The Botany of Iceland - 01.12.1945, Page 80

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STEINDÓR STEINDÓRSSON
ranium belt” of Arnarvatnsheiði. Analysis i was taken in Fagridalur
at an altitude of c. 620 m, in a depression with a southwestward ex-
posure. The whole depression was covered with this association, but in
front of the depression it passed into a Salix heath without any sharp
line of demarcation. The snow-covering was not particularly deep.
Analysis 2 is from Kringilsárrani, c. 630 m above sea-level, where
grooves are found in a slope with an eastward exposure. The grooves
are occupied by a snow-patch vegetation, the shallow grooves by this
association, the deeper ones by an Alchemilla association. Sometimes
both associations are found in the same snow-patch, when the Alche-
tnilla association will be met with at the base, the Geranium—Salix
g/awca-association higher up the slope. The analysis was taken in a
small snow-patch without any zonation, the association covering the
whole snow-patch. Salix—Empetrum heath occurred on ridges on either
side. This association is frequent in small patches within the area in-
vestigated, but is best developed in the two aforementioned localities
in Fagridalur and Kringilsárrani. It is difficult to draw a sharp line
of distinction between this and the following association, thus what
has been said about this association may generally apply equally well
to the next one. The two associations correspond to the herb slope or
perhaps willow scrub of earlier authors. It agrees fairly well with the
Geranium silvaticum-'Wiese described by Fries (1913, p. 112) and
the Deschampsia caespiiosa—Geranium silvaticum-association described
by Nordhagen (1928, p. 347). It would seem, however, that in
Scandinavia the Geranium meadows are not dependent on a long-
lasting snow-covering. Thus F r i e s refers the Geranium silvaticum-
Wiese to the associations which are not “beeinflusst von der Schnee-
decke”. The herb slopes in Greenland, however, have developed under
much the same conditions as the Geranium associations mentioned
here. These three associations correspond to the Altherbosa and Semper-
virentiherbosa of East Greenland described by B ö c h e r, but they are
formations which require a long-lasting snow-coverinsr.
2. Geranium silvaticum—Taraxacum-Alchemilla-Ass.
(Tab. XI. A-B, 1-2).
This association is closely related to association 1. The main dif-
ference is that here Alchemilla glomerulans and /1. minor are among
the dominant species both physiognomically and in regard to degree
of covering. Salix glauca is much reduced physiognomically in spite