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Feldmark, also spelt fjaeldmark (), is a
plant community A plant community is a collection or association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant co ...
characteristic of sites where plant growth is severely restricted by extremes of cold and exposure to wind, typical of
alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated alpine climate, harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alp ...
and
subantarctic The sub-Antarctic zone is a region in the Southern Hemisphere, located immediately north of the Antarctic region. This translates roughly to a latitude of between 46° and 60° south of the Equator. The subantarctic region includes many islands ...
environments.


Description

Feldmark plant communities are characterised by scattered dwarf and prostrate plants, up to about in height, often with a mat or
cushion A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, usually stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, cotton, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften th ...
habit, among patches of bare ground and exposed rock.


Distribution

Feldmark occurs in the least favourable situations for plant growth, including late-lying snowdrift areas on leeward slopes and cold, highly wind-exposed ridges. Because feldmark species are adapted to cold bare ground, some are able to colonise areas of severe
erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
where the
topsoil Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Description Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matt ...
has been removed, leaving only a surface of broken rock or stones.. In areas with strong prevailing winds, expansion through
layering Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments. Layering is also utilized by horticulturists to propagate desirable plants. Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches ...
on the sheltered sides of plants means that they may grow preferentially on the protected sides and gradually move downwind across the landscape.


See also

*
Fellfield A fellfield or fell field comprises the environment of a slope, usually alpine or tundra, where the dynamics of frost (freeze and thaw cycles) and of wind give rise to characteristic plant forms in scree interstices. Soil dynamics The freeze-thaw ...
*
Boników Boników is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Odolanów, within Ostrów Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south of Odolanów, south of Ostrów Wielkopolski, and sout ...
(formerly called Feldmark), Ostrów Wielkopolski County, in western Poland


Notes


References

* * Habitats Tundra Alpine flora Flora of the Antarctic Habitat {{habitat-stub