Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.06.1975, Page 20

Classification of Mires
As stated earlier, I view the mires as a topographical entitj. My
classification of mires rests on this same conceptual basis, which
the views of older authorities support, especially H. Molholm Han-
sen. Also to be considered in this connection are the age-old clas-
sifications and names of the mires adopted and used by the com-
mon people of Iceland. Although these definitions are not precise
they offer nevertheless a foundation on which to build. I have
therefore mainly used common Icelandic names in my terminology
of Icelandic mires. This represents, to be sure, the easiest working
method for me, but what is more important and decisive is the
difficulty of correlating these names with foreign nomenclatm-e of
plant communities, and it would often have been misleading pure
and simple to apply the foreign nomenclature to Icelandic plant
communities.
The factor which is the prime determinant for the development
of mires is the ground-water, its level and fluctuation. The same
principle also applies in separating the mires into subdivisions. The
main divisions of mire are four and closely connected with these
are two others, so that there are all told six plant communities,
which I will attempt to describe here.
1. Flói (Level Mire)
Water floods the surface or reaches its uppermost portions for at
least a part of the year, and a sheet of ice covers it in winter time.
The surface is generally level and the land so flat or so slightly slop-
ing that the ground water is almost stagnant.
2. FlceSimýri (Alluvial Mire)
Approximately the same degree of moisture as the flói hut the
water is in constant motion. Only forms along rivers and lakes.
The surface is level.
3. Mýri (Sloping mire)
Water never floots the surface but the surface level varies. The
land slopes somewhat, so that the water is never stagnant. The sur-
face is most often mound pattemed.
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