Vegetation occurrence and leaf traits of Salix polaris along a postglacial chronosequence at Midtre Lovenbreen

Vegetation development was investigated along the postglacial chronosequence of Midtre Lovénbreen near Ny-Ålesund, building on sites first studied by Hodkinson et al. (2003) and revisited after ~25 years of accelerated warming. Vegetation cover, soil moisture, and leaf traits of Salix polaris (specific leaf area, SLA, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, C:N) were recorded across six forefield sites.

The findings support successional dynamics described two decades earlier and emphasize the influence of ongoing climate warming on community assembly in the High Arctic.