Using Available Information to Assess the Potential Effects of Climate Change on Vegetation in the High Arctic: North Billjefjorden, Central Spitsbergen (Svalbard)

Abstract

We review the available data that can be used to assess the potential impact of climate change on vegetation, and we use central Spitsbergen, Svalbard, as a model location for the High Arctic. We used two sources of information: recent and short-term historical records, which enable assessment on scales of particular plant communities and the landscape over a period of decades, and palynological and macrofossil analyses, which enable assessment on time scales of hundreds and thousands of years and on the spatial scale of the landscape. Both of these substitutes for standardized monitoring revealed stability of vegetation, which is probably attributable to the harsh conditions and the distance of the area from sources of diaspores of potential new incomers. The only evident recent vegetation changes related to climate change are associated with succession after glacial retreats. By establishing a network of permanent plots, researchers will be able to monitor immigration of new species from diversity 'hot spots' and from an abandoned settlement nearby. This will greatly enhance our ability to understand the effects of climate change on vegetation in the High Arctic.

Sedimentary ancient DNA from Lake Skartjørna, Svalbard: Assessing the resilience of arctic flora to Holocene climate change

“…The number of vascular plant species is low (176), and plant distributions, thermal requirements and geological preferences are well known (Alsos et al, 2015;Elvebakk, 1982Elvebakk, , 1989. Potential modern vegetation analogues are well described from the archipelago (Elvebakk, 1994(Elvebakk, , 2005Klimešová et al, 2012).…”

Carbon Sequestration Related to Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in the High Arctic

“…In the Arctic, increasing temperatures causing glacier retreat may lead to accelerated vegetation succession and, consequently, soil formation (Callaghan et al, 2004;Klimešová et al, 2012;Prach & Walker, 2011). Although the SOC reservoir in high Arctic soils is relatively low (Burnham & Sletten, 2010), fast deglaciation and warming accelerate primary succession processes (Klimešová et al, 2012) and subsequently affect the SOC stock and its stabilization (Vilmundardóttir et al, 2015). Therefore, it is crucial to focus on respective habitats representing different successional stages, their soil properties, and potential to contribute to SOC stabilization.…”

“…Successional changes in vegetation associated with glacier retreat are suspected to be accelerated by climate change (Klimešová et al, 2012). In the high Arctic, colonization of glacier forelands is hindered by a cold and short growing season, rough substratum, scarcity of nutrients, and disturbance by runoff (Hodkinson et al, 2003;Moreau et al, 2005Moreau et al, , 2008Yoshitake et al, 2010).…”

“…estimated permafrost SOC reservoir (Burnham & Sletten, 2010); however, the drastic changes in high Arctic conditions related to accelerating deglaciation and subsequent primary succession processes (Klimešová et al, 2012;Vilmundardóttir et al, 2015) justify closer inspection of the physical and chemical soil properties in high Arctic terrestrial habitats. Indeed, there exists a large variety of habitats formed between deglaciation (containing only negligible amounts of SOC; Yoshitake et al, 2010) and the development of peatland-like tundra (accumulating large SOC stocks; Nakatsubo et al, 2015), which differ in terms of vegetation cover and composition, soil hydrology, nutrient inputs, or SOC stability (Rønning, 1996).…”

“…• Soils of initial habitats exhibited high bulk density and pH, and low moisture and nutrient contents as opposed to soils of developed habitats • Content of soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilized by occlusion in aggregates or by adsorption on mineral particles generally increased with vegetation cover, hence more developed habitats provide a large degree of SOC stabilization • SOC content in most of the fractions positively correlated with dissolved organic C as well as dissolved N content estimated permafrost SOC reservoir (Burnham & Sletten, 2010); however, the drastic changes in high Arctic conditions related to accelerating deglaciation and subsequent primary succession processes (Klimešová et al, 2012;Vilmundardóttir et al, 2015) justify closer inspection of the physical and chemical soil properties in high Arctic terrestrial habitats. Indeed, there exists a large variety of habitats formed between deglaciation (containing only negligible amounts of SOC; Yoshitake et al, 2010) and the development of peatland-like tundra (accumulating large SOC stocks; Nakatsubo et al, 2015), which differ in terms of vegetation cover and composition, soil hydrology, nutrient inputs, or SOC stability (Rønning, 1996).…”