Foliar samples were collected in late-July, 1999, from 6 points located every 5 meters along transects at each site. At a sampling point, the following were collected for each species (depending on the site): five tillers of Eriophorum; 3 tillers of Carex; 4-5 long shoots of Betula; 3-4 leaves of Rubus; 5 current year's shoots of Ledum, Vaccinium, and Dryas; 5 leaves of Polygonum; and one clump (approximately 25 cm2) of green Sphagnum, Hylocomium, and Tomenthypnum moss. Leaves from a transect point were pooled within species, removed from stems, and analyzed fresh for leaf area on a portable LICOR leaf area meter (LICOR Inc., Lincoln, Nebaraska). Leaves were subsequently dried (65¡C), weighed (to determine specific leaf area), ground, and analyzed for N by combustion on a Carlo-Erba CHN analyzer (Carlo-Erba Instruments, Milan Italy), and for P, Ca, Mg, K, and Al by ICP (following digestion in 10% HCl) (Munter and Grande 1981). Determinations of P, base cations, and Al were done at the University of Minnesota's Research Analytical Laboratory.

Reference Citations: Hobbie, S. E. and L. Gough. 2002. Foliar and soil nutrients in tundra on glacial landscapes of contrasting ages in northern Alaska. Oecologia 131:453-452