188 



P.J. Webber et al. 



DECIDUOUS 



SHRUB 

 Salix arclica 



SINGLE 

 GRAMINOID 

 Dupontia fisheri 



EVERGREEN SHRUB 

 Cassiope leiragona 



ROSETTE 

 FORB 



Saxifraga nivalis 



MAT FORB 



Cerastium beeringianum 



ERECT FORB 



Polygonum vivipariim 



CAESPITOSE 

 GRAMINOID 

 Luzula confusa 



CUSHION FORB 



Saxifraga caespilosa 



BRYOPHYTE 



Pogonalum alpinum 



'If^^f f r 



LICHEN 

 Cladonia pyxidala 



FIGURE 6-2. Examples of the ten plant growth forms. (After Webber 

 1978.) 



nificantly correlated with the growth and distribution of different plant 

 species and growth forms. The principal controlling factors were soil 

 moisture, soil anaerobicity (indicated by soil odor of hydrogen sulfide), 

 soluble phosphate in the soil and, to a lesser extent, snow cover. 



Sampling sites were classified in terms of topography, hydrology 

 and soil morphology. Samples were taken from six microtopographic 

 units: ponds, meadows, polygon troughs, tops of high-centered polygons 



