The influence of abiotic factors on the growth of two vascular plant species (Saxifraga oppositifolia and Salix polaris) in the High Arctic

The aim of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the abiotic factors that influence changes in the annual growth rates of selected species of tundra plants (Saxifraga oppositifolia L. and Salix polaris Wahlenb.). The study was conducted in the area of the Fuglebergsletta coastal plain, in the vicinity of the Polish Polar Station (Wedel Jarlsberg Land, SW Spitsbergen). Relationships between the studied phenomenon and basic environmental factors and climate indicators were evaluated. The spatial variation of land surface temperatures (LST) was determined, as were the effects of the physical and chemical properties of soils and the spring melting of snow cover on growth rates.