
Fig, 1, Adult Aleutian Canada goose. Note broad white ring at the base of the black neck. 
ranged from 11° and 5° C in June to 14° and 8° C in 
August. The average relative humidity near sea level at 
Buldir ranged from 90.5% in June to 97.4% in August dur- 
ing the study. Precipitation was recorded on 69% of the 
days in June, 62% in July, and 84% in August, The aver- 
age monthly precipitation from 1974 to 1976 ranged from 
62 mm in June to 131 mm in August. Daily cloud cover 
averaged 82% in June and just over 90% in July and 
August, The monthly average wind velocity (1974-76) was 
about 25 km/h June through August. During the 3 years 
of the study, spring 1974 was the mildest. That year pheno- 
logical events (e,g., flower blooming) were earlier than in 
1975 and 1976, 
Vegetation 
The vegetation of the Aleutian Islands is classified as 
“maritime tundra” (Amundson and Clebsch 1971). Two 
major vegetative associations or complexes occur at Buldir: 
the Lowland Tall-plant and the Upland Short-plant 
(Fig. 5). 
The Lowland Tall-plant association, usually below 300 m 
elevation, was composed of eight plant communities (Byrd 
1983). The two most widespread communities were the 
beach rye-umbel (Fig. 6) and the beach rye-umbel-fern. 
The former community was dominated by beach rye 
(Elymus arenarius), cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), and 
wild celery (Angelica lucida). The beach rye-umbel-fern 
community was similar, but it also contained significant 
concentrations of Athyrium felix-femina., 
The Upland Short-plant association, usually above 300 m 
elevation, contained three communities (Byrd 1983); the 
most extensive was the moss-willow tundra which con- 
tained several species of Salix, mosses, and other dwarf 
plants, 
