An altitudinal study of the flora of the inland mountains of South-East Greenland

Abstract

This paper aims to bring together information from a variety of sources on the vascular flora of the botanically little-known-mountains and nunataks of south-east Greenland between Ammassalik and the Blosseville Kyst (66°-69° N). The paper is based on an analysis of a collection of mainly vascular plants from 111 individual sites of known altitude in the inland mountains between Ammassalik and Kialiip Tasiilaa (Tasilaq) in the south, and around Kangersertuaq (Kangerlussuaq) in the north. The collections were made by 17 predominantly climbing expeditions, with little or no botanical experience, and all but one from r963 to 1992. N01,1e of the sites had previously been visited, and the data are practically all unpublished except as botanical reports in general expedition reports which, for a variety of reasons, are now difficult or almost impossible to consult. Although the climate on the coast can be characterised as low-arctic it becomes progressively drier and colder (i.e. high-arctic) inland. A consequence of this is the presence in the interior of the following species, none previously reported in east Greenland from south of Scoresby Sund (72° N): Minuartia stricta, Melandrium affine, Draba arctica, D. subcapitata, Festuca baffinensis and Poa abbreviata. There is also a cluster of records of Arabis arenicola, otherwise extremely rare in south-east Greenland. 100 vascular plants were recorded from the southern area and 86 from the northern. The highest sites were 2480 m in the south and 2roo m in the north, the former being the highest recorded in the Arctic. These altitudes were somewhat lower than those calculated by regression analyses of the number of species plotted against altitude. It seems very likely that many of the species occurring over about r500 m reach their highest recorded altitudes in the Arctic within the study area. The species are tabulated in order of increasing altitude limits and the altitudinal range is arbitrarily divided into three zones: low 370-1200 m, middle 1200-1800 m and high, above 1800 m. Low-arctic oceanic montane and low- and medium-arctic species preponderate in the lowest zone but with increasing altitude the widespread arctic montane element becomes dominant. Comparison with other areas of Greenland shows that the altitudinal limits are noticeably higher in south-east Greenland. The contrasting geology has no detectable affect on the flora, the best developed vegetation being on south-facing sites with summer melt water. Less exhaustive lists of bryophytes and lichens are included in the Appendices.