Altitudinai distribution of plant communities in the Faroe Islands - Hæddarútbreiðsla av plantusamfeløgum í Føroyum
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Abstract
Úrtak
Greinin lýsir úrslit frá teirri fyrstu kvantitativu kanningini av vøkstri á heilum fjallasíðum í Føroyum. Fimm fjøll vórðu kannað til tess at kunna lýsa útbreiðsluna av plantusamfeløgum og broytingar niðan eftir fjøllum. Endamálið var at greina vøksturin í hæddarbeltir og at kanna skiftið millum tempereraðan og arktiskan fjallagróður. Tólv plantusamfeløg vóru greinað í fýra høvuðsgróðrarsløg: Graslendisgróður, grámosagróður, vátur graslendisgróður og lyngheiðagróður. Vøksturin kann býtast í trý ymisk hæddarøki: Tað tempereraða vakstrarbeltið (ovara mark 200 m hædd), lágljallavakstrarbeltið (200-400 m hædd) og fjallavakstrarbeltið (oman fyri 400 m hædd). Tað tempereraða vakstrarbeltið er sermerkt av lyngheiðagróðri við tveimum plantusamfeløgum: Empelrum nigrum-Calluna vulgaris-samfelagið og Calluna vulgaris-Nardus stricta-samfelagið. Lágfjallavakstrarbeltið er sermerkt av vátum graslendisgróðri við trimum plantusamfeløgum: Thymus praecox-Vaccinium myrtillus-samfelagið, Nardus stricta-Potentilla erecta-samfelagið og Galium saxatilis-Anthoxanthum odoratum-samfelagið. Fjalla vakstrarbelti er sermerkt av tveimum høvusgróðrarsløgum: 1) grámosagróðri við trimum plantusamfeløgum: Racomitrium hmuginosum-samfelagið, Racomitrium lanuginosum-Salix /lerirøcea-samfelagið og Racomitrium fasciculare-Alchemilla alpina-samfelagið,og 2) graslendisgróðri við fýra plantusamfeløgum: Koenigia islandica-samfelagið, Festuca vivipara-Agrostis capillaris-samfelagið, Bistorta vivipara-Festuca vivipara-samfelagið og Deschampsia flexuosa-Rhytidiadelphus loreus-samfelagið. Høvuðsniðurstøðan í hesi kanning er, at trý vakstrarbelti eru, eins og áður hevur verið hildið; men hesi øki eru væl lægri enn í eldri kanningum.
Abstract
This paper presents the first quantitative vegetation analysis carried out along a continuous altitudinal gradient in the Faroe Islands. In order to describe the distribution of plant communities along altitudinal gradients, five mountains were studied. The aim was to define vegetation zones and to determine the transition boundary between temperate and arctic-alpine vegetation. The vegetation was classified into 12 plant communities belonging to four main vegetation types. These types are open grassland vegetalion, Racomitrium vegetation, moist grassland vegetation, and moist dwarf shrub vegetation.
Three significantly different altitudinal vegetation zones can be defined: a temperate zone (upper limit at 200 m a.s.l.); a low alpine zone (200-400 m a.s.l.); and an alpine zone (above 400 m a.s.l.). The temperate zone is characterized by moist dwarf-shrub heath vegetation with these two plant communities: Empetrum nigrum-Calluna vulgaris community and Calluna vulgaris-Nardus stricta community; the low alpine zone is characterized by moist grassland vegetation with these three plant communities: Thymus praecox-Vaccinium myrtillus community, Nardus stricta-Potentilla erecta community and Galium saxatilis-Anthoxanthum odoratum community; and the alpine zone is characterized by two types of vegetation: 1) Racomitrium vegetation with these three plant communilies: Racomitrium lanuginosum community, Racomitrium lanuginosum-Salix herhacea community and Racomitriumfasciculare-Alchemilla alpina community; and 2) open grassland vegetation with these four plant communities: Koenigia islandica community, Festuca vivipara-Agrostis capillaris community, Bistorta vivipara-Festuca vivipara community and Deschampsia flexuosa-Rhytidiadelphus loreus community. I conclude from this study that the three vegetation zones are found at considerably lower altitudes than older studies demonstrated.
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