Species Distribution Patterns in Subgenus Cuspidata (Genus Sphagnum L.) on the East European Plain and Eastern Fennoscandia

• Main Author: Popov, Sergei Yu.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Technology & Engineering / Agriculture; bisacsh:TEC003000; Fennoscandia; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://openresearchlibrary.org/viewer/4b245998-f993-4d56-b3e2-3990bc13eff3; https://openresearchlibrary.org/ext/api/media/4b245998-f993-4d56-b3e2-3990bc13eff3/assets/external_content.pdf

The geographic range of 13 species from the subgenus Cuspidata in the East European Plain and Eastern Fennoscandia has been studied. Model maps for each species occurrence were constructed using geostatistics techniques (kriging method). Continuous coverages of 23 climatic factors were used in analysis also. We used dataset that proposed by authors of program WORLDCLIM. To learn how corresponding values of climatic factors and species occurrence correlation and cluster analysis were conducted. It was found that 7 of 13 species are widespread on the East European Plain and Eastern Fennoscandia, and 6 species have the restricted ranges. Values of occurrence of all species (except Sphagnum lenense) have a strong correlation with moisture factors (relative air humidity and sum of precipitation) in summer-autumn period. Such preferences allow them to grow successfully in Subarctic and Baltic regions, where high climatic humidity is observed. Restricted species are concentrated around the Baltic Sea and zones of the highest occurrence of widespread species are located at the same region. All species can be divided into four clusters according to its climatic preferences. Distribution of such species as S. obtusum seems to be strongly associated with two tongues of the Last Glacier, and this species seems to be a glacial relic.