Development of Vegetation Communities in a Retrogressive Thaw Slump near Mayo, Yukon Territory: A 10-Year Assessment
Dates
Year
2001
Citation
Bartleman, A. P., Miyanishi, K., Burn, C. R., and Cote, M. M., 2001, Development of Vegetation Communities in a Retrogressive Thaw Slump near Mayo, Yukon Territory: A 10-Year Assessment: Arctic, v. 54, no. 2, p. 149-156.
Summary
The vegetation in a retrogressive thaw slump, first surveyed and documented in 1987, was revisited 10 years later to investigate its subsequent development and to test a chronosequence-based successional model. The thaw slump stabilized in 1994, when the headwall became covered by organic and mineral debris. As a result, the meltwater supply from headwall ablation ceased. Alteration of environmental conditions due to stabilization of the headwall diverted the vegetation succession from the chronosequence determined in 1987. Areas that were marshy in 1987 dried up, and an area dominated by Polygonum alaskanum [Alaska wild rhubarb] appeared close to the headwall. Much of the thaw slump was dominated by Salix spp. in 1997, rather than [...]
Summary
The vegetation in a retrogressive thaw slump, first surveyed and documented in 1987, was revisited 10 years later to investigate its subsequent development and to test a chronosequence-based successional model. The thaw slump stabilized in 1994, when the headwall became covered by organic and mineral debris. As a result, the meltwater supply from headwall ablation ceased. Alteration of environmental conditions due to stabilization of the headwall diverted the vegetation succession from the chronosequence determined in 1987. Areas that were marshy in 1987 dried up, and an area dominated by Polygonum alaskanum [Alaska wild rhubarb] appeared close to the headwall. Much of the thaw slump was dominated by Salix spp. in 1997, rather than the Equisteum [horsetail] of 1987. However, the ground more than 200 m from the headwall, over a decade old in 1987, experienced less change in edaphic [soil related] conditions, and the communities there continued to develop a structure approaching the surrounding undisturbed forest.