Flora of Svalbard

Vascular plant species of the archipelago of Svalbard

There are over 190 vascular plant species on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. This figure does not include algae, mosses, and lichens, which are non-vascular plants. For an island so far north, this number of species constitutes an astonishing variety of plant life. Because of the harsh climate and the short growing season, all the plants are slow growing. They seldom grow higher than 10 cm (4 in)

In some areas, especially in warmer valleys, the plants produce carpets of blossoms. Svalbard has been divided into four vegetation zones.

Plant species

Arctic bell-heather
Hawkweed-leaved saxifrage
Alpine bistort
Moss campion
Svalbard poppy
Woolly lousewort

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Alsos, I. G.; Eidesen, P. B.; Ehrich, D.; Skrede, I.; Westergaard, K.; Jacobsen, G. H.; Landvik, J. Y.; Taberlet, P.; Brochmann, C. (2007). "Frequent Long-Distance Plant Colonization in the Changing Arctic". Science. 316 (5831): 1606–1609. Bibcode:2007Sci...316.1606A. doi:10.1126/science.1139178. PMID 17569861. S2CID 37250212.
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