Anisimov and Pospelov: The Landscape and Geobotanical Characteristics
319
Slopes
6 - Abrupt stony slopes with rock outcrops, boulders debris, screes, often complicated by
ledges and by structural and cryoplanation terraces
As a rule, these slopes are rather extended and have 2 sharply pronounced altitude belts, though
their height and limits vary. The vegetation of the bottom belts is represented by a combination
of 3 elements: A) Boulder debris, between which grass-forb-dryas vegetation with 40-80 %
cover develops (Dryas punctata, Hierochloe alpina, Festuca auriculata, Astragalus alpinus,
Potentilla uniflora et al.l on fragmented Eutri-gelic Regosols. B) Alpine forb meadows on
scree slopes with 60-80 % cover (grasses: Poa glauca, P.arctica, Trisetum spicatum et al.;
forbs and legumes: Hedysarum arcticum, Astragalus alpinus, Papaver pulvinatum,
P.angustifolium, Delphinium middendorffii, Potentilla nivea suhsp. mischkinii. Pedicularis
amoena et al.) growing on Eutri-gelic Regosols. C) Slope hollows with mesic herb-cassiopemoss vegetation of an almost continuous cover (Cassiope tetragona, Carex vaginata, Saxifraga
nivalis, Ledum decumbens; mosses: Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium) growing on
Eutri-gelic Leptosols. These 3 elements occur according to the distribution of snow during the
winter and to the presence of turf on the slopes, as well as to the intensity of scree processes.
The intensity of scree processes increases sharply upslope where the fourth element dominates:
D) Screes with sparse grass-forb aggregations (Arabis petraea .1'.1., Saxilraga spinulosa, Poa
glauca et al.); cover varies from 10-20 % at lower elevations up to 1-3 % higher up. The soils
are found to be Regosols or not presented. The vegetation of similar slopes on the northern side
of the Krasnaja river valley has some calciphilous species (Oxytropis putoranica, Draba
pohlei, Eremogone formosa), despite a complete absence here of limestone bedrock at the
surface.
7 - Altiplanation terraces with boulder debris on ledges and surface hummock nanorelief
These landscapes are indicated on the map only when they form large contiguous areas. This
occurs only in the northwest portion of the basin. The vegetation types comprise 2 elements: A)
Dry hummocky alpine tundra with terraced surfaces and forb-moss vegetation (Papaver polare,
Novosieversia glacialis, Potentilla uniflora et al.; mosses, concentrated in cracks between
hummocks, are Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium, Tomentypnum nitens); cover up to
30 %; the soils are the ochric leptosols. B) Boulder debris of ledges with mesic herb-lichenmoss vegetation (analogous to 2B), on Dystri-gelic Regosols, which occur as fragments
between boulders.
8 - Slope surfaces with inclination 15-20 0 , complicated by numerous nivation hollows and
boulder debris
These landscapes types are marked by a combination of frequent ledges with rock outcrops and
of snow-fields. As a result of the scant snow cover on ledges (element A) the dry stony tundra
is replaced by sparse (3-5 %) petrophilous forbs. The other elements are: B) Boulder debris
with mesic herb- and herb-moss vegetation on the borders of ledges and on slopes (the
dominant moss is Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium, 10-30 % cover) and C) Nivation
hollows with moist herb-moss vegetation and with up to 70 % cover (Phippsia algida,
Saxifraga cernua; mosses: Oncophorus wahlenbergii, Bryum criophilum et al.l. The soils in
A) are Dystri-gelic Regosols, in the others, Eutri-gelic Regosols.
9 - Stepped slopes with angle of inclination 10-20
0
Their structure results from bedrocks with different weathering stabilities forming steps from I
to 5 meters thick and is similar to that of the previously described region, in which such terraces
319
Slopes
6 - Abrupt stony slopes with rock outcrops, boulders debris, screes, often complicated by
ledges and by structural and cryoplanation terraces
As a rule, these slopes are rather extended and have 2 sharply pronounced altitude belts, though
their height and limits vary. The vegetation of the bottom belts is represented by a combination
of 3 elements: A) Boulder debris, between which grass-forb-dryas vegetation with 40-80 %
cover develops (Dryas punctata, Hierochloe alpina, Festuca auriculata, Astragalus alpinus,
Potentilla uniflora et al.l on fragmented Eutri-gelic Regosols. B) Alpine forb meadows on
scree slopes with 60-80 % cover (grasses: Poa glauca, P.arctica, Trisetum spicatum et al.;
forbs and legumes: Hedysarum arcticum, Astragalus alpinus, Papaver pulvinatum,
P.angustifolium, Delphinium middendorffii, Potentilla nivea suhsp. mischkinii. Pedicularis
amoena et al.) growing on Eutri-gelic Regosols. C) Slope hollows with mesic herb-cassiopemoss vegetation of an almost continuous cover (Cassiope tetragona, Carex vaginata, Saxifraga
nivalis, Ledum decumbens; mosses: Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium) growing on
Eutri-gelic Leptosols. These 3 elements occur according to the distribution of snow during the
winter and to the presence of turf on the slopes, as well as to the intensity of scree processes.
The intensity of scree processes increases sharply upslope where the fourth element dominates:
D) Screes with sparse grass-forb aggregations (Arabis petraea .1'.1., Saxilraga spinulosa, Poa
glauca et al.); cover varies from 10-20 % at lower elevations up to 1-3 % higher up. The soils
are found to be Regosols or not presented. The vegetation of similar slopes on the northern side
of the Krasnaja river valley has some calciphilous species (Oxytropis putoranica, Draba
pohlei, Eremogone formosa), despite a complete absence here of limestone bedrock at the
surface.
7 - Altiplanation terraces with boulder debris on ledges and surface hummock nanorelief
These landscapes are indicated on the map only when they form large contiguous areas. This
occurs only in the northwest portion of the basin. The vegetation types comprise 2 elements: A)
Dry hummocky alpine tundra with terraced surfaces and forb-moss vegetation (Papaver polare,
Novosieversia glacialis, Potentilla uniflora et al.; mosses, concentrated in cracks between
hummocks, are Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium, Tomentypnum nitens); cover up to
30 %; the soils are the ochric leptosols. B) Boulder debris of ledges with mesic herb-lichenmoss vegetation (analogous to 2B), on Dystri-gelic Regosols, which occur as fragments
between boulders.
8 - Slope surfaces with inclination 15-20 0 , complicated by numerous nivation hollows and
boulder debris
These landscapes types are marked by a combination of frequent ledges with rock outcrops and
of snow-fields. As a result of the scant snow cover on ledges (element A) the dry stony tundra
is replaced by sparse (3-5 %) petrophilous forbs. The other elements are: B) Boulder debris
with mesic herb- and herb-moss vegetation on the borders of ledges and on slopes (the
dominant moss is Hylocomium splendens var. obtusifolium, 10-30 % cover) and C) Nivation
hollows with moist herb-moss vegetation and with up to 70 % cover (Phippsia algida,
Saxifraga cernua; mosses: Oncophorus wahlenbergii, Bryum criophilum et al.l. The soils in
A) are Dystri-gelic Regosols, in the others, Eutri-gelic Regosols.
9 - Stepped slopes with angle of inclination 10-20
0
Their structure results from bedrocks with different weathering stabilities forming steps from I
to 5 meters thick and is similar to that of the previously described region, in which such terraces