Flora der Furka

Abstract

The Furka is an Alpine pass at 2431 m a.s.l. connecting the Urseren Valley and the Rhone Valley in the central Swiss Alps. Furthermore, the Furka is the watershed between the Mediterranean and the North Sea. The region is mostly characterized by siliceous rocks and acid soils, but calcareous sediments are also present. Here, the floristic composition and the plant communities of the Furka Region are described from a survey of 181 vegetation records covering all types of habitats, bedrocks, soils, slopes and expositions. In total 295 species, 153 genera and 49 plant families are represented in the Furka flora. The vegetation is composed of a diversity of mostly non-woody plant communities. Natural grasslands with Carex curvula and Nardus stricta on acid soils and with Festuca violacea on calcareous bedrock are most abundant. Grassland together with fens, dwarf shrubs, and plant communities from rock debris, screes, and glacier foreland create a diverse mosaic of alpine vegetation above timberline.