93 
Responses of Arctic, Boreal, 
and Alpine Biotypes 
in Reciprocal Transplants 
WILLIAM W. MITCHELL and JAY D. McKENDRICK 
Institute of Agricultural Sciences 
University of Alaska 
Palmer, Alaska 99645 
Introduction 
Transplant gardens were established in 1972 
at Prudhoe Bay (arctic site, Fig. 1) and Palmer 
(boreal site, Fig. 2) in Alaska. Responses of 
perennial plants obtained from arctic, boreal, 
and temperate locations were compared when 
grown under relatively uniform conditions at 
these two northern sites. Forty different 
biotypes in six grass species from locations in 
Alaska and Colorado were entered in the study. 
An additional study was conducted in 1972 and 
1973 at both sites comparing 1 year’s growth of 
seeded materials in phytometers. This report 
sums the results obtained in the transplant study 
through the 1974 growing season. 
Transplant Study 
Procedures 
Each biotype included in the transplant 
study was subdivided for pre-establishment in 
the greenhouse prior to transplanting in the 
field. Round pots, 33 cm across and 20 cm deep, 
were filled with a mica peat mix and placed in 
holes dug about 25 cm deep in the two gardens. 
The plants were transplanted into these pots in 
the Palmer garden on June 13, 1972 and into 
the Prudhoe garden (Fig. 3) on June 18, 1972. 
Each pot was fertilized with a mix supplying N, 
P, and K at the rate of 45, 79, and 74 kg ha’! 
respectively, at the time of transplant and again 
at the start of the 1974 growing season. The 
plants were watered in the Palmer garden as 
needed. No watering was necessary in the Prud- 
hoe garden. 
Measurements were conducted in mid- 
August in the Palmer garden and late August in 
the Prudhoe garden. The earlier measurements 
were necessary in the Palmer garden because of 
earlier maturing dates at the boreal site. Two 
plants of each accession were measured for the 
following characteristics: 
1. median height to nearest cm of taller 
growing leaves when extended; 
2. median height to nearest cm of taller 
growing culms; 
3. median width to nearest mm of most 
typical leaves; 
4. number of flowering culms; 
5. extent of basal spread in cm; 
6. density of shoot growth judged accord- 
ing to 5 classes (1-5; sparse to dense); 
7. weight of shoots clipped off at ground 
level and oven-dried at 60° C., and 
8. oven-dry weight of roots (attempted but 
abandoned for reason given below). 
