Zackenberg, (Europa , Greenland)

Region coordinates

Latitude 74.50 DD
Longitude -20.48 DD

Summits

ZER 728 m subnival (alpine-nival ecotone)
AUC 605 m nival
POL 470 m subnival (alpine-nival ecotone)
KAM 90 m upper alpine
GL-ZAC, KAM; centerright to Zackenberg station

Short description & land use (current/history)

pristine; 'middle' arctic, northern distribution limit for many low arctic species here [high arctic N of 80° lat]; low precipitation (286 mm/a, 46 mm in summer [july/august]); snowcover/moisture gradients determining vegetation patterns; muskoxen grazing (c. 150 individuals); NOTE: Dryas octopetala L. might not always be 'pure', also hybrids with the western taxon D. integrifolia occur in the area.

Vegetation boundary lines

mostly determined by snow/moisture gradient, no treeline, no distinct altitudinal zonation, not comparable to 'alpine' ecosystems

Centre alpien de Phytogeographie - Fondation J.-M. Aubert

Universität Wien; Department of Conservation Biology; Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Conservation Biology

University of Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences

Sabine B. Rumpf
head of target region
sabine.rumpf@unibas.ch

Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (ZERO), BioBasis