Growth and Reproduction of Viscaria Alpina on Greenland Soils with High and Low Copper Concentrations

Abstract

A population of Viscaria alpina (L.) G. Don (syn. Lychnis alpina L.) occurring in a small area with copper-rich soil at Godhavn, Greenland (69° 14′N) was compared with adjacent populations of the same species in sites with less aberrant soil conditions (n-sites). The population in the Cu-site differed from other populations by having a greater density of (1) plants and rosettes; (2) seed production per rosette; and (3) proportion of unbranched plants. In the Cu-site, new rosettes originated mainly from seeds, while in the n-sites branching was more important in the production of new rosettes. A population dynamics scheme is presented for the Cu-site and the n-sites. The observed differences in life history of V. alpina between the Cu-site and the n-sites are in accordance with differences in topography and exposure to freeze-up.