Arctic plant ecology: From tundra to polar desert in Svalbard - Unis

Table 7. Presents of possible host species of Euphrasia wettsteinii in the plots at Ossian Sars
and Colesdalen.
Species Plot with
Euphrasia
(n = 2)
47
Ossian Sars Colesdalen
Plot without
Euphrasia
(n = 2)
Plot with
Euphrasia
(n = 10)
Plot without
Euphrasia
(n = 10)
Bistorta vivipara 100% 100% 100% 90%
Festuca rubra ssp. richardsonii 100% 50% 100% 80%
Poa arctica 50% ­ 20% 10%
Salix polaris ­ 50% 90% 70%
Equisetum arvense ssp. alpestre ­ ­ 100% 100%
Stellaria crassipes 50% 50% 90% 80%
Trisetum spicatum ssp. spicatum 100% ­ 30% 30%
Luzula confusa ­ ­ ­
Alopecurus borealis ­ ­ 80% 80%
Mean soil temperature (10 cm depth) 8,5°C 7,8°C 6,1°C 5,0°C
Discussion
Comparison of ecological amplitudes of selected species from Svalbard and
Greenland, with special emphasis on the Mesters Vig district, NE Greenland
The range of this study limited our observations of the habitat types in which species
might be able to grow. Species with narrow ecological amplitudes might show
broader amplitudes than recorded here. To avoid misinterpretation or generalization of
a species’ ecological amplitude we focused in this comparison on species with
broader ecological amplitudes or different non­congruent amplitudes vis­à­vis
Mesters Vig.
Ten of the observed species in Svalbard showed differences in their ecological
amplitudes in comparison to the same species found at Mesters Vig. However,
comparisons with the distribution map of Svalbard (Elvebakk 2005, Hultén & Fries
1986) revealed that all but Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena and Saxifraga cespitosa ssp.
cespitosa, were widespread beyond the areas we visited. Poa pratensis ssp. alpigena
and Saxifraga cespitosa ssp. cespitosa displayed wider ecological amplitudes on
Svalbard than at Mesters Vig. Cardamine bellidifolia ssp. bellidifolia and Micranthes
hieracifolia ssp. hieracifolia showed broader ecological amplitudes on Svalbard than
at Mesters Vig in terms of their tolerance to frost disturbance. Cochlearia
groenlandica and Micranthes foliolosa were associated with a wider range of total
vascular plant cover being wider on Svalbard. However, literature research (Böcher
1963, Gelting 1934, Raup 1965, Raup 1969, Sørensen 1933) provided evidence that
no difference in ecological amplitudes exists for a given taxon present on both
Svalbard and Greenland when comparing all of Greenland (Böcher 1963, Raup 1965).
The main difference found was the plants tolerance to frost disturbance. The species
at Mesters Vig seem to have wider amplitudes regarding frost disturbance compared