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2. Map of species richness and endemicity of Arctic vascular plant floras in floristic provinces of the Arctic. Species richness of the floristic provinces is expressed as percentage of the total species richness of the Arctic (2,218 species), and species endemicity of the floristic provinces as rounded off percentage of the total number of Arctic endemic species (106). Floristic provinces and subzones according to Elven (2007).
Citations
... En otros términos, la diversidad biológica es la propiedad que tienen los seres vivos de ser distintos, es decir diferentes. Es una propiedad fundamental de todos los sistemas vivientes en todos los niveles de jerarquía biológica; de las moléculas a los ecosistemas (Council, 2013). ...
... The low temperature treeline may range substantially beyond the Arctic Circle, reaching latitudes as far north as 72°on the Taymyr Peninsula. Beyond the Arctic treeline, heathland occurs composed of dwarf shrubs and graminoids such as sedges and rushes of the Cyperaceae and Juncaceae (Daniels et al., 2013). Small patches of these reach high latitudes, with more than 20 angiosperm species described for the northern edge of Greenland (Bay, 1992) and 64 described for the northern edge of Canada (Vincent et al., 2011). ...
... Here the bryophytes become a major plant cover, with the Arctic supporting hundreds of described mosses and liverworts covering about half the Arctic (Walker et al., 2005), whereas the Antarctic has only approximately 100 described moss and liverwort species that cover a small fraction of Antarctica's total land area (Seppelt and Green, 1998; Figure 1). A diversity of species occur in soil and submerged habitats in the Arctic tundra (Daniels et al., 2013), with relatively fewer species, commonly Bryum and other genera in higher latitude polar desert locations (Seppelt and Green, 1998;Daniels et al., 2013). Because water is a limiting factor for productivity such patterns are consistent with the predominantly linear relationships found between species richness and productivity (Gillman et al., 2015). ...
... Here the bryophytes become a major plant cover, with the Arctic supporting hundreds of described mosses and liverworts covering about half the Arctic (Walker et al., 2005), whereas the Antarctic has only approximately 100 described moss and liverwort species that cover a small fraction of Antarctica's total land area (Seppelt and Green, 1998; Figure 1). A diversity of species occur in soil and submerged habitats in the Arctic tundra (Daniels et al., 2013), with relatively fewer species, commonly Bryum and other genera in higher latitude polar desert locations (Seppelt and Green, 1998;Daniels et al., 2013). Because water is a limiting factor for productivity such patterns are consistent with the predominantly linear relationships found between species richness and productivity (Gillman et al., 2015). ...
The global latitudinal gradient in biodiversity weakens in the high polar biome and so an alternative explanation for distribution of Arctic and Antarctic photoautotrophs is required. Here we identify how temporal, microclimate and evolutionary drivers of biogeography are important, rather than the macroclimate features that drive plant diversity patterns elsewhere. High polar ecosystems are biologically unique, with a more central role for bryophytes, lichens and microbial photoautotrophs over that of vascular plants. Constraints on vascular plants arise mainly due to stature and ontogenetic barriers. Conversely non-vascular plant and microbial photoautotroph distribution is correlated with favorable microclimates and the capacity for poikilohydric dormancy. Contemporary distribution also depends on evolutionary history, with adaptive and dispersal traits as well as legacy influencing biogeography. We highlight the relevance of these findings to predicting future impacts on diversity of polar photoautotrophs and to the current status of plants in Arctic and Antarctic conservation policy frameworks.
