Arctic Plants of Svalbard (eBook)

What We Learn From the Green in the Treeless White World

Yoo Kyung Lee (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2020 | 1st ed. 2020
XIV, 107 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-030-34560-0 (ISBN)

Infos

The Arctic is a special world. The Arctic Ocean is covered by white sea ice, and its margins are surrounded by bare terrestrial regions, known as tundra. Tundra is a cold and dry environment without trees, but even in the absence of trees, tundra plants such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, herbs and moss support the harsh environment by providing sustenance and shelter. This book introduces representative arctic plants and their function in Svalbard, revealing the unique tundra ecosystem, and discussing the direct and indirect effects of climate change in the Arctic.

Yoo Kyung Lee is a polar scientist. She majored in botany and completed her Ph.D. at Seoul National University. She is currently investigating the ecological succession on the land exposed by the disappearance of glaciers disappear in Svalbard. Wanting to share the wonder of Arctic plants with a wider audience, she published 'Beautiful Arctic Tundra Plants' with colleagues, and 'Handbook of Svalbard Plants' with Arve Elvebakk. Yoo Kyung Lee is a Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute. She is also a member of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme of Arctic Council and Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks 

Inhalt

Preface 6
Acknowledgments 8
Prologue 10
Is the Color of the Arctic White? 10
Contents 12
Chapter 1: Arctic Tundra: Where There Are No Trees 14
Where Is the Arctic? 14
Why No Trees in the Arctic? 16
Bibliography 20
Chapter 2: Arctic Is Not One 21
The High Arctic and the Low Arctic 21
The Life Forms of the Arctic Plants 23
Five Bioclimatic Subzones of the Arctic 23
The Arctic Vegetation Map 32
Relationship Between Arctic Vegetation Units and Bioclimatic Subzones 34
Bibliography 37
Chapter 3: Arctic Plants in Different Tundras 39
The Persistent Plants in Polar Desert 40
Dry Heath Tundra 41
Mesic Tundra and Moist Tussock Tundra 45
Wet Sedge Tundra 47
Shrubs Near Tree Line 48
Bibliography 50
Chapter 4: Arctic Plants in Svalbard 51
Svalbard, Cold Shore 51
Plants Without Flowers 53
Pioneers: Purple Saxifrage 60
Taking Care of Babies: Alpine Bistort 64
Gender Issue: Willows 67
The Glory of the Past: Mountain Avens 70
The Facilitator or Nursing Plant: Moss Campion 73
Live Together with Tiny Guests: Mountain Sorrel 76
Overcome Stress: Whitlow-Grasses 78
Immigration: Buttercups 81
Making Flowers: Polar Campion 83
Overcoming Drought: Arctic Mouse-Ear 87
Bibliography 90
Chapter 5: The Past Shows the Future 96
Past: After the Ice Age 96
Future: Climate Change and the Arctic Plants 98
Bibliography 100
List of Svalbard Vascular Plants 102
Bibliography 110
Common Name - Scientific Name Index 112
Scientific Name - Common Name Index 115

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 7.2.2020
• Zusatzinfo: XIV, 107 p. 66 illus., 63 illus. in color.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Botanik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Schlagworte: Arctic ocean • Arctic plant • climate change • pioneering plants • polar desert • Svalbard • systematic botany • Tundra
• ISBN-10: 3-030-34560-2 / 3030345602
• ISBN-13: 978-3-030-34560-0 / 9783030345600