angustifolium (Dg, Dm) 59 Dupontia fisheri (Dg, Dm) 59

15

Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Carex aquatilis (Dg, C) 50 Claytonia sarmentosa (Dg) 9 Eriophorum angustifolium (Dg, C) 8 Dupontia fisheri (Dg, C) 8 Limprichtia cossonii (Dg) 4 Scorpidium scorpioides 3 Petasites frigidus (Dg) 2 Campylium stellatum 2 Salix rotundifolia 1 Salix richardsonii 1 Poa pratensis 1 Poa arctica 1 Hamatocaulis vernicosus 1 Carex saxatilis 1 Calliergon megalophyllum 1 Brachythecium salebrosum 1 ____

Subcluster 5: Moist lichen- and rush-rich acidic coastal tundra (Luzula nivalis, L. confusa,

Carex aquatilis, Dupontia fisheri, Cladonia spp., Cetraria spp., Salix rotundifolia)

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae Tüxen 1937

Number of plots: 46 Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Cladonia squamosa s. lat. 51.1 Luzula nivalis (C, Dm) 47.1 Luzula confusa (C, Dm) 46.9 Cetraria laevigata (C) 41.4 Micranthes foliolosa 39.5 Carex aquatilis (C, Dm) 39.0 Cladonia stricta s. lat. 36.8 Cladonia pyxidata (C) 36.8 Sphaerophorus globosus (C) 36.6

16

Cladonia cornuta 35.4 Dactylina arctica (C) 34.7 Polytrichastrum alpinum (C) 34.5 Dupontia fisheri 34.4 Ochrolechia inaequatula (Dm) 33.9 Cladonia uncialis 33.7 Dicranum majus (Dm) 33.5 Myurella tenerrima 32.1 Luzula multiflora 32.1 Cladonia amaurocraea (C, Dm) 30.1 Cladonia bellidiflora 28.7 Oncophorus wahlenbergii (Dm) 28.1 Cladonia mitis 25.8 Thamnolia vermicularis (C) 25.5 Siphula ceratites 24.8 Lobaria linita 23.9 Gowardia nigricans 23.7 Cladonia macroceras 23.7 Calamagrostis neglecta 23.6 Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostre 23.4 Plagiothecium berggrenianum 23.3 Cochlearia arctica 22.6 Hypnum subimponens 22.4 Artemisia comata 21.6 Cladonia coccifera s. lat. 21.5 Conostomum tetragonum 21.3 Lecidea ramulosa 20.9 Pogonatum dentatum 20.3 Lopadium coralloideum 20.3 Brachythecium velutinum 20.3 Poa arctica 20.2 Salix rotundifolia (C, Dm) 20.1 Constant species: Freq. (%) Thamnolia vermicularis (Dg) 96

17

Dactylina arctica (Dg) 96 Luzula nivalis (Dg, Dm) 78 Carex aquatilis (Dg, Dm) 78 Cetraria islandica 67 Luzula confusa (Dg, Dm) 63 Flavocetraria cucullata 63 Cetraria laevigata (Dg) 59 Salix rotundifolia (Dg, Dm) 57 Polytrichastrum alpinum (Dg) 57 Cladonia pyxidata (Dg) 57 Stellaria longipes 54 Sphaerophorus globosus (Dg) 54 Cladonia amaurocraea (Dg, Dm) 52 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Carex aquatilis (Dg, C) 22 Salix rotundifolia (Dg, C) 20 Ochrolechia frigida 11 Dicranum elongatum 11 Tomentypnum nitens 9 Dryas integrifolia 9 Ochrolechia inaequatula (Dg) 7 Oncophorus wahlenbergii (Dg) 4 Luzula confusa (Dg, C) 4 Eriophorum angustifolium 4 Bryocaulon divergens 4 Vaccinium vitis-idaea 2 Salix pulchra 2 Oncophorus virens 2 Luzula nivalis (Dg, C) 2 Gymnomitrion corallioides 2 Eriophorum triste 2 Dicranum majus (Dg) 2 Cladonia amaurocraea (Dg, C) 2 Arctagrostis latifolia 2

18

____ Subcluster 6: Mix of pioneering acidic lichen-rich alpine vegetation, rocky ledges, screes, talus

(Arctoparmelia centrifuga, Umbilliacaria hyperboreum, Rhizocarpon geographicum,

Pseudophebe minuscula) Main anticipated Br.-Bl. classes: Rhizocarpetea geographici Wirth 1980, Saxifrago

tricuspidatae-Calamagrostietea purpurascentis Drees & Daniëls 2009, Ammophiletea,

Asplenietea trichomanis (Br.-Bl. in Meier et Br.-Bl. 1934) Oberd. 1977

Number of plots: 79

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Arctoparmelia centrifuga 33.8 Umbilicaria hyperborea (Dm) 33.1 Rhizocarpon geographicum s. lat. (Dm) 32.1 Umbilicaria caroliniana (Dm) 29.0 Umbilicaria proboscidea (Dm) 28.0 Umbilicaria rigida 26.8 Rhizocarpon eupetraeoides 26.8 Lasallia pensylvanica 26.8 Salix ovalifolia (Dm) 25.7 Artemisia borealis 25.1 Potentilla elegans (Dm) 25.0 Pseudephebe minuscula (Dm) 24.5 Phippsia algida (Dm) 24.5 Gymnomitrion concinnatum 22.6 Artemisia kruhsiana s. alaskana (Dm) 22.2 Stereocaulon botryosum 22.1 Schistidium tenerum 21.9 Ranunculus hyperboreus 21.9 Puccinellia tenella (Dm) 21.9 Melanelia hepatizon 20.9 Constant species: None

Dominant species: Mean cover (%)

19

Dryas integrifolia 8 Pseudephebe minuscula (Dg) 5 Bilimbia lobulata 5 Rhizocarpon geographicum s. lat. (Dg) 4 Potentilla elegans (Dg) 4 Hypnum procerrimum 4 Umbilicaria hyperborea (Dg) 3 Saxifraga tricuspidata 3 Calamagrostis purpurascens 3 Artemisia kruhsiana s. alaskana (Dg) 3 Umbilicaria proboscidea (Dg) 1 Umbilicaria caroliniana (Dg) 1 Stellaria humifusa 1 Schistidium apocarpum 1 Saxifraga eschscholtzii 1 Salix richardsonii 1 Salix ovalifolia (Dg) 1 Salix arctica 1 Puccinellia tenella (Dg) 1 Phippsia algida (Dg) 1 Ochrolechia upsaliensis 1 Eriophorum angustifolium 1 Equisetum arvense 1 Dasiphora fruticosa 1 Comarum palustre 1 Calliergon giganteum 1 Andreaea rupestris 1 Alopecurus borealis 1 ____

Subcluster 7: Mostly moist to wet mossy alpine rock crevices, muddy areas (Pohlia

whalenbergii, Bryum pseudotrquetrum, Limprichtia revolvens)

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Thlaspietea rotundifolii Br.-Bl. 1948?

Number of plots: 29

20

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Pohlia wahlenbergii (C) 71.8 Bryum pseudotriquetrum (C) 47.9 Pseudocalliergon turgescens 46.0 Gymnocolea inflata 41.3 Aphragmus eschscholtzianus 40.5 Limprichtia revolvens (C, Dm) 39.2 Racomitrium canescens (Dm) 38.4 Tephroseris kjellmanii 31.3 Schistidium rivulare 31.3 Wilhelmsia physodes 28.0 Eriophorum scheuchzeri (Dm) 27.5 Orthocaulis atlanticus 26.8 Cardamine bellidifolia 24.3 Micranthes davurica 24.1 Carex membranacea (Dm) 21.4 Saxifraga serpyllifolia 20.4 Constant species: Freq. (%) Pohlia wahlenbergii (Dg) 69 Bryum pseudotriquetrum (Dg) 69 Limprichtia revolvens (Dg, Dm) 55 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Carex membranacea (Dg) 34 Limprichtia revolvens (Dg, C) 31 Eriophorum scheuchzeri (Dg) 24 Salix reticulata 7 Racomitrium canescens (Dg) 3 ___

Subcluster 8: Mostly well-drained alpine snowbed communities (Salix rotundifolia, Saxifraga

oppositifoia.

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. Class: Salicetea herbacea Br.-Bl. 1948

Number of plots: 49

21

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Salix rotundifolia (C, Dm) 43.6 Oxytropis bryophila 35.9 Askellia nana 33.2 Erigeron hyperboreus 31.4 Psora decipiens 29.1 Oxyria digyna 27.3 Packera ogotorukensis 26.0 Stegonia latifolia 25.8 Acarospora schleicheri 22.3 Saxifraga oppositifolia (C, Dm) 21.6 Diploschistes scruposus 21.0 Tephroseris atropurpurea 20.8 Cetraria muricata 20.3 Constant species: Freq. (%) Salix rotundifolia (Dg, Dm) 96 Saxifraga oppositifolia (Dg, Dm) 65 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Salix rotundifolia (Dg, C) 57 Racomitrium canescens 4 Tortella tortuosa 2 Saxifraga oppositifolia (Dg, C) 2 Sanionia uncinata 2 Salix reticulata 2 Hypnum procerrimum 2 ____

Subcluster 9: Moist acidic tussock tundra (dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum) and dwarf-

shrub tundras (Rhododendron tomentosum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Rubus chamaemorus,

Betula nana, Aulacomium turgidum, Hylocomium splendens, Sphagnum spp., Cladonia spp.) Main anticipated Br.-Bl. classes: Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl. et Tüxen ex Westhoff et al.

1946/ Loiseleurio procumbentis-Vaccinietea Eggler ex Schubert 1960. Relevés belonging to

this cluster have transitional position between communities of the class Oxycoco-Sphagnetea

22

and the Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea. It is very difficult to say into which vegetation class they

should be classified, but taking into account published results of Kade et al. (2005) we prefer

to order it into the Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea and the alliance Phyloddoco-Vaccinion. Two

association, namely Cladino-Vaccinietum vitis-idaeae Kade et al. 2005 and Sphagno-

Eriophoretum vaginati Walker et al. 1994 grouped together. The second association

represents a transitional unit with links to moister dwarf-shrub communities with the rest of

the vegetation within the Loisleleurio-Vaccinietea.

Number of plots: 130

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Rhododendron tomentosum (C, Dm) 56.7 Eriophorum vaginatum (C, Dm) 53.7 Vaccinium vitis-idaea (C, Dm) 53.1 Rubus chamaemorus (Dm) 52.3 Betula nana (C, Dm) 50.8 Aulacomnium turgidum (C, Dm) 47.6 Pedicularis lapponica 46.8 Empetrum nigrum (C, Dm) 44.7 Bistorta plumosa (C) 42.6 Sphagnum girgensohnii (Dm) 42.0 Cladonia stygia (Dm) 41.3 Cladonia amaurocraea (C) 39.0 Sphagnum rubellum (Dm) 38.4 Dicranum spadiceum (C, Dm) 36.7 Carex bigelowii (C, Dm) 35.5 Ptilidium ciliare 35.4 Orthocaulis binsteadii 35.1 Salix pulchra (C, Dm) 33.8 Sphagnum angustifolium (Dm) 33.1 Peltigera scabrosa 32.9 Cladonia rangiferina (C, Dm) 32.7 Dicranum groenlandicum (Dm) 32.4 Hylocomium splendens (C, Dm) 31.8 Cladonia deformis 31.6

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Sphenolobus minutus 31.3 Sphagnum warnstorfii 31.2 Sphagnum balticum (Dm) 30.9 Dicranum elongatum (C, Dm) 30.0 Petasites frigidus (C) 28.6 Polytrichum strictum 28.3 Cladonia cyanipes 28.3 Anthelia juratzkana (Dm) 27.5 Dactylina arctica (C) 25.9 Pedicularis labradorica 25.7 Sphagnum lenense (Dm) 24.9 Cladonia cenotea 24.8 Cassiope tetragona (C, Dm) 23.9 Pleurozium schreberi 23.8 Peltigera leucophlebia 22.8 Aulacomnium palustre (Dm) 22.5 Lophozia ventricosa 21.4 Nephroma arcticum 21.2 Hypnum holmenii 20.9 Flavocetraria cucullata (C) 20.0 Constant species: Freq. (%) Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Dg, Dm) 97 Flavocetraria cucullata (Dg) 91 Rhododendron tomentosum (Dg, Dm) 90 Aulacomnium turgidum (Dg, Dm) 86 Hylocomium splendens (Dg, Dm) 85 Betula nana (Dg, Dm) 85 Dactylina arctica (Dg) 79 Eriophorum vaginatum (Dg, Dm) 72 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, Dm) 70 Cetraria islandica 68 Carex bigelowii (Dg, Dm) 67 Bistorta plumosa (Dg) 66 Cladonia amaurocraea (Dg) 64

24

Salix pulchra (Dg, Dm) 62 Dicranum spadiceum (Dg, Dm) 58 Cladonia rangiferina (Dg, Dm) 58 Empetrum nigrum (Dg, Dm) 55 Dicranum elongatum (Dg, Dm) 52 Petasites frigidus (Dg) 51 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (Dm) 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Eriophorum vaginatum (Dg, C) 31 Betula nana (Dg, C) 30 Hylocomium splendens (Dg, C) 19 Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Dg, C) 12 Rhododendron tomentosum (Dg, C) 12 Dicranum elongatum (Dg, C) 7 Carex bigelowii (Dg, C) 7 Salix pulchra (Dg, C) 6 Aulacomnium turgidum (Dg, C) 6 Rubus chamaemorus (Dg) 5 Anthelia juratzkana (Dg) 5 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (C) 4 Sphagnum teres 2 Sphagnum lenense (Dg) 2 Sphagnum girgensohnii (Dg) 2 Sphagnum balticum (Dg) 2 Sphagnum angustifolium (Dg) 2 Racomitrium lanuginosum 2 Dicranum spadiceum (Dg, C) 2 Dicranum groenlandicum (Dg) 2 Cladonia rangiferina (Dg, C) 2 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, C) 2 Carex aquatilis 2 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. 1 Sphagnum russowii 1 Sphagnum rubellum (Dg) 1

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Sphagnum imbricatum 1 Sphagnum fimbriatum 1 Protopannaria pezizoides 1 Hierochloë alpina 1 Eriophorum angustifolium 1 Empetrum nigrum (Dg, C) 1 Dicranum scoparium 1 Cladonia stygia (Dg) 1 Cladonia mitis 1 Cetraria laevigata 1 Aulacomnium palustre (Dg) 1 ____

Subcluster 10: Dry and moist acidic dwarf-shrub and lichen-rich tundras including some well-

drained snowbeds (Kalmia procubens, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, V. uliginosum, Cassiope

tetragona, Hierochloe alpina, Carex microchaeta, Cladonia spp., Cetraria spp.,

Flavocetraria spp. Masonhalea richardsonii)

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea Egler ex Schubert 1960


Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Kalmia procumbens (Dm) 58.0 Hierochloë alpina (C) 55.0 Carex microchaeta (Dm) 51.0 Cladonia rangiferina (C, Dm) 48.2 Cladonia stellaris (C, Dm) 46.7 Anemone sibirica 44.8 Vaccinium vitis-idaea (C, Dm) 44.2 Diapensia obovata 40.7 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (C, Dm) 39.7 Cetraria kamczatica 38.2 Tetralophozia setiformis 36.3 Polytrichum piliferum 35.8 Dicranum scoparium 35.5

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Salix phlebophylla (Dm) 34.3 Rhododendron tomentosum (C, Dm) 33.3 Arctous alpina (Dm) 33.0 Stereocaulon paschale (Dm) 32.8 Racomitrium lanuginosum (Dm) 32.0 Alectoria ochroleuca 30.3 Polytrichum strictum 29.9 Cladonia gracilis s. lat. (C) 29.9 Dicranum acutifolium (Dm) 28.5 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (C, Dm) 27.8 Campanula lasiocarpa 26.8 Cladonia coccifera s. lat. 26.3 Cetraria nigricans 26.0 Cassiope tetragona (C, Dm) 26.0 Carex podocarpa 23.9 Cladonia uncialis 23.5 Diapensia lapponica 23.4 Asahinea chrysantha 23.3 Huperzia appressa 23.2 Sphaerophorus globosus 23.0 Calamagrostis inexpansa 22.4 Masonhalea richardsonii (C) 21.3 Nephroma arcticum 21.1 Diphasiastrum alpinum 20.5 Cladonia amaurocraea 20.0 Constant species: Freq. (%) Flavocetraria cucullata 85 Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Dg, Dm) 83 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (Dg, Dm) 83 Cladonia rangiferina (Dg, Dm) 80 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, Dm) 74 Cladonia gracilis s. lat. (Dg) 69 Cetraria islandica 66 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (Dg, Dm) 64

27

Flavocetraria nivalis (Dm) 63 Hierochloë alpina (Dg) 61 Rhododendron tomentosum (Dg, Dm) 58 Masonhalea richardsonii (Dg) 57 Cladonia stellaris (Dg, Dm) 56 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Cladonia stellaris (Dg, C) 40 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. (Dg, C) 18 Betula glandulosa 16 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, C) 15 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (Dg, C) 8 Cladonia rangiferina (Dg, C) 7 Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Dg, C) 6 Hylocomium splendens 5 Arctous alpina (Dg) 4 Dryas octopetala 3 Stereocaulon alpinum 2 Salix pulchra 2 Rhododendron tomentosum (Dg, C) 2 Kalmia procumbens (Dg) 2 Carex microchaeta (Dg) 2 Betula nana 2 Stereocaulon paschale (Dg) 1 Salix phlebophylla (Dg) 1 Salix niphoclada 1 Rhytidium rugosum 1 Racomitrium lanuginosum (Dg) 1 Gowardia nigricans 1 Flavocetraria nivalis (C) 1 Festuca altaica 1 Dicranum spadiceum 1 Dicranum muehlenbeckii 1 Dicranum acutifolium (Dg) 1

28

Bryocaulon divergens 1 ____

Subcluster 11: Dry alpine Dryas-, graminoid- and forb-dominated communities (Dryas

octopetala, Kobresia spp. Carex spp., Saxifraga oppositifolia, Carex scripoidea, Androsace

chamaejasme)

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Carici-Kobresietea Ohba 1974


Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Dryas octopetala (C, Dm) 58.1 Vulpicida tilesii (C) 38.6 Androsace chamaejasme s. andersonii (C) 37.8 Carex petricosa v. petricosa (Dm) 29.7 Carex rupestris (C, Dm) 28.0 Carex glacialis (Dm) 27.0 Oxytropis borealis 26.2 Carex scirpoidea (C) 26.0 Cetraria muricata 25.2 Saxifraga oppositifolia (C) 22.4 Constant species: Freq. (%) Dryas octopetala (Dg, Dm) 93 Ditrichum flexicaule 73 Carex scirpoidea (Dg) 69 Saxifraga oppositifolia (Dg) 67 Cetraria islandica 64 Flavocetraria cucullata 62 Androsace chamaejasme s. andersonii (Dg) 62 Vulpicida tilesii (Dg) 61 Carex rupestris (Dg, Dm) 59 Thamnolia vermicularis 56 Flavocetraria nivalis 53 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Dryas octopetala (Dg, C) 63

29

Kobresia simpliciuscula 7 Kobresia myosuroides 7 Salix alaxensis 4 Carex petricosa v. petricosa (Dg) 4 Arctous rubra 4 Leymus innovatus 2 Carex rupestris (Dg, C) 2 Carex nardina 2 Carex atrofusca 2 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. 1 Salix reticulata 1 Chamerion angustifolium 1 Festuca altaica 1 Dryas integrifolia 1 Cladonia stellaris 1 Carex glacialis (Dg) 1 Carex fuliginosa s. misandra 1 Bryum pseudotriquetrum 1 ____

Subcluster 12: Mix of mainly dry to moist forb-rich (Solidago multiradiata, Dodecatheon

frigidum, Senecio lugens, Hedysarum americanum) alpine willow communities (Salix

alaxensis, S. richardsonii) and alder (Alnus viridis) shrublands

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Mulgedio-Aconitetea Hadač et Klika in Klika et Hadač 1944

Number of plots: 81 Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Solidago multiradiata (C) 49.0 Dasiphora fruticosa (C) 45.1 Brachythecium salebrosum 44.3 Festuca altaica (C, Dm) 43.0 Salix alaxensis (C, Dm) 40.7 Dryas octopetala (C, Dm) 40.4 Betula glandulosa (Dm) 37.9

30

Arctous rubra (C, Dm) 37.2 Anticlea elegans 37.1 Leymus innovatus (Dm) 36.3 Dodecatheon frigidum (Dm) 35.9 Salix richardsonii (C, Dm) 35.6 Senecio lugens 35.3 Hedysarum americanum (C) 31.2 Alnus viridis (Dm) 30.9 Gentianella propinqua 30.1 Carex scirpoidea (C, Dm) 28.2 Valeriana capitata 27.4 Orthocaulis floerkei 26.9 Schljakovia kunzeana 25.8 Schljakovianthus quadrilobus 23.2 Boykinia richardsonii 22.8 Salix reticulata (C, Dm) 21.6 Parnassia palustris 21.4 Cyrtomnium hymenophyllum 21.4 Constant species: Freq. (%) Salix reticulata (Dg, Dm) 81 Carex scirpoidea (Dg, Dm) 73 Festuca altaica (Dg, Dm) 72 Arctous rubra (Dg, Dm) 72 Dryas octopetala (Dg, Dm) 69 Salix alaxensis (Dg, Dm) 64 Salix richardsonii (Dg, Dm) 58 Dasiphora fruticosa (Dg) 58 Solidago multiradiata (Dg) 56 Cetraria islandica (Dm) 54 Flavocetraria cucullata 53 Hedysarum americanum (Dg) 52 Cladonia pocillum 52 Hylocomium splendens (Dm) 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%)

31

Dryas octopetala (Dg, C) 38 Salix richardsonii (Dg, C) 36 Equisetum arvense 20 Alnus viridis (Dg) 19 Salix alaxensis (Dg, C) 15 Hylocomium splendens (C) 12 Carex scirpoidea (Dg, C) 12 Salix reticulata (Dg, C) 11 Betula glandulosa (Dg) 11 Limprichtia revolvens 9 Sanionia uncinata 7 Dryas integrifolia 7 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. 5 Leymus innovatus (Dg) 5 Festuca altaica (Dg, C) 5 Cladonia stellaris 4 Carex membranacea 4 Salix niphoclada 2 Cassiope tetragona 2 Petasites frigidus 1 Paludella squarrosa 1 Dodecatheon frigidum (Dg) 1 Cetraria islandica (C) 1 Carex bigelowii 1 Campylium stellatum 1 Arctous rubra (Dg, C) 1 ____

Subcluster 13: Dry alpine dwarf-shrub, forb-, and lichen-rich snowbed communities (Dryas

punctata ssp. alaskensis, Cassiope tetragona, Salix reticulata, Boykinia richardsonii, Geum

glaciale, Silene acaulis, Flavocetraria cucullata, Dactylina beringica)

Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Salicetea herbaceae Br.-Bl. 1948 or Loiseleuro-Vaccinietea

Egler ex Schubert 1960. These communities appear to be vicariate vegetation types of similar

32

dwarf shrub habitats in European mountains that are classified within Loiseleuro-Vaccinietea

that are typical of more mesic communities within areas of longer duration of snow cover

Number of plots: 65

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Dryas punctata s. alaskensis (C, Dm) 87.8 Anemone parviflora (C) 50.3 Boykinia richardsonii (Dm) 36.6 Carex scirpoidea (C, Dm) 31.4 Dicranum acutifolium 29.6 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (C, Dm) 29.4 Silene acaulis (C) 28.3 Dodecatheon frigidum (Dm) 28.3 Geum glaciale 28.0 Dactylina beringica (C) 27.3 Salix reticulata (C, Dm) 26.4 Cladonia stellaris (Dm) 25.3 Festuca altaica (Dm) 24.2 Chamerion latifolium 22.9 Hypnum bambergeri (Dm) 20.8 Constant species: Freq. (%) Dryas punctata s. alaskensis (Dg, Dm) 100 Salix reticulata (Dg, Dm) 91 Anemone parviflora (Dg) 91 Flavocetraria cucullata 80 Carex scirpoidea (Dg, Dm) 78 Cetraria islandica 71 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (Dg, Dm) 66 Cassiope tetragona (Dm) 62 Silene acaulis (Dg) 58 Ditrichum flexicaule 58 Hylocomium splendens (Dm) 57 Thamnolia vermicularis 51 Dactylina beringica (Dg) 51

33

Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Dryas punctata s. alaskensis (Dg, C) 95 Cassiope tetragona (C) 31 Hylocomium splendens (C) 8 Salix reticulata (Dg, C) 6 Boykinia richardsonii (Dg) 6 Salix richardsonii 5 Cladonia stellaris (Dg) 5 Empetrum nigrum 3 Cladonia arbuscula s. lat. (Dg, C) 3 Hypnum bambergeri (Dg) 2 Festuca altaica (Dg) 2 Dodecatheon frigidum (Dg) 2 Carex scirpoidea (Dg, C) 2 ____

Subcluster 14: Dry graminoid (Poa glauca, P. pratensis, Bromopsis pumpellianus, Trisetum

spicatum, Festuca brachyphylla), forb- (Ranunculus arcticus, Minuartia rubella, Draba

cinerea, Potentilla arenosa, Polemonium boreale, Saxifraga cespitosa , Saxifraga

tricuspidata, Papaver lapponicum, Androsace septentrionalis, Silene involucrata) Mainly

tundra-steppe and animial-den communities found on well-drained sites of pingos, primarily

on south-facing slopes and summits that are dominated by graminoids and erect forbs. Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Saxifrago-Calamagrostietea purpurascentis Drees & Daniëls

2009

Number of plots: 88

Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Ranunculus arcticus 59.9 Minuartia rubella 57.6 Draba cinerea (C) 57.2 Physconia muscigena (C) 48.5 Cerastium beeringianum 47.3 Papaver lapponicum 46.7 Poa glauca (C, Dm) 45.1

34

Potentilla arenosa 43.0 Polemonium boreale 42.5 Androsace septentrionalis 42.0 Silene involucrata 41.1 Syntrichia ruralis (C, Dm) 40.7 Encalypta rhaptocarpa 40.0 Bupleurum triradiatum 39.5 Eurhynchium pulchellum (C) 38.2 Potentilla pulchella 37.5 Festuca baffinensis 37.5 Taraxacum phymatocarpu agg. 36.9 Oxytropis nigrescens 35.8 Poa pratensis (Dm) 35.7 Rinodina turfacea 35.6 Saxifraga cespitosa 35.3 Potentilla uniflora (Dm) 33.5 Hypogymnia subobscura (C) 33.2 Caloplaca cerina 33.2 Carex obtusata (Dm) 31.5 Lecanora epibryon (C) 29.9 Draba glabella 29.6 Timmia austriaca 28.8 Abietinella abietina (C, Dm) 28.4 Campanula uniflora 27.3 Saxifraga tricuspidata (Dm) 27.0 Trisetum spicatum (Dm) 26.2 Oxytropis arctica 26.2 Selaginella sibirica 25.5 Bryocaulon divergens 24.3 Saxifraga funstonii 23.8 Parmelia omphalodes s. lat. 23.8 Flavocetraria nivalis (C) 23.5 Antennaria media 23.2 Cetraria aculeata 21.6

35

Bromopsis pumpelliana (Dm) 21.6 Smelowskia porsildii 21.5 Anemone lithophila 21.3 Evernia perfragilis 21.2 Lloydia serotina 21.1 Poa arctica (Dm) 20.9 Puccinellia andersonii 20.7 Douglasia ochotensis 20.7 Festuca brachyphylla 20.5 Taraxacum ceratophorum agg. 20.2 Rhytidium rugosum (C) 20.2 Constant species: Freq. (%) Flavocetraria cucullata 82 Flavocetraria nivalis (Dg) 81 Eurhynchium pulchellum (Dg) 73 Lecanora epibryon (Dg) 70 Thamnolia vermicularis 69 Dryas integrifolia (Dm) 69 Syntrichia ruralis (Dg, Dm) 68 Cetraria islandica 68 Physconia muscigena (Dg) 61 Abietinella abietina (Dg, Dm) 58 Rhytidium rugosum (Dg) 55 Poa glauca (Dg, Dm) 51 Hypogymnia subobscura (Dg) 51 Draba cinerea (Dg) 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Poa pratensis (Dg) 12 Dryas octopetala 10 Poa glauca (Dg, C) 6 Bromopsis pumpelliana (Dg) 5 Salix glauca 3 Poa arctica (Dg) 3 Kobresia myosuroides 2

36

Dryas integrifolia (C) 2 Carex obtusata (Dg) 2 Abietinella abietina (Dg, C) 2 Trisetum spicatum (Dg) 1 Syntrichia ruralis (Dg, C) 1 Saxifraga tricuspidata (Dg) 1 Salix phlebophylla 1 Salix niphoclada 1 Ptilidium ciliare 1 Potentilla uniflora (Dg) 1 Potentilla hyparctica 1 Polytrichastrum alpinum 1 Luzula confusa 1 Chamerion angustifolium 1 Eriophorum vaginatum 1 Elymus alaskanus 1 Cassiope tetragona 1 Carex maritima 1 Calamagrostis purpurascens 1 Arctous rubra 1 Arctagrostis latifolia 1 ____

Subcluster 15: Dry nonacidic prostrate-dwarf-shrub (Dryas integrifolia), forb (Oxytropis

nigrescens, O. jordalii), sedge (Carex rupestris) lichen (Thamnolia vermicularis,

Flavocetraria spp., Cetraria spp., Lecanora epibryon, Hypogymnia subobscura) tundra. Fellfield-like vegetation on exposed, north-,and northeast-facing slopes of pingos. These sites

have low vascular species diversity and cover, with an abundance of cushion and mat-

forming plant sand crustose lichens, and are ecologically similar to high alpine and high

arctic sites. Main anticipated Br.-Bl. class: Carici-Kobresietea Ohba 1974


Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100)

37

Lecanora luteovernalis 61.9 Hypogymnia subobscura (C) 59.4 Ramalina almquistii (C) 56.9 Caloplaca holocarpa 46.5 Oxytropis nigrescens (C) 46.3 Eurhynchium pulchellum (C) 46.3 Lecanora epibryon (C) 45.5 Carex rupestris (C, Dm) 44.0 Oxytropis jordalii 43.2 Ochrolechia upsaliensis 42.1 Gowardia nigricans (C) 38.4 Rhytidium rugosum (C, Dm) 36.7 Parrya nudicaulis (C) 36.4 Dryas integrifolia (C, Dm) 36.2 Encalypta rhaptocarpa 35.1 Evernia perfragilis 34.7 Syntrichia ruralis (C) 34.3 Pertusaria subobducens 33.5 Solorina saccata 33.1 Flavocetraria nivalis (C) 32.4 Amandinea punctata 31.6 Astragalus umbellatus (C) 31.1 Physconia muscigena 30.8 Oxytropis maydelliana 30.2 Saxifraga oppositifolia (C) 30.0 Bryocaulon divergens (C) 29.8 Ochrolechia frigida (C) 29.4 Micarea assimilata 29.2 Abietinella abietina (C) 29.0 Distichium capillaceum (C) 28.5 Pedicularis langsdorffii 27.7 Thamnolia vermicularis (C) 27.3 Lloydia serotina 26.0 Kobresia myosuroides (Dm) 24.7

38

Dactylina arctica (C) 24.7 Hypnum procerrimum 23.8 Minuartia arctica 23.5 Flavocetraria cucullata(C) 23.5 Distichium inclinatum 23.2 Rinodina roscida 22.8 Ditrichum flexicaule (C) 22.7 Solorina spongiosa 22.6 Carex macrogyna (Dm) 22.5 Cetraria islandica (C) 21.9 Silene acaulis 21.3 Fulgensia bracteata 20.7 Draba corymbosa 20.7 Lecanora hagenii s. lat. 20.5 Papaver macounii 20.1 Constant species: Freq. (%) Dryas integrifolia (Dg, Dm) 100 Thamnolia vermicularis (Dg) 99 Flavocetraria nivalis (Dg) 98 Flavocetraria cucullata (Dg) 98 Lecanora epibryon (Dg) 96 Cetraria islandica (Dg) 93 Eurhynchium pulchellum (Dg) 85 Hypogymnia subobscura (Dg) 83 Rhytidium rugosum (Dg, Dm) 82 Carex rupestris (Dg, Dm) 82 Saxifraga oppositifolia (Dg) 80 Ditrichum flexicaule (Dg) 80 Dactylina arctica (Dg) 77 Distichium capillaceum (Dg) 76 Gowardia nigricans (Dg) 66 Astragalus umbellatus (Dg) 66 Ramalina almquistii (Dg) 62 Syntrichia ruralis (Dg) 60

39

Abietinella abietina (Dg) 59 Parrya nudicaulis (Dg) 58 Cladonia pocillum 57 Bistorta vivipara 56 Ochrolechia frigida (Dg) 55 Bryocaulon divergens (Dg) 54 Salix reticulata 53 Oxytropis nigrescens (Dg) 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Dryas integrifolia (Dg, C) 64 Carex rupestris (Dg, C) 7 Rhytidium rugosum (Dg, C) 1 Kobresia myosuroides (Dg) 1 Cassiope tetragona 1 Carex scirpoidea 1 Carex macrogyna (Dg) 1 ____

Subcluster 16: Moist to dry nonacidic snowbeds and and dwarf-shrub communities mainly on

pingos (Dryas integrifolia, Cassiope tetragona, Salix reticulata, S. rotundifolia, Cetraraia

spp., Flavocetraria spp., Thamnolia vermicularis)


Number of plots: 88 Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Eurhynchium pulchellum (C, Dm) 54.3 Plagiochila arctica (C) 53.0 Papaver macounii (C) 49.6 Pedicularis langsdorffii (C) 39.6 Tephroseris frigida (C) 38.9 Parrya nudicaulis (C) 37.3 Dryas integrifolia (C, Dm) 36.2 Astragalus umbellatus (C) 35.2 Stereocaulon alpinum (Dm) 34.7

40

Aulacomnium acuminatum 34.7 Hypnum cupressiforme 34.2 Cardamine digitata (C) 33.8 Solorina saccata 33.2 Cassiope tetragona (C, Dm) 31.1 Eriophorum triste (Dm) 30.9 Peltigera canina 30.5 Draba corymbosa 30.1 Equisetum scirpoides (Dm) 29.5 Hypnum procerrimum 27.9 Salix reticulata (C, Dm) 27.0 Abietinella abietina (C) 26.9 Masonhalea richardsonii (C) 26.5 Rhytidium rugosum (C) 26.4 Salix rotundifolia (C, Dm) 25.7 Saussurea angustifolia 25.6 Pedicularis capitata (C) 25.4 Distichium capillaceum (C) 23.9 Mnium blyttii 23.6 Carex scirpoidea (C) 23.5 Tortella fragilis 23.4 Minuartia arctica 23.3 Cladonia ecmocyna 22.6 Orthilia obtusata 21.8 Lecanora epibryon (C) 21.6 Luzula nivalis 21.5 Mnium thomsonii 21.4 Collema bachmanianum 21.4 Sanionia uncinata (C) 21.1 Ptilidium ciliare 20.6 Flavocetraria nivalis (C) 20.5 Constant species: Freq. (%) Dryas integrifolia (Dg, Dm) 100 Eurhynchium pulchellum (Dg, Dm) 97

41

Salix reticulata (Dg, Dm) 92 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, Dm) 83 Papaver macounii (Dg) 82 Cetraria islandica 76 Tephroseris frigida (Dg) 75 Flavocetraria nivalis (Dg) 75 Astragalus umbellatus (Dg) 73 Thamnolia vermicularis 68 Distichium capillaceum (Dg) 68 Flavocetraria cucullata 67 Ditrichum flexicaule 67 Salix rotundifolia (Dg, Dm) 66 Masonhalea richardsonii (Dg) 66 Rhytidium rugosum (Dg) 65 Carex scirpoidea (Dg) 65 Bistorta vivipara 64 Pedicularis capitata (Dg) 61 Parrya nudicaulis (Dg) 59 Plagiochila arctica (Dg) 57 Lecanora epibryon (Dg) 57 Abietinella abietina (Dg) 56 Sanionia uncinata (Dg) 53 Cardamine digitata (Dg) 53 Pedicularis langsdorffii (Dg) 51 Dactylina arctica 51 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Dryas integrifolia (Dg, C) 38 Cassiope tetragona (Dg, C) 34 Salix rotundifolia (Dg, C) 17 Eurhynchium pulchellum (Dg, C) 8 Carex bigelowii 7 Eriophorum triste (Dg) 5 Arctous rubra 5 Vaccinium uliginosum s.l. 2

42

Salix reticulata (Dg, C) 2 Stereocaulon alpinum (Dg) 1 Ochrolechia frigida 1 Equisetum scirpoides (Dg) 1 Equisetum arvense 1 Distichium inclinatum 1 Carex membranacea 1 Carex aquatilis 1 ____

Subcluster 17: Moist nonacidic sedge (Carex membranacea, Eriophorum triste), prostrate-

dwarf-shrub (Dryas integrifolia, Salix reticulata, S. arctica), moss (Tomentypnum nitens,

Ditrichum flexicaule, Distichium capillaceum) tundra and associated frost-boil communities

(Saxifraga oppositifolia, Bryum wrightii, Polyblastia sendtneri, Carex capillaris, Juncus

biglumis, Minuartia rossii) on the coastal plain


Number of plots: 75 Diagnostic species: Fidelity (phi x 100) Carex membranacea (C) 53.9 Polyblastia sendtneri (Dm) 53.1 Eriophorum triste (C, Dm) 51.2 Orthothecium chryseum 48.0 Bryum wrightii 47.0 Aneura pinguis 46.1 Catoscopium nigritum 44.9 Tofieldia coccinea 43.9 Carex capillaris 43.9 Hypnum bambergeri (C) 43.5 Solorina bispora 42.4 Orthothecium strictum 42.4 Equisetum variegatum (C) 41.6 Nostoc commune 40.6 Cardamine digitata (C) 40.1

43

Encalypta alpina 38.2 Salix arctica (C) 37.9 Tomentypnum nitens (C, Dm) 37.4 Cirriphyllum cirrosum 36.9 Dryas integrifolia (C, Dm) 35.4 Distichium capillaceum (C) 35.1 Hymenostylium recurvirostre 32.5 Ditrichum flexicaule (C, Dm) 32.3 Meesia uliginosa 32.1 Bistorta vivipara (C) 30.8 Tephroseris frigida (C) 29.8 Encalypta longicolla 29.7 Juncus biglumis 28.8 Pedicularis lanata (C) 27.5 Pohlia beringiensis 26.6 Saxifraga oppositifolia (C) 26.1 Juncus triglumis 26.1 Antennaria friesiana 25.8 Leiocolea collaris 25.4 Drepanocladus brevifolius 25.4 Campylium stellatum (C) 24.4 Eriophorum vaginatum (Dm) 23.8 Draba alpina 23.8 Minuartia rossii 23.7 Lecanora epibryon (C) 22.7 Cratoneuron filicinum 22.5 Leiocolea badensis 22.4 Ctenidium molluscum 22.4 Campylium longicuspis 22.4 Thamnolia vermicularis (C) 22.3 Minuartia arctica 21.5 Packera heterophylla 20.7 Hulteniella integrifolia 20.6 Constant species: Freq. (%)

44

Dryas integrifolia (Dg, Dm) 99 Ditrichum flexicaule (Dg, Dm) 99 Thamnolia vermicularis (Dg) 89 Bistorta vivipara (Dg) 89 Distichium capillaceum (Dg) 88 Tomentypnum nitens (Dg, Dm) 80 Carex membranacea (Dg) 79 Hypnum bambergeri (Dg) 75 Saxifraga oppositifolia (Dg) 73 Salix reticulata 71 Eriophorum triste (Dg, Dm) 71 Cetraria islandica 71 Equisetum variegatum (Dg) 69 Salix arctica (Dg) 64 Flavocetraria cucullata 63 Tephroseris frigida (Dg) 61 Cardamine digitata (Dg) 61 Lecanora epibryon (Dg) 59 Cladonia pocillum 57 Pedicularis lanata (Dg) 56 Campylium stellatum (Dg) 56 Dominant species: Mean cover (%) Dryas integrifolia (Dg, C) 40 Tomentypnum nitens (Dg, C) 19 Polyblastia sendtneri (Dg) 7 Ditrichum flexicaule (Dg, C) 5 Eriophorum triste (Dg, C) 4 Eriophorum angustifolium 4 Carex aquatilis 3 Eriophorum vaginatum (Dg) 1 Equisetum arvense 1 Agonimia gelatinosa 1

Supporting information to the paper Walker, D.A. et al. The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AK-AVA).

Supplement S1: Overview of vegetation surveys in Arctic Alaska and contents of the AVA-AK

The geographic scope of the AVA-AK is mainly the Arctic tundra portion of Alaska as portrayed by the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM Team 2003), although the archive also contains a few forest plots that were collected during surveys that were primarily in tundra regions of Alaska. One dataset from Canoe and Trout lakes in far northwestern Canada is included because of its close proximity to northern Alaska and the high quality of the data. (dataset 19; Lambert 1968; main paper, Fig. 1, and Table S1-1). A boreal oceanic tundra dataset from the Aleutian Islands is also included (dataset 21; Talbot et al. 2010).

Early vegetation reconnaissance surveys of Arctic Alaska’s vegetation were conducted during the exploration of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 (dataset 23; Churchill 1955; Spetzman 1959) and during surveys of reindeer ranges in the vicinity of Nome (dataset 24; Hanson 1953). More focused vegetation surveys began with the International Biological Program (IBP) Tundra Biome research and aimed at an ecological understanding of the controls of vegetation structure and function. Forty-three permanent plots were surveyed at Barrow in 1972 (dataset 13; Webber 1978), of which 33 plots were resurveyed in 1999, 2008 and 2010 (Villarreal et al. 2012). Other IBP Tundra Biome surveys were made near Prudhoe Bay shortly after the discovery of oil in 1968 (dataset 7; Walker 1985). The rapidly expanding oilfield road network opened large, previously inaccessible regions of tundra to ecological studies. Among other discoveries, were large differences between the acidic coastal tundra at Barrow and the nonacidic tundra at Prudhoe Bay, as well as a striking bioclimate gradient inland from the Beaufort Sea coast (Brown 1975; Walker et al. 1980; Walker 1985).

After completion of the Dalton Highway, which linked Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks, AK, numerous ecological studies were focused along the road particularly at Happy Valley, Imnavait Creek, and Toolik Lake (datasets 3, 4 and 8; Walker 1996 unpublished [Plot data for 18 NSF LAII Flux Study tower locations (1995 & 1996). Data archived at the Alaska Geobotany Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks], Walker et al. 1997, Walker et al. 1987, Walker & Barry 1991), with the most intensive focus centered in the glaciated landscapes in the Arctic Foothills near the Toolik Field Station (dataset 8, Walker & Barry 1991; Hobbie & Kling 2014). Seven datasets in AVA-AK are located along or near the 221-km stretch of the Dalton Highway between Prudhoe Bay and Toolik Lake (datasets 2 to 8).

Many of the datasets in the AVA-AK were surveyed during large multidisciplinary research programs that included mapping and remote-sensing studies tied to a hierarchy of chamber, tower and aircraft trace-gas-flux observations, mainly along the Dalton Highway corridor. A western Arctic Alaska transect was part of a large ATLAS (Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System) study, (McGuire et al. 2003), which included vegetation data from Barrow, Atqasuk, Oumalik, Ivotuk, Council, and Quartz Creek (datasets 10 and 11; Edwards et al. 2000, Raynolds et al. 2002). In addition, plot data were collected in conjunction with process-level modeling of trace-gas fluxes during the Department of Energy’s Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment (DOE NGEE) at Barrow (dataset 15; Sloan et al. 2014). Similar data from Atqasuk and Ivotuk are in the process of being archived in the AVA-AK but are not part of the 24 datasets reported here (Davidson et al. 2015).

Several large-scale vegetation surveys in northern Alaska were recently conducted by Alaska Biological Research, Inc. (Jorgenson 2014) and the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management 2015 under contracts from the US National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and private industry. One of these, which surveyed 936 plots in five Arctic National Parks and Preserves (dataset 17; Jorgensen et al. 2009), has recently been added to the AVA-AK whereas others are still being evaluated for possible inclusion.

Most of the datasets in the AVA-AK contain surveys of plots at specific locations from a wide range of habitats. These locations include Barrow (dataset 13; Webber 1978) (43 plots), Prudhoe Bay (89 plots) (dataset 7; Walker 1985), Oumalik (85 plots) (dataset 16; Ebersole 1985), Arrigetch Peaks (439 plots) (dataset 1; Cooper 1986), Imnavait Creek (84 plots) (dataset 4; Walker et al. 1987), Toolik Lake (81 plots) (dataset 8; Walker & Barry 1991), Barrow and Kaktovik (Barter Island) (61 plots) (dataset 14; Elias et al. 1996), Happy Valley (56 plot) (dataset 3; Walker et al. 1997), Unalaska (70 plots) (dataset 21; Talbot et al. 2010), and Atqasuk (31 plots) (dataset 12; Komarková & Webber 1980, Villarreal 2013).

Several other datasets focus on specific groups of plant-community types at many locations, including communities in seven distinct habitats on pingos (dataset 5; M.D. Walker 1990), riparian willow communities (dataset 9; Schickhoff et al. 2002), communities on frost boils and zonal habitats along a bioclimate gradient (dataset 2; Kade et al. 2005), communities in ice-wedge polygon complexes (dataset 15; Sloan et al. 2014), balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) communities associated with springs and relatively warm habitats (dataset 6; Breen 2014, Jones et al. 2013), and successional communities associated with tundra fires (dataset 22; Breen et al. 2015 unpublished [Vegetation at 5 tundra fire scars from 1971-2011 on the Seward Peninsula. Data archived at the International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks]) and roadside habitats (dataset 20; Walker et al. 2015).

Lambert’s (1968; dataset 19) study was the first in this region that used the Braun-Blanquet approach for vegetation classification, but, unfortunately, it was never published in a journal. The earliest published Br.-Bl. classification conducted in northern Alaska was based on a survey of 439 alpine plots collected in the remote Arrigetch Peaks region (dataset 1; Cooper 1986, 1989). Several other surveys have used the Br.-Bl. field survey methods, and five have applied the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Weber et al. 2000) to name plant communities (Cooper 1986; M.D. Walker et al. 1994; Schickhoff et al. 2002; Kade et al. 2005; Breen 2014).

References Breen, A.L. 2014. Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) communities on the Arctic

Slope of Alaska. Phytocoenologia 44: 1–24.

Brown, J. (ed.). 1975. Ecological investigations of the tundra biome in the Prudhoe Bay region, Alaska. University of Alaska, Fairbanks [Biological Papers of the University of Alaska, Special Report 2], Fairbanks, AK, US.

CAVM Team. 2003. Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map. Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) [Map No. 1], U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, US.

Churchill, E.D. 1955. Phytosociological and environmental characteristics of some plant communities in the Umiat region of Alaska. Ecology 36: 606–627.

Cooper, D.J. 1986. Arctic-alpine tundra vegetation of the Arrigetch Creek Valley, Brooks Range, Alaska. Phytocoenologia 14: 467–555.

Cooper, D.J. 1989. Geographical and ecological relationships of the arctic-alpine vascular flora and vegetation, Arrigetch Peaks region, central Brooks Range, Alaska. Journal of Biogeography 16: 279–295.

Davidson, S.J., Sloan, V., Phoenix G., Wagner, R., Fisher, J.P. & Oechel, W. 2015 submitted. Vegetation type as a main driver for arctic tundra CH4 fluxes. Ecosystems.

Ebersole, J.J. 1985. Vegetation disturbance and recovery at the Oumalik oil well, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, US.

Edwards, E.J., Moody, A. & Walker, D.A. 2000. A Western Alaskan transect to examine interactions of climate, substrate, vegetation, and spectral reflectance: ATLAS grids and transects, 1998-1999. University of Alaska Fairbanks [ARCSS-ATLAS-NEAML Data Report], Fairbanks, AK. US.

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Jones, B.M., Breen, A.L., Gaglioti, B.V., Mann, D.H., Rocha, A.V., Grosse, G., Arp, C.D. & Walker D.A. 2013. Identification of unrecognized tundra fire events on the North Slope of Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research 118: 1-11.

Jorgenson, M.T., Roth, J.E., Miller, P.F., Macander, M.J., Duffy, M.S., Wells, A.F., Frost, G.V. & Pullman, E.R. 2009. An ecological land survey and landcover map of the arctic network. National Park Service [Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/ARCN/NRTR-2009/270], Fort Collins, CO, US.

Jorgenson, M.T. 2014. Arctic vegetation datasets for northern and western Alaska. In: Walker, D.A. (ed.) Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) workshop, Boulder, Colorado, USA, October 14-16, 2013, pp. 48-49. CAFF International Secretariat [CAFF Proceedings Report 11], Akureyri, IS.

Kade, A., Walker, D.A. & Raynolds, M.K. 2005. Plant communities and soils in cryoturbated tundra along a bioclimate gradient in the Low Arctic, Alaska. Phytocoenologia 35: 761–820.

Komárková, V. & Webber, P.J. 1980. Two Low Arctic vegetation maps near Atkasook, Alaska. Arctic and Alpine Research 12: 447–472.

Lambert, J.D.H. 1968. The ecology and successional trends in the low arctic subalpine zone of the Richardson and British Mountains of the Canadian Western Arctic. Ph.D. thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CA.

McGuire, A.D., Sturm, M. & Chapin, F.S., III. 2003. Arctic transitions in the land–atmosphere system (ATLAS): background, objectives, results, and future directions. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 108: 8166 ALT 7 (pp. 1–7).

Raynolds, M.K., Martin, C.R., Walker, D.A., Moody, A., Wirth, D. & Thayer-Snyder, C. 2002. ATLAS vegetation studies: Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2000: vegetation, soil, and site information, with Seward vegetation map. Alaska Geobotany Center [ARCSS-ATLAS-AGC Data Report], University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, US.

Schickhoff, U., Walker, M.D. & Walker, D.A. 2002. Riparian willow communities on the Arctic Slope of Alaska and their environmental relationships: a classification and ordination analysis. Phytocoenologia 32: 145–204.

Sloan, V.L., Brooks, J.D., Wood, S.J., Liebig, J.A., Siegrist, J., Iversen, C.M. & Norby,

R.J. 2014. Plant community composition and vegetation height, Barrow, Alaska, Ver. 1. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory [Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments Arctic Data Collection], Oak Ridge, TN, US. DOI: 10.5440/1129476.

Spetzman, L.A. 1959. Vegetation of the Arctic Slope of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey [Professional Paper 302-B].

Talbot, S.S., Schofield, W.B., Talbot, S.L. & Daniëls, F.J.A. 2010. Vegetation of eastern Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Botany 88: 366–388.

U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 2015. Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy: National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska, DRAFT PROTOCOL June 2015. URL: http://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/vegetation-ecology/assessment-inventory-and-monitoring-program/ [accessed January 2015].

Villarreal, S., Hollister, R.D., Johnson, D.R., Lara, M.J., Webber, P.J. & Tweedie, C.E. 2012. Tundra vegetation change near Barrow, Alaska (1972–2010). Environmental Research Letters 7: 015508.

Villarreal S. 2013. International Polar Year (IPY) Back to the Future (BTF): changes in arctic ecosystem structure over decadal times scales. Ph.D. thesis, University of Texas [ETD Collection Paper AAI3601092], El Paso. TX, US.

Walker, D.A., K.R. Everett, P.J. Webber & J. Brown (eds). 1980. Geobotanical atlas of

the Prudhoe Bay region, Alaska. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory [CRREL Report 80-14], Hanover, NH, US.

Walker, D.A. 1985. Vegetation and environmental gradients of the Prudhoe Bay region, Alaska. U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory [CRREL Report 85-14], Hanover, NH, US.

Walker, D.A., Lederer, N.D. & Walker, M.D. 1987. Permanent vegetation plots [at Imnavait Creek, AK]: site factors, soil physical and chemical properties, and plant species cover. Plant Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research [Data Report], University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, US.

Walker, D.A. & Barry, N. 1991. Toolik Lake permanent vegetation plots: site factors, soil physical and chemical properties, plant species cover, photographs, and soil descriptions. Plant Ecology Laboratory, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado [Data Report], Boulder, CO, US.

Walker, D.A., Auerbach, N.A., Nettleton, T.K., Gallant, A. & Murphy, S.M. 1997. Happy Valley permanent vegetation plots: site factors, physical and chemical soil properties, plant species cover, photographs, soil descriptions, and ordination. Arctic System Science Flux Study, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, US.

Walker, D.A., Buchhorn, M., Kanevskiy, M., Matyshak, G.V., Raynolds, M.K., Shur, Y.L. & Peirce, J.L. 2015. Infrastructure-thermokarst-soil-vegetation interactions at Lake Colleen Site A, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Alaska Geobotany Center [AGC Report 15-01], Fairbanks, AK, US.

Walker, M.D. 1990. Vegetation and floristics of pingos, central Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska [Dissertationes Botanicae 149]. J. Cramer, Stuttgart, DE.

Walker, M.D., Walker, D.A. & Auerbach, N.A. 1994. Plant communities of a tussock tundra landscape in the Brooks Range Foothills, Alaska. Journal of Vegetation Science 5: 843–866.

Webber, P.J. 1978. Spatial and temporal variation in the vegetation and its productivity, Barrow, Alaska. In: Tieszen, L.L. (ed.) Vegetation and production ecology of an Alaskan arctic tundra, pp. 37–112. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY, US.

Weber, H.E., Moravec, J. & Therurillat, J.P. 2000. International code of phytosociological nomenclature. 3rd edition. Journal of Vegetation Science 11: 739–768.

Table S1-1. Plot dataset included in the AVA-AK as of 1 March 2016.

Access-ion Nr.

Dataset name [locations if more than

one] (key citation)

Nr. of plots with species

cover data

Available Ancillary Data Portion of AVA-AK record complete

Plot coord-inates

Loca-tions

marked in the field

Plot photos

Site infor-

mation Soil data Biomass

data Spectral

data Turbo-veg1

Catalog Record2

Ancillary data3 GIVD4

VegBank5

1 Arrigetch Peaks (Cooper 1986) 439 X X X X

2 Frost Boils [6 locations] (Kade et al. 2005) 117 X X X X X X X X X X X

3 Happy Valley (Walker et al. 1997) 56 X X X X X X X X X X X

4 Imnavait Creek (Walker et al. 1987) 84 X X X X X X X X X X X

5 Pingos [41 pingos] (Walker 1990) 293 X X X X X X X in

progress X X

6 Poplars [32 locations] (Breen 2014)* 32 X X X X X X X

7 Prudhoe Bay (Walker 1985) 89 X X X X X X X X X

8 Toolik Lake (Walker & Barry 1991) 81 X X X X X X X X X X X X

9 Willows [31 locations] (Schickhoff et al. 2002) 85 X X X X X

10 ATLAS-1 [NSF flux towers, 4 locations] (Edwards et al. 2000)

15 X X X X X X X X X X X

11 ATLAS-2 [NSF flux towers, 2 locations] (Raynolds et al. 2002)*

52 X X X X X X X X X X X

12 Atqasuk (Komarkova & Webber 1980; Villarreal 2013)**

31 X X X X X X

13 Barrow – IBP Tundra Biome (Webber 1978; Villarreal et al. 2012)**

43 X X X X X X in progress X

14 Legacy [DOD, Barter Island & Barrow] (Elias et al. 1996)

61 X X X X X X X X X

15 Barrow – DOE NGEE (Sloan et al. 2014) 48 X X in

progress X 16 Oumalik (Ebersole 1985) 87 X X X X X X X X

17 Arctic Network [5 NPS Arctic parks] (Jorgenson et al. 2009)*

936 X X X X X X

18 LAII Flux Study [NSF, 18 flux tower sites] (Walker 1996, unpublished)

29 X X X X X X X X X

19 Canadian Western Arctic [Canoe Lake, Trout Lake] (Lambert 1968)*

154 X X X X X in progress

in progress X

20 Prudhoe Bay – ArcSEES road study (Walker 2014, 2015)

29 X X X X X X X in progress

in progress X

21 Unalaska (Talbot et al. 2010) 70 X X X X in

progressin

progress X

22 Tundra Fires [15 locations] (Breen et al. 2015)

64 X X X X X in progress

in progress X

23 Umiat (Churchill 1955) 51 X in progress

in progress X

24 Nome (Hanson 1953) 80 X X in progress

in progress X

Cumulative Total 3026

*Plot totals include forested plots in the Poplar, ATLAS-2, Selawik and NPS Arctic Network datasets, and 154 plots in NW Canada. **These datasets include repeat sampling: 1) Barrow (1972 – 43 plots, 1998, 2008, 2010 – 33 plots) and 2) Atqasuk (2000, 2010 – 31 plots). 1 Species cover-abundance data and required header data entered into the AVA-AK Turboveg file and accessible through the AK Arctic Geoecological Atlas. 2 Catalog record for the Alaska Geobotanical Atlas complete. Others are in progress. 3 Ancillary data files (if available) are included in the Catalog records. Others are in progress. 4 Dataset included in the Global Inventory of Vegetation Datasets for the Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive 5 Data included in VegBank. Others are in progress.

1

Supporting information to the paper Walker, D.A. et al.: The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK). Phytocoenologia.

Supplement S2. Data dictionary for the AVA-AK.

Table S2-1. Relevé header data. Required fields are shown in bold with an asterisk. The remaining fields are recommended for inclusion in the AVA-AK.

Long description

Long Description in Turboveg (if

different) Short description Field Name1 Alias Sou

rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description Relevé description Releve number* Releve number RELEVE_NR . TV N Turboveg record number sequentially assigned during data

entry. Prefixes: Alaska (1), Russia (2), Canada (3). Field releve number

Field number FIELD_NR . AVA C Author's plot number or code if it differs from the reference for the species table.

Date*

(yyyymmdd) Date DATE . TV C X Date of collection (yyyymmdd). At a minimum, enter year

of collection. Releve area* (m2) Releve area SURF_AREA REL_AREA TV N X Area of the relevé (m2). -1 is used to indicate the plot had

no boundaries or no estimate of the sampled area. Releve shape Releve shape SHAPE . AVA C Shape of the relevé area. Necessary for judgements on

‘edge effects’. From pop-up list: square (S), rectangle (R), linear/band-forming (L), circular (O), irregular (I), more subplots combined (C), unknown (not-recorded) (N). (Mucina et al. 2009)

Cover abundance scale

Coverscale COVERSCALE . TV C X Generated in Turboveg. Cover abundance scale. From pop-up list: Percentage (%) (00); Braun/Blanquet (old) (01); Braun/Blanquet (new) (02); Londo (03); Presence/Absence (04); Ordinal scale (1-9) (05); Barkman, Doing & Segal (06); Doing (07), Constancy classes (08), Domin (09), Colin (10), Tansley (11), Didukh (12), Hult-Sernander-Du Rietz (Daniels) (13), Braun-Blanquet (enlarge) (14), Westhoff & van der Maarel (15), Numbers (<65025) (98), Numbers (<24000) (99).

Repeat sampled (y/n)

Repeat sampled REPEAT . AVA C Has the relevé been sampled more than once? (Y or N). Will change over time.

Collection* Collection COLLECT . AVA C Method used to collect vegetation-plot data. From pop-up list: relevé (R), other (O).

Collection method Method COLL_METH . AVA C If data were not collected using the relevé method, specify collection method and source.

Syntaxon Syntaxon SYNTAXON . TV C Syntaxon name according to the Braun-Blanquet School; lowest resolution: class. From pop-up list. Generate list as enter data.

2

Long description



rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description System for plant community name

Comm system COMM_SYST . AVA C From pop-up list: Braun-Blanquet (B-B), USNVC name (USNVC), CNVC name (CNVC), Russian nomenclature system (RU), field community name (FLD_NM). Add to list as needed.

Plant community name

Comm COMM_NAME . AVA C Original plant community name used by the author. Will specify the source of the name in the previous field.

Source of information Author name* Author name AUTHOR . TV C X Relevé primary author(s). From pop-up list. Will generate

list as enter data. Reference for source of species data*

Reference species data

Reference spp REF_SPE . AVA C X Main publication or data report from which the species data were taken. From pop-up list in the field REFERENCES. Will generate list as enter data.

Table number(s) for species data

Table number species

Table nr. spp TABLE_NR TABLE_SPP TV C Table number(s) in which species data occur in the reference for species data.

Relevé number in species table

Nr. releve in species table

Releve nr. spp NR_IN_TAB NR_SPP_TAB TV C/N

Relevé number in the species table in the reference for species data.

Reference for source of environmental data

Reference environmental data

Reference env REF_ENV . AVA C Reference from which the environmental data were taken. This field is necessary as raw environmental data is often not included in the main publication. From pop-up list in the field REFERENCES. Will generate list as enter data.

Table number(s) for environmental data

Table number environmental

Table nr. env TABLE_ENV . AVA C/N

If environmental data are from a table, indicate table number(s) from the reference for environmental data.

Locality Subzone* Subzone SUBZONE . AVA C X Arctic tundra bioclimate zone. From pop-up list: Subzone

A (A), Subzone B (B), Subzone C (C), Subzone D (D), Subzone E (E), Treeless Oceanic Boreal (O), Forest-Tundra Transition (FT), Boreal (BO). (CAVM Team 2003)

Country* Country COUNTRY . TV C X Country code generated by Turboveg. From pop-up list. For United States the code is US.

Dataset* Dataset DATASET . AVA C/N

X Specific project dataset code. From pop-up list in supplementary table.

Region Region REGION . AVA C/N

X Region as indicated by author. For example, could be land management unit, national park, or mountain range. From pop-up list in supplementary table. Generate list as enter data.

Location Location LOCATION . AVA C/N

Relevé location as indicated by the author (e.g., for Marilyn Walker's pingo dataset the location is each individual pingo).

Physiographic division*

Phys division PHYS_DIV . AVA C X Physiographic divisions. For Alaska pop-up list will include: Arctic Coastal Plain (1); Arctic Coastal Plain Teshekpuk Section (1a); Arctic Coastal Plain White Hills Section (1b); Arctic Foothills (2); Arctic Foothills Northern Section (2a); Arctic Foothills Southern

3

Long description



rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description Section (2b); Delong Mountain (3); Noatak Mountains (4); Baird Mountains (5); Central and Eastern Brooks Range(6); Porcupine Plateau (8); Yukon Flats Section (14); Koyukuk Flats (21); Kobuk Selawik Lowland (22); Selawik Hills (23); Buckland River Lowland (24); Nowitna Lowland (27); Nushagak-Bristol Bay Lowland (32); Seward Peninsula (33); Yukon-Kuskokwim Lowland (34); Bering Platform (35); Saint Lawrence Island (35a); Pribelof Islands (35b); Saint Matthew Island (35c); Nunivak Island (35d); Ahklun Mountains (36); Aleutian Islands (37); Aleutian Range (38); Kodiak Mountains (53); N/A (0). Will add to this list as needed. (Wahrhaftig 1965)

Physiographic division source*

Phys source REF_PHY . AVA C X Source used for physiographic division. From pop-up list in the field REFERENCES. Generate list as enter data.

Georeference (y/n)*

Georeference GEOREF . AVA C X Are the relevés georeferenced? (Y or N).

Georeference source

Georef source GEO_SOURC . AVA C Georeference source. From pop-up list: GPS (GPS), Google Earth (GE), map (MAP), aerial photograph (PHOTO), None (NONE).

Georeference accuracy (m)

Accuracy ACCURACY . AVA N Accuracy of georeference as recorded by GPS (m). If source differs, approximate accuracy (m).

Latitude (decimal degrees)

Latitude LATITUDE . TV N Latitude (decimal degrees). Positive latitudes are north of the equator, negative latitudes are south of the equator. Datum is WGS84.

Longitude (decimal degrees)

Longitude LONGITUDE . TV N Longitude (decimal degrees). Positive longitudes are east of Prime Meridian, negative longitudes are west of the Prime Meridian. Datum is WGS84.

Site description Elevation (m) Elevation ALTITUDE ELEVATION TV N Elevation of relevé (m). Slope (degrees) Slope INCLINATIO SLOPE TV N Slope of relevé (degrees). Aspect (degrees) Aspect EXPOSITION ASPECT TV N Aspect of relevé (degrees). Aspect is measured

counterclockwise in degrees from 0 (due north) to 360 (again due north, coming full circle). As a convention, use 360 degrees for north. From pop-up list: NNE (23), NE (45), ENE (68), E (90), ESE (113), SE (135), SSE (158), S (180), SSW (203), SW (225), WSW (248), W (270), WNW (293), NW (315), NNW (338), N (360), too flat to determine (-1), too irregular to determine (-2).

Topographic position

Topography POSITION . AVA C From pop-up list: flat elevated plain (includes plateaus and elevated river terraces) (EL_PLN); hill crest (CRST); shoulder (SHLD); backslope (BACK); footslope (includes toeslopes) (FOOT); flat low plain (LW_PLN); riparian zone (includes active floodplains, drainage channels, water tracks) (RIPZN); lake or pond

4

Long description



rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description (LAKE).

Surficial geology Geology SURF_GEOL . AVA C Parent material. From pop-up list in supplementary table. Habitat type* Habitat HABITAT_TYPE . AVA C X Tentative Braun-Blanquet habitat as defined by classes.

From pop-up list in supplementary table. Will change over time. (Walker 2014; modified from Bültmann & Daniëls 2013)

Site moisture* Site moisture SITE_MOIST . AVA C X Site moisture. From pop-up list: dry (DRY), moist (MST), wet (WET), aquatic/emergent (AQU), unknown (not recorded) (N).

Disturbance* Disturbance DISTURBAN . AVA C X From pop-up list: natural vegetation (NAT) or anthropogenically disturbed (DIS).

Soils description Organic layer depth (cm)

Organic layer ORG_DEPTH . AVA N Depth of organic layer (cm).

Soil texture of top mineral horizon

Soil texture Soil texture SOIL_TEXT . AVA C Field estimate of texture at the top of the mineral horizon. Broad categories from pop-up list: gravel (GRV), sand (SND), silt (SLT), clay (CLY), loam (LOM), organic (if no mineral soil within the active layer) (ORG).

Soil pH Soil pH SOIL_PH . AVA N The pH reported by author. Methods for quantifying pH vary. Refer to reference to determine methods used.

Vegetation description Quality of species information Mosses (y/n)* Mosses MOSS_IDENT . TV C X Mosses identified? (Y or N). Liverworts (y/n)* Liverworts LIV_IDENT . AVA C X Liverworts identified? (Y or N). Lichens (y/n)* Lichens LICH_IDENT . TV C X Lichens identified? (Y or N). Vascular plant taxonomic quality*

Vasc. plant taxonomic quality

Floristic qual FLOR_QUAL . AVA C X Subjective assessment of floristic quality by the party that submitted the plot. From pop-up list: highest (1), high (2), high but incomplete (3), moderate (4), moderate and incomplete (5), low (6).

Cryptogam taxonomic quality*

Cryptogam qual CRYP_QUAL . AVA C X Subjective assessment of taxonomic quality of the cryptogam data by the party that submitted the plot. From pop-up list: highest (1), high (2), high but incomplete (3), moderate (4), moderate and incomplete (5), low (6).

Horizontal structure of vegetation Cover trees (%) Cov trees COV_TREES . TV N Tree cover (%). Cover total shrubs (%)

Cov tot shrubs COV_SHRUBS . TV N Total shrub cover (%).

Cover tall shrubs (%)

Cov tall shrub COV_TSHRUB . AVA N Tall shrub cover (%).

5

Long description



rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description Cover low shrubs (%)

Cov low shrub COV_LSHRUB . AVA N Low shrub cover (%).

Cover erect dwarf-shrubs (%)

Cov ere shrub COV_DSHRUB . AVA N Erect dwarf-shrub cover (%).

Cover prostrate dwarf-shrubs (%)

Cover prostr. dwarf-shrubs (%)

Cov pro shrub COV_PSHRUB . AVA N Prostrate dwarf-shrub cover (%).

Cover total graminoids (%)

Cov graminoid COV_GRAM . AVA N Total graminoid cover (%).

Cover tussock graminoids (%)

Cov tuss gram COV_TGRAM AVA N Tussock graminoid cover (%).

Cover forbs (%) Cov forb COV_FORB . AVA N Forb cover (%). Cover seedless vascular plants (%)

Cover seedless vasc. plants (%)

Cov seedless COV_SLVAS . AVA N Seedless vascular plant (ferns, horsetails, club mosses) cover (%).

Cover mosses and liverworts (%)

Cov moss liver COV_MOSS . AVA N Bryophyte cover (%).

Cover lichen (%) Cov lichen COV_LICHEN . TV N Lichen cover (%). Cover of biological soil crust (%)

Cover soil crust (%)

Cov crust COV_CRUST . AVA N Biological soil crust cover (%).

Cover algae (%) Cov algae COV_ALGAE . TV N Algae cover (%). Cover bare soil (%)

Cov soil COV_SOIL . AVA N Bare soil, or unvegetated (%).

Cover rock (%) Cov rock COV_ROCK . TV N Rock cover (%). Cover water (%) Cov water COV_WATER . TV N Water cover (%). Cover litter (%) Cov litter COV_LITTER . TV N Litter cover (%). Cover total vegetation (%)

Cov total COV_TOTAL . TV N Total (live + dead) vegetation cover (%).

Vertical structure of vegetation Mean canopy height (cm)

Ht canopy MEAN_HT . AVA N Mean height of the canopy within the stand (cm).

Mean tree layer height (m)

Ht tree TREE_HT . AVA N Mean height of the tree layer (m).

Mean shrub layer height (cm)

Ht shrub SHRUB_HT . AVA N Mean height of upper shrub layer including tall and low shrubs (cm).

Mean herb layer height (cm)

Ht herb HERB_HT . AVA N Mean height of herb layer including graminoids, forbs and dwarf shrubs (cm).

Mean moss layer height (cm)

Ht moss MOSS_HT . AVA N Mean thickness of the moss layer including live and dead moss (cm).

Other

6

Long description



rce2

Type

3

Req

uire

d

Field Description Remarks Remarks REMARKS . TV C Comments, if needed. These could include: 1) Taxonomic

notes regarding specific species in the dataset; 2) Field name for community, habitat description and location that defines the site. For example: Dryas integrifolia-Saxifraga oppositifolia-Lecanora epibryon (Type B2); high-centered polygons, margin of drained lake basin; near Spine Road-Oxbow Road intersection at Pruhoe Bay.; 3) Other field observers; 4) Who entered the data into Excel files for import; and 5) Who imported the Excel files into Turboveg and the date.

1 We suggest consistent column headers for all contributing data to the AVA. Column headers are limited to ten characters. 2 The source of the proposed fields are either standard Turboveg (TV; Hennekens 2012) or added for the AVA. 3 Fields are either alphabetic characters (C) or numbers (N) or a combination (C/N).

7

Table S2-2. Habitat types used to characterize plots in the AK-AVA. (Adapted from Bültmann & Daniëls 2013). Habitat Type code Habitat Description

Closest equivalent

Br.-Bl. class Syntaxon

Author & Year 1 Polar desert vegetation Drabo

corymbosae-Papaveretea

dahliani

Daniëls et al. 2015

1.1 Maritime acidic subzone A zonal habitats (e.g., Franz Jozef Land) 1.2 Continental nonacidic subzone A zonal habitats (e.g., Queen Elizabeth

Islands, Canada)

2 Wet saline coastal vegetation Juncetea maritimi

Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952

2.1 Wet coastal salt marsh communities (Puccinellia phryganodes, Carex subsapathecea)

3 Dry coastal beach and sand dune vegetation Ammophiletea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Westhoff et

al. 1946 3.1 Dry active dune communities (Leymus mollis) 3.2 Dry to moist saline coastal communities (Puccinellia andersonii, Mertensia

maritima, Honkenya peploides, Salix ovalifolia, Braya purpurascens, Cochlearia)

4 Aquatic rooted floating or submerged macrophyte vegetation of meso-eutrophic water

Potamogetonetea Klika in Klika et Novák 1941

4.1 Aquatic forb marshes (Hippuris, Sparganium, Menyanthes, Utricularia, Ranunculus, Nuphar)

5 Aquatic and wet nonacidic vegetation Scheuchzerio palustris-

Caricetea fuscae

Tüxen 1937

5.1 Aquatic grass marshes (Arctophila fulva) 5.2 Wet coastal graminoid tundra (Dupontia, Carex ramenskii) 5.3 Wet nonacidic graminoid tundra (Carex spp., Eriophorum spp.-Drepanocladus

spp., Scorpidium spp.)

5.4 Moist to wet coastal graminoid tundra (Carex stans, Carex atrofusca, Saxifraga cernua communities)

5.5 Aquatic moss dominated communities in thermokarst ponds, oxbows, quiet waters (Calliergon giganteum, Scorpidium scropioides)

6 Wet acidic mire vegetation, including tussock tundra Oxycocco-Sphagnetea

Br.-Bl. et Tüxen ex

Westhoff et al. 1946

6.1 Wet acidic Sphagnum-rich tundra (Carex rariflora, C. rotundata, Salix fuscescens, Sphagnum spp.)

6.2 Moist to wet acidic tussock and nontussock tundra (Eriophorum vaginatum, Ledum decumbens, Carex bigelowii, Sphagnum spp., Hylocomium splendens)

6.3 Moist to wet acidic dwarf- to low-shrub tundra (Betula nana, Ledum decumbens, Vaccinium spp., Salix pulchra, Rubus chamaemorus, Sphagnum spp.)

6.4 Moist alder savannas with tussock tundra understories (Alnus viridis, Eriophorum vaginatum, Leldum palsutre, Betula nana)

6.5 Wet acidic sedge, forb mire (Aleutian Islands) 7 Talus slope, debris and alluvial vegetation Thlaspietea

rotundifolii Br.-Bl. 1948

7.1 Granitic screes in cirques 7.2 Crevice, ledges, and ruderal vegetation on acidic rocks 7.3 Rock crevices on limestone 7.4 Ruderal riparian vegetation (Epilobium latifolium, Artemisia arctica, Salix

alaxensis, Trisetum spicatum)

7.5 Talus marsh communities 7.6 Ruderal communities on loamy soils 8 Deep-snowbed vegetation Salicetea

herbaceae Br.-Bl. 1948

8.1 Moist moderately drained deep snowbeds (Salix rotundifolia, S. polaris, S. herbacea)

8.2 Poorly drained deep snowbeds (Phippsia algida, Saxifraga rivularis, Ranunculus pygmaeus, etc.)

8

8.3 Other late snowbed communities 9 Dry to moist dwarf-shrub heath and low-shrub vegetation on nutrient

poor acidic poor substrates Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea

Eggler ex Schubert 1960

9.1 Dry acidic prostrate-shrub heath tundra (Arctous alpina, Salix phlebophylla, Empetrum spp. heaths)

9.2 Shallow acidic snowbeds (Cassiope-Carex microchaeta-Hylocomium communities)

9.3 Moist and dry acidic dwarf-shrub and lichen heaths (Vaccinium uliginosum, Empetrum nigrum, Ledum decumbens, Spiraea beauverdiana, some Betula nana-lichen heaths)

9.4 Frost boil vegetation in acidic tundra (Anthelia, Juncus biglumis communities) 10 Dry and mesic dwarf-shrub and graminoid vegetation on calcareous,

non-acidic substrates Carici-

Kobresietea Ohba 1974

10.1 Dry nonacidic tundra (Dryas integrifolia, including Dryas-domninated river terraces)

10.2 Dry acidic tundra (Dryas octopetala, Dryas alaskana) 10.3 Shallow nonacidic snowbeds (Cassiope-Dryas-Tomentypnum, and Cassiope-

Dryas-lichen communities)

10.4 Moist nonacidic tundra (Sedge-Dryas-Tomentypnum communities) 10.5 Frost boil vegetation in nonacidic tundra (Juncus biglumis, Saxifraga

oppositifolia)

10.6 Dry non-acidic coastal tundra (Dryas integrifolia, Salix rotundifolia, Ochrolechia frigida)

10.7 Dry coastal rush tundra (Luzula confusa) 10.8 Moist to wet grassy meadows (Calamagrostis canadensis, Polemonium

acutiflorum, Potentilla palustris)

11 Boreal and low Arctic steppe inland vegetation on dry, warm substrate Saxifrago-Calamagrostietea

purpurascentis

Drees & Daniëls 2009

11.1 Dry steppe tundra communities on south facing slopes of pingos 11.2 Dry sagebrush steppe communities along streams and in dunes (Artemisia

spp.)

11.3 Dry grass-dominated steppe communities in the alpine (Elymus innovatus, Festuca altaica)

11.4 Festuca altaica-forb communities (inculde with 11.3) 11.5 Alpine, dry turfs, Carex nardina, Carex glacialis, Kobresia myosuroides;

several pingo communities with Carex franklinii, Kobresia myosuroides, Carex petricosa

12 Tall forb and shrub vegetation on mesic-moist soil Mulgedio-Aconitetea

Hadač in Klika et Hadač 1944

12.1 Moist Alder communities (Alnus viridis) 12.2 Moist fern, forb meadow (Aleutian Islands) 13 Shrub and poplar stands of riparian and warm south-facing habitats Salicetea

purpureae Moor 1958

13.1 Willow shrub vegetation of riparian areas and warm habitats (south-facing slopes)

13.2 Poplar vegetation of warm Arctic habitats 13.3 Birch, willow, juniper, stands on warm south-facing slopes 13.4 Dwarf birch willow tundra (Betula nana, Salix pulchra, Eriophorum

angustifolium)

13.5 Dry dwarf birch shrub tundra (Betula nana, Dryas octopetala) 13.6 Willow, grass, fern, forb thickets (Aleutian Islands) 14 Boreal forest communities

14.1 Boreal coniferous forest Vaccinio-Piceetea

Br.-Bl.,et al. 1939

14.2 Boreal broadleaf deciduous forest (including Populus balsamifera) 15 Moss communities

15.1 Moss communities on acidic rocks 15.2 Moss communities on non-acidic rocks 16 Lichen communities

16.1 Saxicolous lichen communities on silicate rocks Rhizocarpetea geographici

Wirth 1972

16.2 Saxicolous lichen communities on calcareous rocks Verrucarietea nigrescentis

Wirth 1980

100 Habitats of unknown or to-be described classes 100.1 Zoogenic communities associated with animal dens and bird mounds (Poa

glauca, Festuca rubra, Ranunculus pedatifidus, etc.)

9

100.2 Naturally eroding lake or river bluffs dominated by graminoids and forbs 100.3 Naturally eroding lake or river bluffs dominated by shrubs 100.4 General anthropogenically disturbed sites

Reference

Bültmann, H. & Daniëls, F.J.A. 2013. Greenland data stored in the Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) in Münster. In: Walker, D.A., Breen, A.L., Raynolds, M.K. & Walker, M.D. (eds.) Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) workshop, Krakow, Poland, April 14-16, 2013, pp. 29-32. CAFF International Secretariat [CAFF Proceedings Report 10], Akureyri, IS.

open access article the alaska arctic vegetation archive

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