MURMANSK, February 9. /TASS/. Scientists of the Polar Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute of the Kola Scientific Center (the Russian Academy of Sciences) and experts of the Komarov Botanical Institute (the Russian Academy of Sciences) discovered lichens untypical for the Coles Bay area of Spitsbergen. Two species have not been found on the entire archipelago, and two - in the entire Arctic, Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education told TASS.
"Until now, information about Coles Bay area lichens has been fragmentary. The Spitsbergen lichen database had about 40 species for this area. Previous studies, including the 2018 preliminary list, contained about 120 species. During this research, scientists have updated the Coles Bay lichen flora list - 234 species, where 112 have not been recorded there earlier," the ministry said.
Ten species were discovered on the archipelago for the first time. Arthonia Granitophila and Poeltinula Interjecta previously have not been found on Spitsbergen or in the entire Arctic. Another 27 species were found for the first time on the Nordenskiold Land, and about one in two of all identified species are known only from this area or from a few locations on the archipelago.
Some of the new findings are typical not for the Arctic tundra, but for boreal forests. For example, Micarea Denigrata, which is widespread on treated wood in Eurasia's forest zone, was found here on structures of a former settlement. This highlights the important role of humans in the spread of certain species: remains of buildings and timber, brought by the surf, in the high humidity conditions create a favorable micro-environment for colonization of new territories.
"The study shows that Arctic biodiversity is much more complex and dynamic than it is commonly believed. Many species that were previously considered "non-Arctic" may exist in specific micro-conditions that are inaccessible to widespread observation. This makes doubtful simplified models for distribution of organisms based only on latitude or average annual temperature. The obtained data helps in understanding better what factors determine the existence of species outside their main range," the ministry told TASS.
The Coles Bay area has been attractive for biologists as a so-called "hot spot" of Arctic nature. There, in the sheltered river valley, the climate is milder than elsewhere on the archipelago due to the warm Gulf Stream current and due to the position in the inner part of the fjords: the average temperature of the warmest month reaches plus 5-6 degrees, and high humidity creates favorable conditions for vegetation development. Such conditions create niches where organisms can survive and even thrive far beyond their usual range.