Bay, C., Aastrup, P. & Nymand, J. 2008: The NERO line. A vegetation transect in Kobbefjord, West Greenland. National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark. 40 p. – NERI Technical Report no. 693.
Summary
The NERO line is a permanent vegetation transect which was established in July 2007 in the NuukBasic study area in Kobbefjorden, Nuuk. The objective is to monitor future changes in the location of boundary lines between vegetation zones and in the species composition of the plant communities. The NERO line consists of a main vegetation transect supplemented by a coastal transect including a salt marsh and a short transect including a special Deschampsia-Juncus community.
Dwarf shrub heaths are dominating on all lowlands on level and moderately sloping terrain. Several types of dwarf shrub heaths are found, each dominated by one or few of the common shrubs species Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium uliginosum , Betula nana, Salix glauca, Loiseleuria procumbens, and Phyllodoce coerulea. Empetrum nigrum is the most common species in the heaths and this species occurs in all types from the wind exposed, low type with a low species diversity to the more lush type with more species and a longer snow cover. Next to Empetrum nigrum the most abundant species are Vaccinium uliginosum, Salix glauca, and Betula nana. Loiseleuria procumbens is common on terrain with higher exposure to wind.
The vegetation was classified into eight types based on the species composition, physiognomy, and species diversity in addition to water contents of the soil, expected snow cover, and terrain aspects. The types are:
1. Dwarf shrub heath - different subtypes according to the dominating shrub species, e.g. Vaccinium uliginosum-Betula nana-Salix glauca heath
2. Snow patch
3. Herb slope
4. Fens
5. Copse
6. Deschampsia-Juncus community
7. Lake and pond vegetation
8. Salt marsh.
This report includes a detailed description of the NERO line, results of Raunkjær analyses along the transect, a compilation of a list of vascular plants in the survey area, and ground truthings of vegetation types as a basis for a vegetation map. The surveys only included vascular plants.
Full report in pdf-format (2.816 KB)
