Biogeography in the Sub-Arctic. Группа авторов
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Название: Biogeography in the Sub-Arctic

Автор: Группа авторов

Издательство: John Wiley & Sons Limited

Жанр: География

Серия:

isbn: 9781118561355

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СКАЧАТЬ Isotope Stage 7

      During MIS 7, the penultimate interglacial period, sea‐surface temperatures off southern Greenland were lower than those of MIS 13, and the pollen and spore content of sediment remained lower. The pollen assemblages are dominated by herb taxa, notably Poaceae and Cyperaceae, suggesting the development of tundra in southern Greenland (de Vernal and Hillaire‐Marcel 2008).

      Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 5e, the Last Interglacial

      Jameson Land. Deposits from the last interglacial are found along the south and west coast of Jameson Land in central East Greenland (Figures 1 and 5c and d). Most widespread are sandy, silty and clayey sediments, which were deposited in shallow marine water along the coast, partly in connection with deltas, in the coastal zone and in rivers. The deposits often contain shells of marine molluscs, and the fauna includes M. edulis, a warmth‐demanding southern extralimital species (Vosgerau et al. 1994). At many sites layers and lenses rich in organic detritus are found. The detritus consists mainly of washed together remains of plants that grew in the catchment area, but it also contains remains of insects and other invertebrates. The plant and animal remains give a regional picture of the non‐marine biotas.

Photo depicts scanning electron microscope photographs of plant remains from last interglacial deposits in Jameson Land, East Greenland. (a) Catkin scale of Alnus cf. crispa. (b) Leaf of Dryas octopetala. (c) Leaf of Vaccinium uliginosum. (d) Endocarp of Arctostaphylos alpina. (e) Leaf of Phyllodoce coerulea.

      Source: From Bennike and Böcher (1994).

      The fossil interglacial flora from Jameson Land is also rich in remains of bryophytes. The bryophyte flora is diverse with more than 60 identified taxa and it includes some southern extralimital species such as Climacium dendroides and Sphagnum warnstorfii (Hedenäs 1994). Abundant remains of Polytrichaceae and Racomitrium show that unstable soil with sparse vascular plant cover was important.

Photo depicts scanning electron microscope photographs of beetle remains from last interglacial deposits at Narsaarssuk near Thule air base, North-West Greenland (a, b) and Jameson Land in East Greenland (c). (a) Elytron of Isochnus arcticus. (b) Half pronotum of Amara alpina. (c) Head of Otiorhynchus nodosus.

      Source: From Böcher (1989) and Bennike and Böcher (1992).

      All beetle species recorded live in the sub‐arctic bioclimatic zone (Bennike and Böcher 1994; Böcher 2012). The difference between the interglacial and the Holocene fauna indicates that chance dispersal plays a large role in determining which species colonized Greenland during the last and the present interglacial period. Half of the species are Palaearctic, and hence they must have immigrated to Greenland from Europe.

      At a single site head capsules of midges were found. Some of these head capsules come from species that live in rivers – a biotope that is otherwise unrepresented in the palaeoecological data (Bennike et al. 2000). Furthermore, it may be mentioned that the fauna includes the freshwater bryozoan C. mucedo, which probably lives in south‐west Greenland at present (Fredskild 1983).

An illustration of a map depicting the northern part of the Earth, showing the present-day range of the ground beetle Amara alpina and the weevil Otiorhynchus nodosus. The dots show fossil finds in Greenland, assumed to come from the last interglacial.