New record of Euphrasia frigida Pugsl. in Colesdalen, Svalbard ( Short communication )

• Published in: Czech Polar Reports
• Main Authors: Markovskaya, Eugenia, Nataliya, Shmakova, Valentina, Kostina
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Masaryk University Press 2013
• Subjects: Euphrasia frigida; Svalbard
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/cpr2013-2-11; https://journals.muni.cz/CPR/article/viewFile/12832/11164

In 2011, a new place with Euphrasia frigida Pugsl was found in the area of Colesdalen, Svalbard. In this paper, geographical location of the place is reported and a brief description of neighbouring vegetation given. The new place with E. frigida was found on SW-facing slopes (inclination of about 30°) at a shallow hollow. The clumps of E. frigida were located 1-1.5 m away from each other and formed an area of about 40 m2. Altogether, 420 individuals were found, average length of which was 2 cm. The flower length and width reached 5 and 3.5 mm, respectively. The habitat related to willow-grassland-moss association. However, the surface of a hollow was slightly eroded probably due to anthropogenic transformation caused by proximity of old abandoned settlement and a harbour that have been used for coal shipping from Colesbukta. Finding of the new place with E. frigida within Colesdalen may be related to a spreading of the species at this particular Svalbard locality. It may also support the idea that the species could be ranked thermophilic and thus potentially fast responsive to warming of polar environment.