Introduction

Abstract

Great variation of plant structure can be seen in different regions and at different elevations of Fennoscandian tundra (Dahl, this section). Plant biomass and primary production are close to zero at the highest peaks,.but sometimes also at lower mountain tundra elevations, particularly under nutrient poor conditions, where the ground is covered by large rocks or is free of snow for only a short period during summer, a period generally decreasing northwards towards the real arctic. Yet under the most favorable conditions in Fennoscandian tundra, biomass and production may be even higher than is often found in the lowlands of the region. The structure and mosaic of Fennoscandian tundra means that several plant communities have to be studied to obtain an overall functional view of each area. Typical points on gradients (e.g. from poor to rich communities) must be studied so that intermediate values on the gradient could be estimated later from the observed values.