Baidzharakhs (relic mounds) increase plant community diversity by interrupting zonal vegetation distribution along the Arctic Sea, northern Siberia

Abstract

To understand how baidzharakhs (relic mounds enclosing polygonal ice blocks in permafrost) affect the zonal distribution of vegetation, vegetation was measured in 145 plots of area 50 cm × 50 cm on a coastal terrace facing the Arctic Ocean in northern Siberia. Cluster analysis classified five community types that were zonally distributed along the coastline. α-diversities (species richness and diversity) were not different among vegetation types except for vegetation close to the coastline. On and around baidzharakhs, burrows created by lemmings were frequently observed, and plant cover was low, suggesting that baidzharakhs support habitats for rodents. Disturbances by rodent habits caused plant cover to decline but did not change α-diversity. Two vegetation types that developed only on baidzharakhs were found at intermediate distances between the seacoast and inland areas. Because these two vegetation types are azonally distributed, β- and γ-diversities were increased by permafrost-derived topography, i.e., baidzharakh, and/or disturbance by rodents of which suitable nesting habitat is provided by baidzharakh.