Colonization of the polar willow Salix polaris on the early stage of succession after glacier retreat in the High Arctic, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Polar research

Hiroshi Koizumi¹  Shinpei Yoshitake²  Takayuki Nakatsubo³  Masaki Uchida⁴  Masaaki Fujiyoshi⁵ 

[1] Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 2-2, Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan;Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2, Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan;Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521, JapanCorrespondence;National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3, Midori-cho, Tachikawa City, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan;School of Humanities and Culture, Tokai University, Kitakaname 1117, Hiratsuka, 259-1292, Japan

关键词: Glacier retreat;    High Arctic;    population structure;    Salix polaris;    succession;    Svalbard;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v29i3.6078

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

The polar willow (Salix polaris), predominant in the late successional stage in deglaciated areas of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, is rarely found in the early stage, when purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) dominates. To elucidate the pattern and the mechanism of successional change from the Saxifraga stage to the Salix stage, we examined the distribution pattern, size structure and habitat conditions of a colonizing Salix population in the seral stage where Salix was invading Saxifraga-dominated sites. The present distribution pattern and aerial photographs taken in the past suggest that Salix colonization at this site commenced within the last 70 years. We found 115 Salix individuals (22 male, 13 female and 80 unknown) in a 30 m × 30 m quadrat on the seral stage. Although the largest individual had a size of 2000 cm2 (length × maximum width), the majority (84%) of individuals were smaller than 100 cm2. The seedling size distribution, as inferred from the leaf scar number, indicated that annual recruitme...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC