REINDEER IF ALASKA. 23 



over the belt of summer range immediately adjoining the coast, and 

 only very scattering stands over the neighboring inland areas which 

 are chiefly winter range. 



Immediately along the coast occurs the bulk of the forage most 

 suitable for summer grazing, consisting largely of herbaceous and 

 nonmoss growth; and adjoining this belt toward the interior lie 

 the fall and winter ranges, covered largely with lichens. The belt 

 of summer range will run from 7 to 30 miles wide, generally aver- 

 aging about 10 to 15 miles, and the strip of winter range will equal 

 and exceed this. 



The vegetation along the coast is very luxuriant, especially on 

 fiats, benches, and lower slopes (PI. IX, Fig, 2). A hummocky 

 ground of moist to wet soil, called "tundra" or " niggerheads," 

 predominates on the lower elevations, and a dry, generally rocky 

 ground occurs on the upper slopes and the tops of ridges. The vege- 

 tation of the tundra areas is very dense, often matted, and is of 

 profuse growth (PI. XIII, Fig. 1). On the upper slopes and tops 

 of ridges it is less dense and becomes dwarfed. On small areas of 

 sandy soil which occur along the beach or in forested areas along 

 streams, the grasses and weeds frequently attain a height of 3 and 4 

 feet. In many places the tundra growth of mixed sedges, browse, 

 grasses, weeds, and lichens will form a vegetative mat 10 to 12 

 inches deep. Thickets of tall willow are often found along stream 

 courses; scattering stands of alder and birch frequently occur on 

 upper slopes or mixed with spruce along the larger river valleys; 

 and a mixture of low brush, as ground birch, ground willow, huckle- 

 berry, sahnonberry, cranberry, crowberry, and tea, is abundantly 

 scattered throughout the ranges. Grasses and weeds are of only 

 scattering occurrence. Sedges, browse, and lichens form the bulk of 

 the vegetation. 



While a general type of vegetative cover occurs over the coast 

 ranges, the physical characteristics of the land and soil vary con- 

 siderably, thus producing three main classes or types of range, which 

 may be termed generally the dry tundra, the wet tundra, and the 

 rocky areas. In terms of relative carrying capacity the dry tundra 

 type should support a greater number of reindeer per acre than the 

 wet tundra type. While both types will run about equally high in 

 average forage production, the soft or marshy nature of the ground 

 reduces the actual carrying capacity of the wet type because of the 

 greater harm done to the forage plants in being ground into the wet 

 earth by the trampling of grazing animals. On the other hand, the 

 rocky type usually will have a lower carrying capacity than the 

 other two, because of the smaller forage growth. 



