Persistence of arctic-alpine flora during 24,000 years of environmental change in the Polar Urals.

• Published in: Scientific Reports
• Main Authors: Clarke, Charlotte, L., Edwards, Mary, E., Gielly, L, Ehrich, Dorothee, Hughes, P.D.M., Morozova, L.M., Haflidason, Haflidi, Mangerud, Jan, Svendsen, John-Inge, Alsos, Inger Greve
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Research 2019
• Subjects: VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400; VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400; Arctic; Climate change
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/17207; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55989-9

Plants adapted to extreme conditions can be at high risk from climate change; arctic-alpine plants, in particular, could “run out of space” as they are out-competed by expansion of woody vegetation. Mountain regions could potentially provide safe sites for arctic-alpine plants in a warmer climate, but empirical evidence is fragmentary. Here we present a 24,000-year record of species persistence based on sedimentary ancient DNA ( seda DNA) from Lake Bolshoye Shchuchye (Polar Urals). We provide robust evidence of long-term persistence of arctic-alpine plants through large-magnitude climate changes but document a decline in their diversity during a past expansion of woody vegetation. Nevertheless, most of the plants that were present during the last glacial interval, including all of the arctic-alpines, are still found in the region today. This underlines the conservation significance of mountain landscapes via their provision of a range of habitats that confer resilience to climate change, particularly for arctic-alpine taxa.