Table A-4 — Key to the Vegetation Element of the Land Classification Framework — 

 Class: Dwarf-Shrubland 1 



Class: Dwarf-Shrubland 



Subclass 



Group 



Formation 



Shrubs less than 0.5 m tall 

 forming 26 percent or 

 greater canopy cover 



Mainly evergreen dwarf- 

 shrubland (most dwarf 

 shrubs evergreen) 



1. Closed dwarf-shrubland (over 

 60 percent canopy cover) 



Evergreen caespitose closed 

 dwarf-shrubland (e.g., 

 alpine azalea) 



Evergreen creeping or matted 

 dwarf-shrubland 



Open dwarf-shrubland (26 to 

 60 percent canopy cover) 



3. Dwarf-shrubland mixed with 

 herbaceous plants 



a. Evergreen cushion dwarf- 

 shrubland (e.g., open alpine 

 azalea) 



a. Truly evergreen dwarf-shrub 



and herb mixed formation 

 (e.g., some Alaska heath) 



b. Partially evergreen dwarf- 



shrub and mixed formation 



B. Mainly deciduous dwarf- 

 shrubland 



Facultative drought-deciduous 

 dwarf shrubland (foliage 

 shed only in extreme years) 

 (May not be represented 

 in U.S.) 



Obligatory drought-deciduous 

 dwarf shrubland (all or at 

 least part of leaves shed 

 in dry season) 



a. Drought-deciduous caespi- 



tose dwarf-shrubland 



b. Drought-deciduous creeping 



or matted dwarf-shrubland 



c. Drought-deciduous cushion 



dwarf-shrubland 



d. Drought-deciduous mixed 



dwarf-shrubland 



Extremely xeromorphic (sub- 

 desert) dwarf-shrubland 

 (specific examples need 

 to be determined) 



3. Cold-deciduous dwarf- 

 shrubland (winter frost or 

 freeze) (dwarf willow and 

 other dwarf shrub commu- 

 nities of cold regions ex- 

 clusive of tundra) 



1. Mainly evergreen dwarf- 

 shrubland 



a. Cold-deciduous caespitose 



dwarf-shrubland 



b. Cold-deciduous creeping or 



matted dwarf-shrubland 



c. Cold-deciduous cushion 



dwarf-shrubland 



d. Cold-deciduous mixed dwarf- 



shrubland 



a. Evergreen subdesert dwarf- 



shrubland 



b. Semideciduous subdesert 



dwarf-shrubland 



2. Deciduous dwarf-shrubland a. 



Deciduous subdesert dwarf- 

 shrubland without succu- 

 lents 



Deciduous subdesert dwarf- 

 shrubland with succulents 



D. Tundra dwarf-shrubland 



1. Mainly moss dwarf-shrubland 

 (e.g., shrub-moss tundra 

 of Alaska) 



a. Caespiteose dwarf-shrub/ 



moss tundra 



b. Creeping or matted dwarf- 



shrub/moss tundra 



See footnote at end of table 



Mainly lichen dwarf-shrubland 

 (e.g., shrub-lichen tundra 

 of Alaska) 



27 



