The scale at which the circumpolar map is being developed will capture variation in vegetation related to climate (latitudinal variation, phytogeographic subzones), substrate, topography, and longitudinal floristic variation. This will link large scale phytogeographic patterns with landscape units visible in AVHRR satellite imagery (Fig. 2) (Walker and Lillie 1997).

Bliss, L.C. 1997. Arctic Ecosystems of North America. In: Polar and Alpine Tundra. F.E. Wielgolaski, ed. pp.551-684. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Walker, D.A. 2000. Hierarchical subdivision of Arctic tundra based on vegetation response to climate, parent material, and topography. Global Change Biology. In press.

Walker D.A. and A. Lillie. 1997. Proceedings of the second CAVM workshop, Arendal, Norway, 1996, and The CAVM-North American Workshop, Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 1997. INSTAAR Occasional Paper, 52:61.

Yurtsev, B.A. 1994. Floristic division of the Arctic. Journal of Vegetation Science. 5:765-776.