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Alpine vegetationAlpine vegetation is a mosaic of dwarf shrubs, like the willows, herbaceous (non-woody) plants, and gramanoides. Gramanoides is a fancy term for grasses, sedges, and rushes. Sedges dominate this group in the alpine zone. The distributions of the various species are not homogeneous. Some of the plants grow in the subalpine forest and are able to sneak into the alpine zone in protected locations. False hellebore (Veratrum viride), goldthread (Coptis trifolia), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), starflower (Trientalis borealis), and closed gentians (Gentiana linearis) are all species that grow above timberline but are not truly alpine plants. Lowland bog species also grow in the alpine zone. They are at home above timberline because many of the environmental factors are the same. The soils are organic, acidic, frequently saturated, and there is an abundance of sphagnum moss, which acidifies the soils even further. Alpine communities are often called inverted bogs. Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandica) bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), and cotton sedge (Eriophorum spissum ssp.vaginatum) are all residents of lowland bogs that also grow above timberline. Some of the alpine plants are species that also occur in more northern lattitudes. In the Adirondacks, these specialized plants are restricted to alpine zones, and therefore they are quite rare locally. A few of them grow on just a couple of summits, the dwarf willow being the extreme example of this. In addition to the diapensia and willows mentioned above, the following are strictly alpine plants in the northeast: dwarf tundrabirch (Betula nana), small birch (Betula minor), lapland rosebay (Rhododendron, lapponicum), alpine azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens), alpine blueberry (Vaccinium boreale), and several gramanoides. Bigelow's sedge (Carex bigelowil) and deer's hair sedge (Scirpus cespitosus) are two of the most conspicuous alpine gramanoides. These two plants make up the sedge lawns that are commonly found on the very tops of Adirondack alpine summits. The People Behind Adirondack Summit Protection Click here for information on Summit Stewardship employment opportunities. If you are interested in supporting the Adirondack Summit Stewards, please send your contributions to the Adirondack Nature Conservancy, PO Box 65, Keene Valley, NY 12943. Written by Jeff Lougee, chief steward, 1998 Selected references Marchand, Peter J. North Woods: An Inside Look at the Nature of Forests in the Northeast. Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club, 1987. Slack, Nancy and A. Bell. 85 Acres: A Field guide to the Adirondack Alpine Summits.Lake George: Adirondack Mountain Club. 1993.
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