Vascular Vegetation of Buldir Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Compared to Another Aleutian Island

Abstract

The vegetation of Buldir Island, Alaska, was studied from 1974 to 1976. On this treeless volcanic island, two distinct vegetation complexes were conspicuous, one with relatively tall dominant plants which generally occurred below 300 m elevation (called the Lowland Tall-plant complex), and the other composed of much shorter plants about 300 m elevation (called the Upland Short-plant complex). The lowland complex contained eight plant communities, but over 90% of the complex consisted of three; Elymus-umbel, Elymus-umbel-fern, and Carex-fescue meadow. The upland complex was less diverse, containing only four communities of which the moss-willow tundra was the most widespread. At Buldir 119 species of vascular plants were identified, considerably fewer than at a nearby larger island, Amchitka.

Key words: vascular plants, volcano, Aleutian Islands, plant ecology