Eco-physiological features of vascular plants in the Arctic tundra of Spitsbergen

Abstract

The results of long-term studies of the ecological and physiological features of vascular plants in the Arctic tundra on the island of Spitsbergen are presented. Data on the content of plastid pigments for 98 vascular plants species from 20 families. The range of chlorophyll content is 0,4–2,6 mg / g of fresh weight. The relationship between the content of pigments and some indicators of functional activity of Arctic plants is analyzed. The content of flavonoids in the leaves of 63 species of vascular plants was studied. It is shown that 85 % of the studied species have high and medium values (4–11 %) of the flavonoid content. This is 2–3 times higher than in similar species of the Kola Subarctic. The composition of lipids in the leaves of the dominant and rare plant species of the Arctic tundra during the active vegetation period is analyzed. It was found that the dominance of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids in total lipids depends on the cold resistance of plant species and their representation in the ecotopes of the studied territory.

Fires and Clear-Cuttings as Local Areas of Arthropod Diversity in Polar Regions: Khibiny Mountains

“…The Khibiny Mts, located 150 km north of the Arctic Circle, are the largest mountains in the Kola Polar region (Figure 1a). They have no analogues in combination of geological structure, difficult-cross terrain, humid microclimate, and altitudinal zonality of soil and vegetation cover [37][38][39]. The massif is characterized by a rounded shape with a diameter of about 50 km, featuring a central core reaching heights of 1000-1200 m above sea level and two semicircles (inner and outer) of lower peaks up to 600-800 m (Figure 1b).…”