Revegetation of an Airstrip and Dirt Roads in Central East Greenland

Revegetation of an airstrip and associated dirt roads on Pingo Pass, central East Greenland (71 48 N, 24 15 W), was studied in 1991, 34 years after their construction and abandonment. Sixty-two of the 103 species occurring on the Pass were found on the study sites. This relatively fast rate of recol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ARCTIC
Main Author: Schwarzenbach, Fritz Hans
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64252
Description
Summary:Revegetation of an airstrip and associated dirt roads on Pingo Pass, central East Greenland (71 48 N, 24 15 W), was studied in 1991, 34 years after their construction and abandonment. Sixty-two of the 103 species occurring on the Pass were found on the study sites. This relatively fast rate of recolonization might be partially explained by the fact that the ecological conditions of the surrounding area with windswept and rather stony terraces are similar to the dry and compressed soil on the airstrip and on the dirt roads. Therefore, the species of the dry barren grounds and of the dry heath could reach the airstrip easily and start the process of recolonization as pioneer plants. For most species, two phases of colonization can be recognized: the initial establishment of pioneer individuals followed by the establishment around them of their progeny. En 1991, on a étudié la régénération de la végétation d'une piste d'atterrissage et de deux chemins de terre connexes au col Pingo - centre du Groenland oriental (71° 48' de latit. N., 24° 15' de longit. O.) -, 34 ans après leur construction et leur abandon. On y a trouvé 62 des 103 espèces présentes au col. Cette reconstitution relativement rapide peut être en partie expliquée par le fait que les conditions écologiques de la région avoisinant le site (terrasses plutôt pierreuses balayées par le vent), sont semblables à celles du sol sec et comprimé de la piste d'atterrissage et des chemins de terre. Les espèces de la toundra claire et de la lande aride pouvaient donc atteindre facilement la piste et commencer le processus de reconstitution en tant que plantes pionnières. Pour la majorité des espèces, on peut distinguer deux phases de reconstitution: l'implantation initiale d'individus pionniers, puis l'établissement, dans le périmètre immédiat, de leurs descendants.