Nakamura Y., Krestov P.V.
Berichte der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft 2012; 24: 207-218
Japanese archipelago is located in the middle latitudes, and true alpine vegetation occurs on the tops of the mountains above 2900 m a.s.l. The origin of Japanese alpine vegetation is connected with the migrations of plants from the north during several glacial periods of the Pleistocene. Modern alpine vegetation is isolated in Japanese archipelago from the main extensive range in northern Asia to high mountains. Some important characteristic species of alpine tundra communities, such as Saxifraga cernua, Carex rupestris, have their southern limit in central Japan. The alpine vegetation in Japan is assigned to Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea region and represented by classes Asplenietea rupestria Br.-Bl. 1934, Dicentro-Stellarietea nipponicae Ohba 1969, Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii Ohba 1974, Loiseleurio-Vaccinietea Eggler 1952 and Phyllodoco-Harrimanelletea Knapp 1954.
