The Plant Life of Russian Lapland

Abstract

The Kola Peninsula or Russian Lapland lies within the Arctic Circle some 750 miles north of Leningrad (fig. 1). It is bounded by the White Sea on the south and the Arctic Ocean on the north, thus extending from latitude 66? N. to about latitude 69? 5' N., the north-western corner nearly reaching latitude 700 N. From west to east the Peninsula extends from Finland, at longitude 30? E., to the strait of the White Sea, at longitude 410 E. The northern part of the Peninsula may be reached by a forty-two hour rail journey from Leningrad to Murmansk, the northern terminal of the road, passing through the much older town of Kola. Fourteen miles north of Murmansk lies Alexandrovsk, the most northern village of the Peninsula, and six miles more bring us to the open shores of the Arctic Ocean near which lies the Island of Kildin. In the center of the Peninsula are the Hibini Mountains, extending eastward from Lake Imandra. The Mountains have now become known to all Russians because of the recent discovery of valuable deposits of apatite (phosphorus ore). This article has to do with the plant life of the two regions of the Hibini Mountains known as Tachtarvumchorr and Kukisvumchorr, and of the Island of Kildin. On the east shore of Lake Imandra is the small settlement of Hibini 1 with a government agricultural experiment station (fig. 2). Less than a mile from the lake shore rise the Tachtarvumchorr Mountains. Ten miles south from Hibini is the station Apatiti from which a small railroad goes eastward to the new and rapidly growing town of Hibinogorsk on Lake Vudyavr. Four miles to the north, beside Small Lake Vudyavr, is the experimental station of the National Academy of Science of Leningrad. The mountains of this region are more majestic than those of Hibini. The panorama, though bleak, is truly a fine one. Glaciers are not present as the mountains are not sufficiently high, the maximum altitude being under 4000 feet. The climate of Lake Imandra and the Hibini Mountains is not as severe as one might expect from their arctic situation. The usual winter temperature is about 10? C. (14' F.) though -40? C. may be reached. Snow attains an average maximum depth of two meters. Summer temperature is about 15? C. Railns