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A Phytosociological Survey of the Chionophilous Communities of Western North America. Part I: Temperate and Mediterranean Associations

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Abstract

Through tabular and average linkage cluster analyses, 872 phytosociological relevés, including 491 obtained from the literature and 381 of our own relevés obtained in the field, were ordered and classified. Based on these relevés, we then described and typified the associations, alliances, orders, subclasses, and classes defining the chionophilous communities of the boreal, temperate and Mediterranean climates of western North America. Diagnostic tables, ordination, clustering, and climatic, edaphic, and biogeographical data were used to establish floristic affinities among these syntaxa and interpret their distributions. Syntaxa were characterized by their floristic composition, physiognomy and biogeographical distribution, along with their position on the snow gradient. Finally, we ascribed the communities growing in temperate and Mediterranean climates to the new class Hieracio gracilis-Juncetea drummondii, including 3 subclasses, 6 orders, 12 alliances and 34 associations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Universidad de Alcalá, E-28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    M. Peinado

  2. Cátedra de Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, E-28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    J. L. Aguirre

  3. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, BC, Mexico

    J. Delgadillo

  4. IES ‘Luca de Tena’, Pirineos 17, 41018, Sevilla, Spain

    J. M. Martínez-Parras

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  1. M. Peinado
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  3. J. Delgadillo
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Peinado, M., Aguirre, J.L., Delgadillo, J. et al. A Phytosociological Survey of the Chionophilous Communities of Western North America. Part I: Temperate and Mediterranean Associations. Plant Ecol 180, 187–241 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-005-3027-8

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