Biomass and Primary Productivity of Birch (Betula Pubescens S. Lat.) in South-West Greenland

Elkington, T. T.; Jones, B. M. G.

doi:10.2307/2258957

Cited by 33 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…coll. But lists of associated species in the Greenland copses (Elkington, 1973(Elkington, , 1974 bear little resemblance to late-glacial assemblages.…”

Section: Tree Birches and Soils -Possible Reasons For The Initial Lagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lags in adjustment of vegetation to climate caused by the pace of soil development. Evidence from Britain

Pennington

1986

Vegetatio

155

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In areas such as parts of Britain where many closely spaced sites have been investigated, between-site diversities prevent any simple correlation between vegetation response and climatic variables. These diversities reveal the influence of other factors in modulating this response. Analysis of profiles of allochthonous lake sediments has provided evidence for the importance of soil factors. The otherwise inexplicable spatial .variation in the response of trees, in Britain and neighbouring parts of the European mainland, to the climatic warming (inferred from faunal evidence) at the most recent glacial termination, can be explained by the postulated spatial differentiation of raw skeletal soils. Differences in particle-size, composition and drainage, consistent with the spatial differentiation of pre-arboreal vegetation, would affect the water-retaining capacity of immature late-glacial soils and hence the reproductive success of tree birches. The lag in response of these to climatic amelioration appears to have varied from 500 to 1 500 yr, and it seems likely that a similar lag may have characterised the early warming period of each interglacial. The conclusion must be that in this situation the degree of success of trees measured by pollen values is not a reliable indicator of palaeotemperatures. Secondly, it appears from evidence in northern Scotland that at an ecotone between forest types, the relation between vegetation and climate is likely to be obscured except in regions of uniform soils. In areas of differentiated bedrock, the vegetation pattern is likely to have been influenced most by the effects of soil maturation processes in developing a soil mosaic.

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“…coll. But lists of associated species in the Greenland copses (Elkington, 1973(Elkington, , 1974 bear little resemblance to late-glacial assemblages.…”

Section: Tree Birches and Soils -Possible Reasons For The Initial Lagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lags in adjustment of vegetation to climate caused by the pace of soil development. Evidence from Britain

Pennington

1986

Vegetatio

155

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“…Hustich (1949) found that double rings presented no problem in his dendrochronological work on Scots pine growing at the arctic tree-limit in N Finland. Elkington & Jones (1974) do not exclude the possibility of 'frost-rings' and 'disappearing rings' being fo rmed in birches growing in Green land. Beschel & Webb (1963) reported that in unfavourable summers no annual rings were formed in the wood of Salix spp .…”

Section: Age-determination Of Treesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Change and Stability in the Altitude of the Birch Tree-Limit in the Southern Swedish Scandes 1915-75

Major¹,

Kullman²

1979

Arctic and Alpine Research

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“…The carbon pools in the model were initialized over a nominal 2000 years assuming that the prelandnám land cover in the Laxá Valley and Mývatn region was a grass and woody shrub mixture. The contribution of the shrub components prior to the creation of the home-field is based on observations of similar vegetation in the U.K. (Ovington & Madgwick, 1959) and Greenland (Elkington & Jones, 1974). The dry matter and carbon and nitrogen composition of the removed plant material is based on typical native grasses.…”

Section: Model Initializationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local‐scale adaptations: A modeled assessment of soil, landscape, microclimatic, and management factors in Norse home‐field productivities

2008

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Adaptation of farming practices to inherent site conditions was essential to the success of Norse colonization in pristine landscapes. A key factor in the initial success of colonization, or landnám, of Iceland was management of the area adjacent to the domestic dwelling, the home-field, to provide fodder for over-wintering livestock. In this paper we examine three settlement home-fields in the Mývatn and Laxá valley area of northeast Iceland. Contemporary evidence reveals a distinct climatic toposequence together with differences in the nature of the inherent soils between sites. By considering the influence of these differences, microscale adaptations in early land management practices in the production of hay are sought within a tightly defined chronological context. Using an integrated agroecosystem modeling approach, the factors affecting long-term sustainability of hay production in the Norse home-field are examined. Results indicate that regional-level climate differences will have an impact on production, especially pronounced cold periods. It is also clear that small-scale climate factors, as well as inherent soil differences between sites influenced productivity for the Norse farmer. However, productivities overall are at subsistence level, emphasizing the need for optimized land management to sustain home-field production. After examining different management scenarios, it is apparent that the effect of an increased rate of manuring will be most apparent during the first century of settlement; thereafter the effect is relatively diminished.

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Biomass and Primary Productivity of Birch (Betula Pubescens S. Lat.) in South-West Greenland

Cited by 33 publications

References 9 publications

Lags in adjustment of vegetation to climate caused by the pace of soil development. Evidence from Britain

Lags in adjustment of vegetation to climate caused by the pace of soil development. Evidence from Britain

Change and Stability in the Altitude of the Birch Tree-Limit in the Southern Swedish Scandes 1915-75

Local‐scale adaptations: A modeled assessment of soil, landscape, microclimatic, and management factors in Norse home‐field productivities

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