Vascular plant vegetation of the Southern Circumpolar Region in relation to antarctic, alpine, and arctic vegetation

Abstract

Classification of southern circumpolar vegetation has been based upon a system quite different than that used for alpine and arctic vegetation. Although the flora and in part the physiognomy of the vegetation is quite different in the Southern Circumpolar Region, it is felt that a more uniform classification system is needed.This paper subdivides the vegetation of the southern polar region into a Subantarctic and an Antarctic Biome. The former includes closed forest, scrub fern bush, maritime and montane tussock grassland. The Antarctic Biome includes tundra-like closed vegetation, cushion plant open fellfield, and the grass-herb fellfield, moss and lichen communities of the Antarctic Continent and adjacent islands.