Soil-vegetation relationships on a cobbly limestone floodplain. Anticosti Island, Quebec

Research on Anticosti Island's Galiote River floodplain reveals distinct soil-vegetation relationships shaped by limestone substrates. Four dominant shrub associations—Dryadetum drummondi, Juniperetum horizontalis, Dryadetum integrifolae, and Potentilletum fruticusae—alongside six less prominent herbaceous communities, were identified. These plant communities colonize calcareous soils with high pH (>7) and base saturation (>100%), classified under Regosolic, Brunisolic, and Gleysolic orders. Pioneer plants like Dryas stabilize the substrate, facilitating succession from riverine to forested ecosystems along a topographical gradient. Four new subassociations were described, highlighting the interplay between soil conditions and vegetation dynamics in this unique limestone floodplain environment.

Gauthier, L., Dumont, M., & Grandtner, M. M. (2014). Soil-vegetation relationships on a cobbly limestone floodplain. Anticosti Island, Quebec. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, 55(3), 385–402. https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.1986.035