Abstract:
There are few taxa capable of occupying anthropogenic habitats in the Arctic, including cultural heritage sites. Mechanically disturbed substrates are typically occupied first by ruderal graminoids and bryophytes. On organic soils, a dense, lush cover of rhizomatous grasses, sedges and forbs can develop. Once established, such swards can prove resistant to colonization by woody taxa for centuries, if not millennia. In some cases, deciduous shrubs and mountain birch do thrive on ancient anthropogenic and zoogenic patches. In era when climate warming is expected to trigger the expansion of shrub and tree cover, it is essential to understand vegetation dynamics and the respective influences of humans, herbivores and climate over centennial to millennial time scales.
Program:
09.00-09.15 | Welcome |
09.15-10.00 | Ecology of cultural heritage sites: long-term tundra vegetation dynamics Bruce Forbes, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland |
10.00-10.15 | Coffee |
10.15-10.45 | Disequilibrium dynamics of species ranges in the Arctic and beyond Signe Normand, Department of Bioscience & Arctic Research Center, Aarhus University |
10.45-11.15 | Human land-use and its landscape-scale impacts in archaeological perspective Felix Riede, Department of Culture and Society & Arctic Research Center, Aarhus University |
11.15-11.45 | Discussion
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