Koenigia islandica (Iceland purslane) - A case study of a potential indicator of climate change in the UK.

Koenigia islandica (Iceland purslane) is an annual arctic-subarctic species that is found in only two locations in the UK. On the Isle of Mull, Argyll, Scotland, it grows at the southerly limit of its W.European distribution. The habitat requirements of Koenigia are specialised. It is predicted that...

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Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Visconti, G, Beniston, M, Iannorelli, ED, Barba, D
Format: Conference Object
Language:unknown
Published: SPRINGER 2001
Subjects:
GE Environmental Sciences
Arctic
Mull
Climate change
Iceland
Subarctic
Online Access:http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/11447/
Description
Summary:Koenigia islandica (Iceland purslane) is an annual arctic-subarctic species that is found in only two locations in the UK. On the Isle of Mull, Argyll, Scotland, it grows at the southerly limit of its W.European distribution. The habitat requirements of Koenigia are specialised. It is predicted that an annual species at the limit of its geographical range is potentially sensitive to climatic change. The abundance of the plant has been monitored annually since 1994 and fluctuations in population levels have been compared with meteorological data over the same period. Preliminary results indicate that Koenigia populations are sensitive to temperature and rainfall during the growing season. Analysis of trends in the Scottish climate suggests an increased frequency of higher air temperatures in the spring and a decrease in summer precipitation. The implications of this for Koenigia are discussed.

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