Floristical and ecological characterization of the polar desert zone of Greenland

Bay, Christian

doi:10.2307/3237373

Cited by 27 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…Among the 20 thermophilous species treated here, 13 attain their northernmost limits in Svalbard. The remaining seven have their polar limits in northern Greenland, from 81° 55' to 83° N (Fredskild 1966;Bay 1992Bay , 1997. A farthest north station of "Empetrum nigrum" (Edlund & Alt 1989) indicates that Ellesmere Island also possesses world northern limits of fl ora.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty of the most thermophilous vascular plant species in Svalbard and their conservation state

Engelskjøn¹,

Lund²,

Alsos³

2003

Polar Research

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An aim for conservation in Norway is preserving the Svalbard archipelago as one of the least disturbed areas in the Arctic. Information on local distribution, population sizes and ecology is summarized for 20 thermophilous vascular plant species. The need for conservation of northern, marginal populations in Svalbard is reviewed, using World Conservation Union categories and criteria at a regional scale. Thirteen species reach their northernmost distribution in Svalbard, the remaining seven in the western Arctic. Nine species have 1‐8 populations in Svalbard and are assigned to Red List categories endangered or critically endangered: Campanula rotundifolia, Euphrasia frigida, Juncus castaneus, Kobresia simpliciuscula, Rubus chamaemorus, Alchemilla glomerulans, Ranunculus wilanderi, Salix lanata and Vaccinium uliginosum, the last four species needing immediate protective measures. Five species are classified as vulnerable: Betula nana, Carex marina ssp. pseudolagopina, Luzula wahlenbergii, Ranunculus arcticus and Ranunculus pallasii. Six species are considered at lower risk: Calamagrostis stricta, Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum, Hippuris vulgaris (only occurring on Bjørnøya), Juncus triglumis, Ranunculus lapponicus and Rhodiola rosea. The warmer Inner Arctic Fjord Zone of Spitsbergen supports most of the 20 target species and is of particular importance for conservation. Endangered or vulnerable species were found in a variety of edaphic conditions; thus, several kinds of habitats need protection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty of the most thermophilous vascular plant species in Svalbard and their conservation state

Engelskjøn¹,

Lund²,

Alsos³

2003

Polar Research

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“…On the eastern parts, some years the sea-ice disappears early and in others very late (as observed from MODIS data during the cloud interpretation). A relationship between proximity to sea-ice and vegetation pattern is evident in the Arctic [37] and has also been shown to be linked to vegetation changes in the Arctic [38,39]. However, a possible correspondence between retreating sea-ice and onset of the growing season in eastern parts of Svalbard remains to be studied.…”

Section: The Geographical Pattern Of the Onset Of The Growing Seasonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and Temporal Variability in the Onset of the Growing Season on Svalbard, Arctic Norway — Measured by MODIS-NDVI Satellite Data

et al. 2014

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Abstract:The Arctic is among the regions with the most rapid changes in climate and has the expected highest increase in temperature. Changes in the timing of phenological phases, such as onset of the growing season observed from remote sensing, are among the most sensitive bio-indicators of climate change. The study area here is the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, located between 76°30ʹ and 80°50ʹN. The goal of this study was to use MODIS Terra data (the MOD09Q1 and MOD09A1 surface reflectance products, both with 8-day temporal composites) to map the onset of the growing season on Svalbard for the 2000-2013 period interpreted from field observations. Due to a short and intense period with greening-up and frequent cloud cover, all the cloud free data is needed, which requires reliable cloud masks. We used a combination of three cloud removing methods (State QA values, own algorithms, and manual removal). This worked well, but is time-consuming as it requires manual interpretation of cloud cover. The onset of the growing season was then mapped by a NDVI threshold method, which showed high correlation (r 2 = 0.60, n = 25, p < 0.001) with field observations of flowering of Salix polaris (polar willow). However, large bias was found between NDVI-based mapped onset and field observations in bryophyte-dominated areas, which indicates that the results in these parts must be interpreted with care. On average for the 14-year period, the onset of the growing season occurs after July 1st in 68.

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“…We designed the initial version of the model to simulate only moist acidic vegetation, as this type has been well studied (e.g., Oechel et al 1994, Shaver and Chapin 1986) and thus offered the best prospects for data with which to parameterize and validate our model. Because the polar desert substrate is predominantly alkaline (Tedrow 1966, Bliss et al 1984, Bay 1997, we have not fully parameterized the polar desert ecosystem type in this version of the model.…”

Section: Model Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

A Transient, Nutrient-Based Model of Arctic Plant Community Response to Climatic Warming

Epstein

Walker

Chapin

et al. 2000

Ecological Applications

111

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We developed a nutrient‐based, plant community and ecosystem model (ArcVeg) designed to simulate the transient effects of increased temperatures on the biomass and community composition of a variety of arctic ecosystems. The model is currently parameterized for upland, mesic ecosystems in high Arctic, low Arctic, treeline, and boreal forest climate zones. A unique feature of ArcVeg is that it incorporates up to 18 plant functional types including a variety of forbs, graminoids, shrubs, and nonvascular plants that are distinguished by a set of five parameters. Timing and rate of growth, as well as nutrient use, are particularly important in defining competitive interactions in the model and in explaining coexistence in complex communities. Simulations of climatic warming, which increase nitrogen mineralization and growing season length, suggest an increase in total biomass for high and low Arctic zones over 200 yr, and an increase in shrub biomass at the expense of other plant functional types. The initial community response to warming was a function of the initial dominance structure, whereas the long‐term response reflected adaptations of plant functional types to the new environment. Therefore, long‐term responses (decades to centuries) differed in both direction and magnitude from initial responses. In addition, warming resulted in the formation of novel, stable plant communities after 200 simulation years that were not typical of current zonal vegetation types in the Arctic of northwestern North America.

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Floristical and ecological characterization of the polar desert zone of Greenland

Cited by 27 publications

References 11 publications

Twenty of the most thermophilous vascular plant species in Svalbard and their conservation state

Twenty of the most thermophilous vascular plant species in Svalbard and their conservation state

Spatial and Temporal Variability in the Onset of the Growing Season on Svalbard, Arctic Norway — Measured by MODIS-NDVI Satellite Data

A Transient, Nutrient-Based Model of Arctic Plant Community Response to Climatic Warming

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