Circumpolar Arctic Landscape

Circumpolar Arctic Landscape theme, used in the creation of the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM). The landscape map displays regions of plains, hills, mountains, glaciers and lakes. Generally, plains are flat or gently rolling landscapes less than 200 m above sea level. Hills are more dissected than plains (more surface roughness) and are 200-500 m in elevation. Mountains have greater surface roughness and are above 500 m in elevation.

Integrated Landscape Units (ILUM) used to create the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM). The ILUM is the union of all individual data themes used to create the CAVM. The Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map shows the types of vegetation that occur across the Arctic, between the ice-covered Arctic Ocean to the north and the northern limit of forests to the south. The CAVM team grouped over 400 described plant communities into 16 different physiognomic units based on plant growth forms. An international team of arctic vegetation scientists representing the six countries of the Arctic (Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States) prepared the map. Detailed descriptions of the methods used to create the map can be found at: http://www.geobotany.uaf.edu/cavm/