High-resolution data on spatial variations in the productivity of bryophytes and the mass of the organic layer are important components in geochemical models for northern forests. We investigated spatial variations in growth rates of the feather moss Hylocomium splendens and the thickness of the organic layer in relation to environmental factors on a north-facing slope in Interior Alaska. The forest floor on the 600 m × 600 m slope was classified into four types, i.e., Classes I–IV, characterized mainly by the dominance of leaf litter, H. splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, and Sphagnum spp., respectively. Spatial autocorrelation analyses showed clustering patterns for some tree and forest floor variables, which were associated with the distribution of the four classes on the slope. Mean growth (length) rates of H. splendens were high in Class II, while growth rates by weight were high in Class I due to a high weight-to-length ratio of shoots. The thickness of the organic layer in bryophyte patches ranged from 6.0 to 40.7 cm and was also controlled by slope orientation. The presence of large trees, particularly Betula neoalaskana, mediated the relationship between topography and forest floor characteristics.

关于苔藓植物生产力和有机层质量空间变化的高分辨率数据是北方森林地球化学模型的重要组成部分。我们研究了阿拉斯加内陆朝北斜坡上与环境因素相关的羽毛苔藓Hylocomium splendens 的生长速率和有机层厚度的空间变化。600 m × 600 m 斜坡上的林地被划分为I-IV 类4 类，其主要特征是凋落物、H. splendens、Pleurozium schreberi和Sphagnum spp 。， 分别。空间自相关分析显示了一些树木和森林地面变量的聚类模式，这与斜坡上四个类别的分布有关。H. splendens 的平均生长（长度）率在 II 类中很高，而在 I 类中按重量计算的生长率很高，因为芽的重量与长度之比很高。苔藓植物斑块中有机层的厚度范围为 6.0 至 40.7 厘米，并且还受坡向控制。大树的存在，特别是Betula neoalaskana，调节了地形和森林地面特征之间的关系。