Mission 2007 - Hydrocarbon Potential Evaluation Team

Introduction: Arctic Flora

The type of vegetation in ANWR is mainly characterized as Tundra, meaning barren land. The tundra plants are usually less than 1 foot high. Tall plants are restricted to the southern slopes of ANWR. The tundra plants belong to five main groups:
1.    Lichens, either on rocks or in mats on the ground
2.    Mosses (technically known as bryophytes)
3.    Grasses and grass-like herbs, including mainly sedges
4.    Cushion plants
5.    Dwarf shrubs
(from The Polar World by Patrick D. Baird & Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain Terrestrial Wildlife Research Summaries by USGS)

In ANWR, the following four types of plants are particularly important:
1.    Sedges, especially tussock cottongrass
2.    Willows, especially diamond-leaf willows
3.    Mosses, especially Sphagnum spp.
4.    Lichens, of various types

The first two is highly nutritious for herbivores to feed on as a food source, particularly during the growing seasons, while the latter two help maintain the ecosystems in other ways and provide food during winter. The details are further discussed on this website.