Borovichev E.A. Botanical excursion on the Northern Soroya. Hammerfest, 2014.

Thefruits o fMountain Crowberry (Empetrum hermaphroditum) are used to preparejuice and compote. It has high concentration ofanthocyanin pigment and is believed to treat kidney diseases. Fermented crowberryjuice is considered to be similar in taste and color to a red grape wine. Tinyflowers o fMountain Crowberry are both male andfemale (hermaphroditic), with three long stamens and short pistil Mountain Crowberryflowers in early spring, and sometimes in late summer or in warm fall flowers again, so one can see both flowers and berries Polytrichum species are widely distributed among lower-alpine mosses. They sometimes form extensive thick mats along with liverworts such as Bcirhilophozia lycopodioides. Foliose lichens o f the genus Peltigerci and light-green colored Nephroma arcticum are very common in the ground-layer of the lower-alpine zone. The mosaic of low-alpine tundra vegetation in autumn looks like a multi-colored carpet: scarlet, deep green, red ochre and silver-grey patches o f shrub autumnal leaves among the moss cushions. Transition from low-alpine to middle-alpine tundra on Soroya lies at an elevation of 220-280 m. The change o f community type is the result o f temperature gradient and snow regime. In the tow-alpine area snow forms a good protective blanket, exposed plains and ridges of the middle- alpine zone have rather thin snow cover or are almost snow-free. Plants here suffer from severe abrasion by wind-driven snow particles and desiccation. Most plants and lichens here form dense mats, tufts or cushions, which reduce wind movement. On a sunny day the air trapped within small gaps in the plant gets warmed up. The difference in the temperature between the inner part of the plant and surrounding air may reach 10-15°, especially when Ihe plant has dark pigmentation. Some alpine zone species o f high ecological plasticity are common under a wide range o f habitat conditions. Crowberry (Empetrum hermaphroditum ) is well-adapted to the arctic and alpine environment, and inhabits heath, bogs, sandy beach ridges and rocky mountain slopes and plains. Alpine Bearberry 37