Vegetation spatial pattern and snow depth in nival gullies in the Tatra Mountains

The data presents characteristics of spatial pattern of vegetation and data of snow patches disappearance in 2 nival gullies located at Beskid Mt. and Uhrocie Kasprowe Mt. in the Tatra Mountains. The gullies are located above the upper timberline (i. e. 1500 m a.s.l) in subalpine and alpine belts. Quantitative studies of vegetation were carried out in sample plots 0.5 × 0.5 m, located 0.5 meter apart, along cross-profies of studied nival gullies. The survey of the phases of snow patch disappearance, was made in two or three subsequent time spans w latach 1990-1991. The thickness of snow patches was measured every 1 meter along the same as vegetation cross profiles. The thickness of now patch was also measured every 1 meter along the cross-profile. The measurements were made with an avalanche measuring rod. The coverage of each plant species was correlated with the thickness of a snow patch. It was found that there are species which positively or negatively correlate with the snow patch thickness. It manifestes through the decrease in the number of species as the snow thickness increases. Two species, Luzula alpinopilosa (Chaix) Breistr. and Festuca picta Kit., can be recognized as indicators of the sites with the long persistent snow cover.