Relationships between vegetation types and soil properties along a topographical gradient on the northern coast of the Brgger Peninsula, Svalbard

概要

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Vegetation patterns in the high Arctic vary not only with proglacial chronosequence but also with a topographical gradient on older deglaciated areas which are covered by mature vegetation. A preliminary survey of local scale vegetation patterns along a topographical gradient with special reference to soil properties was conducted on the northern coast of the Brgger Peninsula, Svalbard in the high Arctic. Three community types of vascular plants were distinguished by common dominants: Cardamine type, Salix type and Oxyria/Luzula type. Each community type was comprised of different habitat types. The Cardamine type was restricted to near the bottom of depressions, where there was high soil water content. The Oxyria/Luzula type was characterized by habitats belonging to upper slopes to ridges, having high gravel content soils. On the other hand, the habitat preference of the Salix type, which had higher vegetation cover and biomass of vascular plants compared to the other two types, was not clear. The core habitat of fertile/undisturbed area, as described by the centrifugal community organization model, might be dominated by Salix polaris in this area. The other species had a refugium from interspecific competition in their preferred peripheral habitats such as exposed ridge or wetland.