Canadian Transect of Soils and Vegetation for the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map

The report summarizes environmental, vegetation, and soil data collected from 116 releves along a 2000-km transect from Amund Ringnes, Axel Heiberg, and Ellesmere Islands in the northern Canadian Arctic to a site at the southern edge of the Canadian tundra. Data include sample site descriptions (e.g., thaw depths, aspect, and surficial geology); soil pH, chemistry, and texture; and vascular, bryophyte, and lichen species cover.

Scientists involved in the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM) project, with the help of undergraduate students enrolled in a University of Minnesota field course, conducted this north-south transect study of the Canadian Arctic to investigate large-scale climate-related variations in vegetation.