18 



J. Brown et al. 



□ rims and low relief, 

 high-centered polygons 



^M polygon centers 



m polygon troughs 



meadows S frost boils 



V*,'.*. 







>^ 



1^ "5 



s-JT^ 



^^^%<^. 





A' --C 



^ 



'<#! 



[~] Carex aqualilis-Duponlia fisheri (V) [Tj c^^^^'o'^of^yif ^ (HI) 



I 1 Dupontia fisheri-Calliergon (V) 

 [~] Catliergon (VI) 



f~| Corex aquatilis (IV) 



humus-Carex fl<?ua/;7/5 y, D Eriophorum angustifolium (IV) 



Saxifraga foliolosa irn . ■, i ,■ u /ii> 



[ j bare soil-soil lichen (II) 



FIGURE 1-8. Vertical photograph (center), soils (top), and vegetation 



(bottom) of a portion of the site 4 grid. (After Walker 1977). The complex- 

 ity of the microlopography decreases from right to left. Mixed high- and low-centered poly- 

 gons are on the extreme right. The center portion is mostly well-developed low-centered 

 polygons. The dark colored centers may contain standing water following snowmelt and 

 during wet sumtners. The rims of polygons are outlined in lighter tones. Troughs are linear 

 elements, dark where they are very moist or contain standing water. The left third consists 

 of polygons with little or no microrelief contrast. See Figures 1-7, 1-11, and 1-12 for the re- 

 lationship of the grid location to the terrain, soils, and vegetation of the entire research 

 area. See Figure 1-9 for features on transect A-B. 



