Arctic Plants Produce Vastly Different Numbers of Flowers in Three Contrasting Years at Lake Hazen, Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

To maximise reproductive success in the short Arctic growing season, plants pre-form flower buds the year prior to flowering. Flower bud production depends on warm ambient temperatures. Thus, although currently Arctic plants have low rates of sexual reproductive success, the warming climate may incr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Main Author: Panchen, Zoe A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club 2016
Subjects:
Arnica angustifolia
Narrow-leaved Arnica
Cassiope tetragona
Arctic White Heather
Pedicularis capitata
Capitate Lousewort
climate change
flowering
flower abundance
reproductive success
Arctic
Canada
Ellesmere Island
Lake Hazen
Nunavut
Climate change
Quttinirpaaq National Park
Online Access:https://www.canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/index.php/cfn/article/view/1806
https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v130i1.1806
Description
Summary:To maximise reproductive success in the short Arctic growing season, plants pre-form flower buds the year prior to flowering. Flower bud production depends on warm ambient temperatures. Thus, although currently Arctic plants have low rates of sexual reproductive success, the warming climate may increase reproductive success. Following the long, warm growing season in 2012, plants at Lake Hazen, Ellesmere Island, produced many flowers in the short, cold growing season of 2013. Conversely, few flowers were produced in 2014, a long, warm growing season, but many flowers were produced in 2015, another long, warm growing season. Potentially higher rates of reproductive success in a warming climate could be compromised if consecutive years do not have long, warm growing seasons.

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