Publication Date:
2023-05-12
Description:
Beach and salt marsh vegetation of the Uummannaq District, northern West Greenland (c. 70°15' N – 72° N, 49° W – 54° W) was studied 1998 according to the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. Habitat analyses included soil chemistry. Such vegetation locally occurs and is not developed over extensive areas. On gravely stony beaches a Mertensia maritima ssp. maritima community occurs, while a Honckenya peploides var. diffusa community is confined to sandy beaches. The association Honckenyo diffusae-Elymetum mollis Thannh. 1975 is confined to sandy shore walls and low dunes. All vegetation types are assigned to the alliance Honckenyo- Elymion arenariae Tx. 1966, which again is a unit of the order Honckenyo- Elymetalia arenariae Tx. 1966, which is sub ordered to the class Honckenyo-Elymetea arenariae Tx. 1966. On fine sediments along sheltered coasts salt marsh vegetation is locally developed mainly on fiord deltas and outwash plains of small rivers and streams. A distinct zonation pattern in vegetation can be observed from the lower to upper salt marsh: Puccinellietum phryganodis Hadac 1946 association, Caricetum subspathaceae Hadac 1946 association, Caricetum ursinae Hadac 1946 association (all assigned to the alliance Puccinellion phryganodis Hadac 1946) and Festuco-Caricetum glareosae Nordh. 1954 association (assigned to the alliance Armerion maritimae Br.-Bl. et de Leeuw 1936). Both alliances are units of the order Glauco- Puccinellietalia Beeftink et Westhoff in Beeftink 1965, which is assigned to the class Asteretea tripolii Westhoff et Beeftink in Beeftink 1962. TWINSPAN and CCA support the vegetation classification and the CCA with soil chemistry parameters shows that salinity (related to position above MHW) and Ncontent are strongly correlated with the floristical differentiation of the vegetation of the Honckenyo-Elymetea class. In the Asteretea tripolii class, position above MHW (negatively correlated with pH, conductivity and Clcontent) and fresh water supply are likely the main factors, which affect vegetation differentiation. A synoptic survey of vegetation types from Greenland based on published phytosociological tables is presented and distribution of the vegetation types is addressed, just as their position in a circumpolar context. Moreover a Cochlearia groenlandica-Melandrium triflorum community is described as a new vegetation type, occurring on shallow soil on cliffs influenced by salt spray.
Keywords:
Drygalski Peninsula, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Ikerasak, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Illorsuit on Ubekendt Ejland, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Itsako on Svartenhuk Peninsula, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Kangiussap qinguâ on Svartenhuk Peninsula, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Kûk on Nuussuaq Peninsula, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Laksefiord, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; loc-1; loc-10; loc-2; loc-3; loc-4; loc-5; loc-6; loc-7; loc-8; loc-9; Naujât, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; Nuugaatsiaq, Uummannaq District, West Greenland; OBSE; Observation; Qaarsut on Nuussuaq Peninsula, Uummannaq District, West Greenland
Type:
Dataset
Format:
application/zip, 3 datasets
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