On the Origin of the Strand Flat

One of the most fruitful problems to Scandinavian plant geography has been that of the origin of the Scandinavian alpine and arctic flora. A long time after the discovery of the Ice Ages in Northern Europe, the supposition was held that all plant life in Scandinavia was destroyed during the last Ice Age. This was the “tabula rasa” theory. According to this theory all plant life should have immigrated into Scandinavia after the last Ice Age. This also applied to the alpine and arctic element in the flora of Scandinavia. This element should have immigrated from areas outside the maximum glaciation in Central and Eastern Europe. The Scandinavian arctic-alpine flora is hence expected to be a province of the Middle or Eastern European flora.

This is not the fact. The Scandinavian alpine flora contains an important and even dominating element of species with their relatives on the western side of the Atlantic ocean. These species could hardly have their origin in Central and Eastern Europe.     

Siliceous microfossil distribution in the surficial sediments of Lake Baikal

Examination of surficial sediments at 16 stations shows minor, but consistent differences in the numbers and kinds of siliceous microfossils deposited in different regions of Lake Baikal. There is a general north-south decreasing trend in total microfossil abundance on a weight basis. Endemic plankton diatom species are the most abundant component of assemblages at all stations. Chrysophyte cysts are present at all stations, but most forms are more abundant at northern stations. Non-endemic plankton diatom species are most abundant at southern stations. Small numbers of benthic diatoms and sponge spicules are found in all samples. Although low numbers are present in offshore sediments, the benthic diatom flora is very diverse. Principal components analysis confirms primary north-south abundance trends and suggests further differentiation by station location and depth.     

Holocene diatom flora and stratigraphy from sediment cores of two Antarctic lakes (King George Island)

The diatom stratigraphy of Holocene sediment cores from two Antarctic lakes (Mondsee, Tiefersee; 62° 10 S/58° 50 W) of King George Island was investigated. The diatom assemblages were dominated by cosmopolitan species. The flora was composed of three main components: 1) taxa of submersed bryophytic habitats, which also occur in the bryophilic diatom flora of southern South America; 2) species of various terrestrial habitats, including some specific subantarctic taxa; 3) species distributed in coastal inland waters influenced by sea-spray.Changes in sediment pattern and diatom species composition seemed to reflect climatic changes. At least three different core sections were distinguished in both lakes: Two sections rich in mosses occur between approx. 7000–4700 B.P. and from 3200 B.P. to present, in general resembling present day conditions. In between is a section of high allochthonous content with generally low diatom concentrations and rising percentages of aerophilic, halophilic and alkaliphilic diatoms. An increase of melt water discharge, possible sea-spray influence, and lake- level fluctuations are discussed.Three new taxa are described: Achnanthes metakryophila nov. spec., Achnanthes renei nov. spec., Navicula australomediocris nov. spec. The taxonomy of selected taxa is discussed.     

The ecology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pediastrum</Emphasis> (Chlorophyceae) in subarctic lakes and their potential as paleobioindicators

Subarctic and arctic lakes are the focus of many paleolimnological studies, as they are still among the least impacted lakes by humans. Hence they provide an excellent setting for studies on long-term climatic variability without the overriding effects of direct anthropogenic perturbation. On the other hand, these ecosystems are highly vulnerable to even moderate anthropogenic influence like long-distance airborne transport of nutrients and pollutants. The paleolimnological studies conducted in these areas usually include a multitude of different proxies, but so far only few have used the green algal group of Pediastrum Meyen. These algae, however, preserve well in sediments and can be identified to species level, which lends them potential as a paleo-proxy. In this study we analysed the present Pediastrum assemblages from surface-sediments of 16 subarctic lakes in Finnish Lapland as well as bottom samples from the same sediment cores, which are “spot” samples from the recent past. We found a total of 14 Pediastrum taxa, five of which occurred at moderate to high relative abundances. The majority of the taxa showed distinct relationships to environmental variables measured. Of these, pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) explained most of the variance in the distribution of Pediastrum and generally summarised the main environmental gradients in our data set well. Five of the studied lakes lacked Pediastrum taxa altogether, and Pediastrum occurred at low abundances in four additional lakes. All of these nine lakes have extremely low nutrient concentrations and generally lowest pH and DOC in the data set and were defined by barren catchment areas and scarce lake macrophyte growth. According to a top–bottom analysis of sediment cores, the Pediastrum assemblages of the study lakes have changed moderately, suggesting changed environmental conditions in the lakes. Although these changes appear to be climate-related, more studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.     

VASCULAR PLANTS OF MOUNTAIN TALUS SLOPES,MT. RAE AREA,ALBERTA, CANADA

The vascular flora of talus slopes in the Mt. Rae area, Canadian Rocky Mountain Front Ranges, is discussed in the context of edaphic and geomorphic conditions. Thirteen talus slopes were sampled systematically for the presence of vegetation, and vascular plants were identified to the species level. Such talus slopes are generally considered relatively sterile and too unstable for the development of distinctive flora. The presence of vegetation is usually taken as an indicator of slope stability. A total of 77 species with boreal and arctic affinities was identified. Most plants display growth forms suitable to the unstable and xeric talus substrate with Schroeter's Schuttstrecker and Schuttdecker forms being most common. Although areal coverage by plants is sparse, a large number of species with morphological characteristics suitable for the talus environment suggests that the presence of plants should not be regarded as an absolute indicator of slope stability. Rather, these plants may represent a long-term equilibrium assemblage characteristic of active talus slopes in a mountain environment.     

The biota of lake abalakh (Yakutia,eastern Siberia,Russia Federation)

The fauna and flora of Lake Abalakh, a saline lake in Yakutia, eastern Siberia, Russian Federation, is described from a collection made in July, 1990. The fauna comprisedMoina mongolica, Metadiaptomus asiaticus, Brachionus plicatilis and larval ceratopogonids. The flora was much more diverse. It contained 82 taxa most of which were cyanophytes, bacillariophytes, and chlorophytes. Also present were cryptophytes (1 taxon), xanthophytes (5) and euglenoids (1).     

Annual growth rings of the shrub Anarthrophyllum rigidum across Patagonia: Interannual variations and relationships with climate

Annual growth rings are well-defined in some shrubby species distributed along the Patagonian steppe and provide useful information to identify the environmental factors that influence the radial growth of shrubs in the region. However, little is known about variations in ring width from these species and their relationships with local environment. In this paper we present 18 growth ring width chronologies covering the last 2–3 decades from the shrub Anarthrophyllum rigidum (Fabaceae) encompassing most of its natural range of distribution in Argentina. Interannual variations in growth were first analyzed collectively to identify common regional patterns. In addition, shrub growth at each site was compared with local climate records and site-specific characteristics. Based on a principal component analysis (PCA), sites were joined in four major groups related to the site proximity to the Andes (foothills versus Patagonian plateau) and latitude (north versus south Patagonia). The relatively similar percentage of PCA variance associated with each group reflects environmental differences among sites. Consistent with this observation, we noted large variability in the responses of the A. rigidum woody growth to regional climatic fluctuations. At most sites, this species is favored by abundant winter precipitation, warmer spring and autumn temperatures (controlling the duration of the growing season), cool summers, or a combination of these factors. However, deviations from these patterns are also recorded. Our study represents the first large-scale dendroclimatological analysis of a shrubby species in southern South America. The results presented here provide information on the main patterns and factors affecting the growth of A. rigidum in Patagonia, and may be useful for determining well-suited practices for management and conservation of this ubiquitous species.     

On the presence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stephanodiscus niagarae</Emphasis> Ehrenberg in central Mexico

Stephanodiscus niagarae is frequently reported from late Pleistocene (>10,000 yr BP) sediments in central Mexico, with lower abundances through the Holocene. Its presence in Holocene and modern environments in central Mexico was not well documented until our study, where we report on three populations of S. niagarae, one middle Holocene population with particularly high abundance from the Upper Lerma Basin, and two modern sites, Valle de Bravo and Santa Elena. The three sites are located in the same geographical area, in the State of Mexico. The fossil material dates to ca. 6600–4900 yr BP, with S. niagarae reaching up to 90% of the diatom counts. Stephanodiscus niagarae is present in association with Fragilaria pinnata, F. brevistriata, and Aulacoseira granulata. In Valle de Bravo (ca. 30 m deep) S. niagarae is present in very low numbers in water column and surface sediments samples (<1%); the diatom assemblage is dominated by Fragilaria crotonensis in association with A. granulata, A. granulata var. curvata and Cyclotella ocellata. In Santa Elena, a shallow, intermittent irrigation channel, S. niagarae is the second most abundant alga; the diatom assemblage is dominated by S. niagarae in association with A. granulata, A. granulata var. curvata and F. crotonensis. Both modern sites show a trend to eutrophy and these diatom assemblages are taken as indicative of this trend. It is suggested researchers should be cautions when the presence of S. niagarae in sedimentary records is taken as indicative of deep waters conditions, as the present data show that this species can thrive in rather shallow environments in Mexico.     

Observations on the vegetation and vascular plants of Hopen

The vascular plant flora of the small arctic island of Hopen, located in the Barents Sea, was inventoried during a visit in the summer of 1982. Eighteen vascular plant species were observed and mapped, and the vegetation described.     

Effects of high-magnitude/low-frequency fluvial events generated by intense snowmelt or heavy rainfall in arctic periglacial environments in northern Swedish Lapland and northern Siberia

Abstract In the Latnjavagge drainage basin (68°21′N, 18°29′E), an arctic‐oceanic periglacial environment in northernmost Swedish Lapland, the fluvial sediment transport and the characteristics and importance of high‐magnitude/low‐frequency fluvial events generated by intense snowmelt or heavy rainfall have been investigated and compared with snowmelt‐ and rainfall‐induced discharge peaks in the Levinson‐Lessing Lake basin (Krasnaya river system) on the Taimyr Peninsula, an arctic periglacial environment in northern Siberia (74°32′N, 98°35′E). In Latnjavagge (9 km²) the intensity of fluvial sediment transport is very low. Most of the total annual sediment load is transported in a few days during snowmelt generated runoff peaks. Due to the continuous and very stable vegetation covering most areas below 1300 m a.s.l. in the Latnjavagge catchment, larger rainfall events are of limited importance for sediment transport in this environment. Compared to that, in the c. 40 times larger Krasnaya riversystem rainfall‐generated runoff peaks cause significant sediment transport. The main sediment sources in the Latnjavagge drainage basin are permanent ice patches, channel debris pavements mobilized during peak discharges and exposing fines, and material mobilized by slush‐flows. In the Krasnaya river system river bank erosion is the main sediment source. In both periglacial environments more than 90% of the annual sediment yield is transported during runoff peaks. The results from both arctic periglacial environments underline the high importance of high‐magnitude/low‐frequency fluvial events for the total fluvial sediment budgets of periglacial fluvial systems. Restricted sediment availability is in both arctic environments the major controlling factor for this behaviour.     

塔吉克斯坦种子植物区系分析

塔吉克斯坦区系位置特殊、物种独特丰富,研究其植物区系特点对于进一步全面了解中亚植物资源现状、起源及演化具有重要意义。通过文献搜集、野外调查和标本查阅,对塔吉克斯坦种子植物区系特点进行了分析。结果表明：塔吉克斯坦境内共有种子植物4 115种,隶属于110科864属,种子植物丰富、种类分布表现出多数种集中于少数科属中,同时单种及寡种科属多的两端分布的特点;植物区系主要表现为温带性质,但也受到热带植物区系的深远影响,区系成分复杂、过渡特征明显,特有属少。特有成分在种级水平上分化明显,种子植物区系性质表现出与所处自然地理条件的一致性。     

浙江丽水山地蕨类植物区系

浙江丽水山地蕨类植物资源十分丰富，区系由42科92属325种(含变种)组成。主要的科是鳞毛蕨科、水龙骨科、蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科和铁角蕨科；主要的属是鳞毛蕨属、复叶耳蕨属、铁角蕨属、蹄盖蕨属和卷柏属。区系起源古老，不乏古老的科、属及残遗种，且区系成分复杂，来源于多种地理成分。     

The structure and behavior of the arctic cyclone in summer analyzed by the JRA-25/JCDAS data

In this study, three-dimensional structures and the life-time behavior of arctic cyclones are investigated as case studies, using reanalysis data of JRA-25 and JCDAS. In recent years, arctic region has undergone drastic warming in conjunction with the reduced sea ice concentration in summer. The rapid reduction of the sea ice concentration is explained, to some extent, by a pressure dipole of the arctic cyclone and Beaufort high over the Arctic Ocean. This paper presents some case studies for the structure of the arctic cyclone.It is found by the analysis of this study that the arctic cyclone indicates many differences in structure and behavior compared with the mid-latitude cyclone. The arctic cyclones move rather randomly in direction over the Arctic Ocean. The arctic cyclone has a barotropic structure in the vertical from the surface to the stratosphere. The arctic cyclone detected at the sea level pressure is connected with the polar vortex at the 500 hPa level and above. Importantly, the arctic cyclone has a cold core in the troposphere and a warm core around the 200 hPa level. The mechanism of the formation is discussed based on the analyzed structure of the arctic cyclones.     

The post-glacial diatom history of Splan Lake,New Brunswick

The first account is given of the postglacial history of a lake in eastern Canada. Splan Lake is a 4 ha lake situated in a hollow in Palaeozoic metasedimentary rock in southern New Brunswick. Diatoms were identified and counted in a 6.98 m core, from which five developmental phases were recognized. Initially Splan Lake supported a pioneer Fragilaria assemblage comparable to that in modern arctic and glacial moraine lakes. This is believed to represent growth in the moat of a partially ice covered lake. An embryonic limnic flora consisting of Cyclotella bodanica and C. stelligera appeared ca. 11 300 y.B.P., which was terminated by the younger Dryas cool interval — ca. 11 000–10 000 y.B.P. There appeared to be no autochthonous production in Splan Lake during this latter episode. Subsequently, a C. bodanica: C. Stelligera: Navicula community developed. From ca. 8 800–5 500 y.B.P. Asterionella ralfsii v. americana, Tabellaria spp. and large numbers of chrysophyte scales occurred together with Cyclotella spp. The recent phase is dominated by Tabellaria, Frustulia, Fragilaria, Eunotia and Navicula. The lake evolved from alkaline to slightly acid, and from oligotrophic to mesotrophic following the younger Dryas. The flora developed from benthic/littoral to a predominantly littoral/limnic community over the same period, and with continued sedimentation, into a littoral/benthic diatom community.     

Late Holocene environmental history on Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic, based on diatom floristic changes and geochemistry in sediments of a volcanic crater lake

A late Holocene diatom stratigraphy of Bottom Pond (37°05′S, 12°17′W) was studied and interpreted to infer paleolimnological and climate changes on Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic. The diatom flora of Bottom Pond is dominated by meroplanktonic Aulacoseira alpigena and A. distans and a benthic/epiphytic flora including Achnanthes spp., Naviculadicta spp., Eunotia taxa and Frustulia rhomboides. The flora also includes an important terrestrial and aerophytic component, consisting of several Diadesmis spp., Navicula lapidosa, Nitzschia terrestris and some Pinnularia spp., at times dominating the flora. Peaks of high terrestrial diatom abundances and low abundances and concentrations of Aulacoseira spp., correspond to periods of increased magnetic susceptibility and are interpreted to be the result of increased catchment erosion and/or precipitation leading to enhanced in-wash of species living in the soils around the lake. The diatom record of Bottom Pond most likely registers both local responses to increased erosion in the catchment as well as climatic change of a more regional character. Comparisons with the geochemical record in 2nd Pond on Nightingale Island show a correspondence between the two data sets at 2,000–1,750 cal yrs BP, most likely evidence of increased precipitation in the Tristan da Cunha region. The Tristan da Cunha archipelago is situated at the northern limit of the Southern hemisphere west wind belt and stronger and/or a northward shift of the westerlies, are probably the main causes of the precipitation changes.     

Soil heterogeneity and the distribution of desert and steppe plant species across a desert-grassland ecotone

Bouteloua gracilis (Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths (blue grama), Bouteloua eriopoda (Torr.) Torr. (black grama), and Larrea tridentata Coville (creosotebush) are dominant plants on the McKenzie Flats portion of the Llano de Manzano landform within Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico, part of the biome ecotone from the Colorado Shortgrass Steppe to the Chihuahuan Desert. In this study, we examine the hypothesis that soil heterogeneity, determined by variation in surface soil depth, carbonate accumulation, and fine-textured fraction, controls relative dominance of the three species. The area is flat, generally <1% slope; however, abrupt soil differences exist even within the flattest parts of the landscape that correspond to the pattern of buried channels incised in a petrocalcic horizon (caliche) formed in a 0.5–1.2 million year-old paleosol beneath the current surface soil. Multivariate analyses of soil-moisture-related variables suggest that B. gracilis, a Colorado Shortgrass Steppe indicator, dominates the buried paleochannels where Holocene surface deposits are deepest and the argillic (clay-rich) B-horizon is thickest. B. eriopoda, dominant in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, is most abundant where the buried petrocalcic horizon lies within 40–60 cm of the surface and the argillic horizon is thinner and weakly developed. L. tridentata, an indicator of desertified Chihuahuan Desert shrubland, is dominant where the petrocalcic horizon is exposed or near the surface. This study illustrates the strong relationship between geomorphology, soil development and vegetation patterns in arid and semi-arid environments.     

A Holocene paleosalinity diatom record from southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada: Harris Lake revisited

Fossil diatoms were analysed from a 10.3 m core from Harris Lake, Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan, and a diatom-salinity transfer function was used to construct a history of Holocene salinity changes for the lake. The diatom paleosalinity record indicates that Harris Lake remained fresh <0.5 g l-¹ throughout the Holocene, with only slight increases in salinity between approximately 6500 and 5200 years BP. This interval corresponds to the only period in the lake's history when planktonic diatoms were abundant; benthic Fragilaria taxa, mainly F. pinnata, F. construens and F. brevistriata were dominant throughout most of the Holocene. The shift from a benthic to a planktonic diatom flora between 6500 and 5200 years BP may be an indirect response to a warmer climate that reduced forest cover in the watershed and allowed greater rates of inorganic sedimentation. The small salinity increase that accompanies the floristic change is probably not the result of lower lake levels; in fact the lake was probably deeper at this point than in the later Holocene. This paleosalinity record indicates that Harris Lake did not experience episodes of hypersalinity during the mid-Holocene, as suggested by a previous study, and that the lake may have been fresh during the early Holocene as well.     

The use of egg shells to infer the historical presence of copepods in alpine lakes

Copepods (Class Crustacea, Order Copepoda) are rarely included in paleoecological studies of lakes because they lack long-lasting exoskeletal remains. We describe the remains of eggs (egg shells) from Hesperodiaptomus copepods that are well preserved and abundant in alpine lake sediments. We demonstrate that the egg shells are the remains of Hesperodiaptomus eggs based on (i) the similar size and morphology of egg shells collected from sediments and those produced from the hatching of eggs obtained from laboratory-maintained Hesperodiaptomus, and (ii) the finding that diapausing eggs collected from lake sediments and hatched in the laboratory produced copepod nauplii that were morphologically indistinguishable from those hatched from eggs produced by laboratory-maintained Hesperodiaptomus. Egg shells were approximately two orders of magnitude more abundant in sediment cores than were viable diapausing eggs, making egg shells superior to viable diapausing eggs for quantifying the historical presence and abundance of Hesperodiaptomus. These results have important implications for alpine lake restoration as egg shells can be used to identify lakes in which Hesperodiaptomus was eliminated by fish introductions but has failed to return after fish eradication, lakes in which the pre-disturbance conditions are likely to be restored only by reintroductions of this important taxon.     

Records of aquatic pollen and sediment properties as indicators of late-Quaternary Alaskan lake levels

We investigated whether techniques developed to evaluate qualitative lake-level changes in the temperate zone can be used in sub-arctic and arctic Alaska. We focused on aquatic pollen records and sediment properties (loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility) from centrally-located sediment-surface samples and cores, as these are the most commonly reported data in the literature. Modern aquatic pollen values are generally low (< 5%) and may be zero, even in lakes with abundant aquatic macrophytes. Greater diversity and higher values of aquatic pollen are likely at depths < 5 m, but pollen is found in depths up to 15 m. It is absent at depths > 20 m. Spores of Isoetes and Equisetum and Pediastrum cell-nets, when present, tend to be widely distributed, even in deep water. At Birch Lake, interior Alaska, trends in aquatic taxa and sediment characteristics for the last ca. 12,000 ¹⁴C yrs recorded in a single, deep-water core reflect the same water-level changes as do transect-based lake-level reconstructions - if modern distributional characteristics of pollen and spores are taken into account. The lake rose from extremely low levels at ca. 12,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. After a period of fluctuation, it rose to a relatively high level by ca. 8000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and then stabilized. A preliminary survey of aquatic pollen trends from other lake-sediment records suggests that the period ca. 11,000-8000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. may have seen relatively low lake levels in north-western and interior Alaska and high levels thereafter. Changes in aquatic pollen and sediments are evident in north-eastern interior lakes at the same time, but they are more difficult to interpret. Aquatic pollen productivity in Alaskan lakes may partly depend on factors other than water depth (e.g. temperature, pH, nutrient status, or length of the ice-free season). An Alaska-wide reconstruction of late-Quaternary lake levels based on extant single-core data would be best done after further study of contributing factors that may control sediment properties and aquatic pollen distribution.     

Characterization of the halophilic archaeal community in saltern crystallizer ponds by means of polar lipid analysis

Saltern crystallizer ponds are coloured red due to the presence of dense communities of red halophilic archaea (family Halobacteriaceae). Little quantitative information exists on the species distribution within the archaeal community in such ponds. As the different genera of the Halobacteriaceae differ in polar lipid content, and especially in the types of glycolipids, lipid analysis can be used to obtain information on the nature of the organisms present. Analysis of the polar lipids extracted from the biomass collected from the saltern crystallizer ponds in Eilat, Israel, showed one major glycolipid to be present, co-chromatographing with the sulfated diglycosyl diether lipid characteristic of the genusHaloferax. No indications were found for the presence of significant amounts of those glycolipids that would indicate the presence of large numbers of other archaea such asHalobacterium species (H. cutirubrum andH. salinarium, characterized by sulfated triglycosyl and tetraglycosyl diethers), orHaloarcula species (possessing a triglycosyl diether). Phosphatidyl glycerosulfate, a polar lipid absent inHaloferax species, was present in the lipid extract from the crystallizer ponds, suggesting that the dominant microorganism present may be related to strains which are presently classified in the genusHalobacterium but are awaiting a taxonomic reappraisal (H. sodomense, H. saccharovorum, andH. trapanicum). Organisms of the latter group are characterized by sulfated diglycosyl diethers, and the presence of phosphatidyl glycerosulfate. Attempts to isolate the dominant type of bacterium on agar plates yielded relatively low counts (1–2 orders of magnitude lower than the numbers observed microscopically) of bacteria, and most of the isolates had a polar lipid composition characteristic of theH. salinarium group or theH. sodomense-H. saccharovorum-H. trapanicum group.