From everywhere all at once: Several colonization routes available to Svalbard in the early Holocene.

ABSTRACT: For many arctic species, the spatial (re-)colonization patterns after the last Pleistocene glaciation have been described. However, the temporal aspects of their colonization are largely missing. Did one route prevail early, while another was more important later? The high Arctic archipelago Svalbard represents a good model system to address timeframe of postglacial plant colonization. Svalbard was almost fully glaciated during last glacial maximum and (re-)colonization of vascular plants began in early Holocene. Early Holocene climatic optimum (HCO) supported an expanded establishment of a partly thermophilic vegetation. Today, we find remnants of this vegetation in sheltered regions referred to as "Arctic biodiversity hotspots". The oldest record of postglacial plant colonization to Sval

SUBMITTER: Brozova V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10025081 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature