Flora
Vegetation in Iceland
There are two major types of tundra, the arctic and the alpine. Iceland belongs to the Subarctic with milder climate and strong oceanic effects. The northern limits of plant growth occur in the high arctic Tundra, the dominant vegetation is shrubby or mat-forming vegetation. We are at the timberline and our vegetation is sometimes defined as Taiga, while lacking coniferous boreal forests. The dominant woody species here is Icelandic birch (Betula pubescens). The only native conifer being Common Juniper (Juniperus communis). Some areas in Iceland belong to the Arctic in terms of vegetation and geological formations. This is true also of the northernmost parts of Iceland, high montane vegetation and the interior highlands.
The dominant plants are birches and willows.
