Land classification system may 2006
VEGETATION CLASSES
MS
Bryophytes (at least 2/3 of vegetation cover, vascular plants < 1/3)
HM
Biological soil crust (at least 2/3 of the vegetation cover, vascular plants < 1/3)
MO
Poor heath land
LM
Rich heath land
Higher productivity than in poor heath land because of higher
ratio of dwarf shrubs, willows, grasses and/or herbs/forbs. The soil is usually thick and
the surface hummocky
GL
Grasslands and forbs
RL
Cultivated land
VO
Wetlands
SK
Shrubs and forests Shrubs – trees 0,5-2 m in height. Forest – trees > 2 m in height.
Canopy cover of fully grown trees must be more than 30% to be classified as forest
BG
Sparse vegetation Used for vegetation under primary succession or mixed
vegetation classes – vegetation cover always less than 20%
OG
Barren land Many sandy/gravelly surface types, vegetation cover is always less
than 5%
Dry heath land dominated by poor grazing plants.
Dominated by vascular plants, uncultivated
Agricultural fields e.g. annual crops, hey fields etc.
Including mires, lakes and rivers
SUBCLASSES
Bi – birch
Mg - Lyme grass
Ví – willow
Lú - lupine
Lg–dwarf scrubs
Distribution of Lyme grass
1 B - continuous
2 T – discontinuous 3 H - hills
31 H I 0-1 meter
32 H II 1-3 "
33 H III 3>
"
Ba – other legumes
Sk–biological soil crust
3_1
3_2
H-d – closely set
H-þ - dispersed
Distribution of lupine, other legumes, birch, willow and heath plants
1 B - continuous
2 E – discontinuous 3 S – single plants
Distribution of biological soil crust
1 B – continuous
2 E – discontinuous
3S
– single spots
RECLAMATION AND FORESTRY
A – fertilization
S – forestry
G – seeding
VEGETATION COVER
1
2
3
4
5
Fully vegetated
Mostly vegetated
Half vegetated
Sparsely vegetated
Very sparse or no vegetation
91-100% cover
67-90% "
34-66% "
11-33% "
0-10% "
ROCK OUTCROP
0
1
2
3
4
5
No rock outcrop on surface
Very little rock outcrop on surface
Some rock outcrop on surface
Considerable rock outcrop on surface
A lot of rock outcrop on surface
Mostly rock outcrop on surface
0
1 - 10 %
11 - 33 %
34 - 66 %
67 - 90 %
91 - 100 %
- rock outcrop
is defined as
rock > 10-20 cm
in diameter
SAND / TEPHRA ON SURFACE
0
1
2
3
4
5
No sand on surface
Very little sand on surface
Some sand on surface
Considerable sand on surface
A lot of sand on surface
Mostly sand on surface
0%
1 - 10 %
11 - 33 %
34 - 66 %
67 - 90 %
91 - 100 %
- sand / tephra is
defined as erodible
particles (aeolian
transport)
SURFACE TYPE
S - sand
M – gravel
H – lava
V – tephra
C – scree
U – rocks/boulders
A – dry riverbed
B – moist riverbed
V – dry lake
O – brown soil remnants
K – rocks formations
RECLAMATION POTENTIAL
A - fertilization
F – seeding necessary
SOIL EROSION CLASSES
A – encroaching sand
D – erosion spots
O – brown soil remnants
M – gravel
SH– sandy lava
B – rofabards / erosion escarpments
J – erosion spots on slope / solifluction
V – gullies / water erosion K – landslides
S – sand and pumice
SM – sandy gravel
C - scree
H – lava
EROSION GRADE
0
1
2
3
4
5
No erosion
Little erosion
Slight erosion
Considerable erosion
Severe erosion
Extremely severe erosion