Table XXXVni. Mean cover-abundance values of trees and shrubs 

 in 0.02-ha quadrats in three plant communities along the hot-pipe 

 vegetation survey transect. 



Birch Transition Spruce 



community community community 



(N=8) (N=6) (N=9) 



Species Quad 1-8 Quad 9-lA Quad 15-23 



Tree species (based on occurrences in 

 all strata) 



Low tree high shrub strata 



Salix spp. (primarily S^. depressa 



ssp . rostrata ) X 1 2 



Alnus crispa ssp. crispa 3 7 7 



Shrub stratum 



Ribes spp. 



Rosa acicularis 



Ledum groenlandicum 



Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp. minus 



Viburnum edule 



Rub us idaeus ssp. melanolasius 



Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. alpinum 



* Data unavailable. 



In general, herbs appear to be relatively numerous in the birch and transition communities 

 and significantly less so in the spruce community. The latter, however, contains the greatest 

 diversity of herbaceous, as well as other species. 



Figure 43 indicates the relative importance of a moss and of two major groupings of cryptogams 

 alor^ the transect. Values for Hylocomium splendens are, on the average, low in quadrats 1-40 

 (birch community), higher in 41-70 (transition community), and somewhat higher yet in the remaining 

 quadrats (spruce community). The moderately higlier values for this species in certain quadrats 

 between 35 and 48, corresponding to numbers 8-10 of the 0.02-ha quadrats, relate to the highs for 

 the ericaceous shrubs and black spruce discussed. As with these species, Hylocomium splendens 

 also indicates more abundant soil moisture tlian in adjacent parts of the transect. The local 

 environmental situation hero appears to be similar to that in the spruce community. In general, 

 as a moisture indicator, the gradual increase of Hylocomium splendens along tlie transect reflects 

 the higher topographic position of the birch community, the northeastward sloping terrain of the 

 transition community, and the lower position of the spruce community. 



105 



