Dr Jarle Inge Holten, Terrestrial Ecology Research, Norway
Dr Jarle Inge Holten, Terrestrial Ecology Research, Norway will give a seminar "Altitudinal distribution patterns of alpine plants in Norway" as part of the James Hutton Institute seminar series.
Jarle will present a summary of this exciting new book on the Norwegian alpine flora, based on systematic collection of field data in Central Norway from the period 1990-2008. The findings for 161 alpine vascular plant species are strongly related to the two complex gradients ‘Distance from coast’ and ‘Altitude’.
Important controlling variables for the distribution patterns are temperature, frost sum, snow cover, permafrost, glaciers and bedrock. Seven altitudinal vegetation zones have been delineated, with a subdivision into altitudinal humidity sectors and thermic oceanicity sectors, based on phytogeographical and vegetational criteria.
An ‘altitudinal vegetation diagram’ based on remote sensing information depicts important vegetational and environmental features along the complex coast-inland gradient, for example, lichen heaths, snowbed communities and glaciers and snow.
This seminar will take place at The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen and will be broadcast live to the Dundee site.