Document generated on 10/02/2021 12:02 a.m. Géographie physique et Quaternaire Late-Quaternary history of the alpine flora of the New Hampshire White Mountains Histoire de la flore alpine des White Mountains du New Hampshire au Quaternaire supérieur Geschichte der alpinen Flora im Spät-Quaternär in den White Mountains von New Hampshire Norton G. Miller and Ray W. Spear Late Quaternary History of the White Mountains, New Hampshire Article abstract and Adjacent Southeastern Québec A distinctive flora of 73 species of vascular plants and numerous bryophytes Volume 53, Number 1, 1999 occurs in the ca. 20 km 2 of alpine tundra in the White Mountains, New Hampshire. The late- Quaternary distribution of these plants, many of which URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/004854ar are disjuncts, was investigated by studies of pollen and plant macrofossils from DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/004854ar lower Lakes of the Clouds (1 542 m) in the alpine zone of Mount Washington. Results were compared with pollen and macrofossils from lowland late-glacial deposits in western New England. Lowland paleofloras contained fossils of 43 See table of contents species of vascular plants, 13 of which occur in the contemporary alpine flora of the White Mountains. A majority of species in the paleoflora has geographic affinities to Labrador, northern Québec, and Greenland, a pattern also Publisher(s) apparent for mosses in the lowland deposits. The first macrofossils in lower Lakes of the Clouds were arctic-alpine mosses of acid soils. Although Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal open-ground mosses and vascular plants continued to occur throughout the Holocene, indicating that alpine tundra persisted, fossils of a low-elevation ISSN moss Hylocomiastrum umbratum are evidence that forest (perhaps as 0705-7199 (print) krummholz) covered a greater area near the basin from 7 500 to 3 500 yBP. No 1492-143X (digital) calcicolous plants were recovered from sediments at lower Lakes of the Clouds. Climatic constraints on the alpine flora during the Younger Dryas oscillation and perhaps during other cold-climate events and intervening periods of Explore this journal higher temperature may have led to the loss of plant species in the White Mountain alpine zone. Late-glacial floras of lowland western New England were much richer than floras of areas above treeline during late-glacial time Cite this article and at the present. Miller, N. G. & Spear, R. W. (1999). Late-Quaternary history of the alpine flora of the New Hampshire White Mountains. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 53(1), 137–157. https://doi.org/10.7202/004854ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal,1999 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 1999, vol. 53, n° 1, p. 137-157, 33 fig., 5 tabl. LATE-QUATERNARY HISTORY OF THE ALPINE FLORA OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE WHITE MOUNTAINS Norton G. MILLER* and Ray W. SPEAR**, respectively Biological Survey, New York State Museum, Albany, New York 12230 U.S.A. and Department of Biology, State University College of Arts and Sciences at Geneseo, Geneseo, New York 14454 U.S.A. , 1999, vol. 53, n° 1, 33 fig., 5 tabl., 53(1), 1999N. G. MI LLER and R. W. SPEAR ABSTRACT A distinctive flora of 73 species RÉSUMÉ Histoire de la flore alpine des ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Geschichte der alpi- of vascular plants and numerous bryophytes White Mountains du New Hampshire au Qua- nen Flora im Spät-Quaternär in den White occurs in the ca. 20 km2 of alpine tundra in the ternaire supérieur. On observe, dans les White Mountains von New Hampshire. In den etwa White Mountains, New Hampshire. The late- Mountains, une flore distincte de 73 espèces 20 km2 alpiner Tundra in den White Mountains, Quaternary distribution of these plants, many de plantes vasculaires et de nombreux bryo- New Hampshire, gibt es eine charakteristische of which are disjuncts, was investigated by phytes dans la toundra alpine d’environ Flora von 73 Arten von vaskulären Pflanzen und studies of pollen and plant macrofossils from 20 km2 de superficie des White Mountains. La zahlreichen Bryophyten. Die Spät-Quaternär- lower Lakes of the Clouds (1542 m) in the al- répartition de ces plantes au Quaternaire Verteilung dieser Pflanzen, von denen viele pine zone of Mount Washington. Results were supérieur a été reconstituée à partir des étu- segmentiert sind, wurde mittels Studium der compared with pollen and macrofossils from des polliniques et macrofossiles dans la région Pollen und Pflanzen-Makrofossile von den un- lowland late-glacial deposits in western New des Lakes of the Clouds (1542 m) dans la zone teren Lakes of the Clouds (1542 m) in der alpi- England. Lowland paleofloras contained fos- alpine du mont Washington. On a par la suite nen Zone von Mount Washington untersucht. sils of 43 species of vascular plants, 13 of comparé les résultats avec le pollen et les Die Ergebnisse hat man mit Pollen und Makro- which occur in the contemporary alpine flora macrofossiles des dépôts du tardiglaciaire des fossilen von spätglazialen Ablagerungen in den of the White Mountains. A majority of species basses terres de l’ouest de la Nouvelle-Angle- westlichen Niederungen Neu-Englands vergli- in the paleoflora has geographic affinities to terre. Les paléo-flores des basses terres com- chen. Die Paläofloren der Niederungen enthiel- Labrador, northern Québec, and Greenland, a prenaient 43 espèces de plantes vasculaires, ten Fossile von 43 Arten vaskulärer Pflanzen, pattern also apparent for mosses in the low- dont 13 espèces font également partie de la von denen 13 in der gegenwärtigen alpinen Flo- land deposits. The first macrofossils in lower flore alpine contemporaine des White Moun- ra der White Mountains vorkommen. Die Mehr- Lakes of the Clouds were arctic-alpine mosses heit der Arten in der Paläoflora besitzt tains. La majorité des espèces de la paléoflore of acid soils. Although open-ground mosses geographische Affinitäten zu Labrador, dem a des affinités avec les espèces du Labrador, and vascular plants continued to occur nördlichen Québec und Grönland, was auch für du Québec nordique et du Groenland, comme throughout the Holocene, indicating that alpine die Moose in den Ablagerungen der Niederun- c’est le cas des mousses dans les dépôts des tundra persisted, fossils of a low-elevation gen zutrifft.. Die ersten Makrofossile in den un- basses terres. Les premiers macrofossiles moss Hylocomiastrum umbratum are evi- teren Lakes of the Clouds waren arktisch-alpine déposés dans les Lakes of the Clouds ont été dence that forest (perhaps as krummholz) cov- Moose von sauren Böden. Obwohl Moose of- des mousses arctiques-alpines de sol acide. ered a greater area near the basin from 7500 fener Gebiete und vaskuläre Pflanzen durch das Même si les mousses de terrains ouverts et les to 3500 yBP. No calcicolous plants were re- ganze Holozän hindurch weiter vorkommen und plantes vasculaires ont continué à se manifes- covered from sediments at lower Lakes of the so zeigen, dass alpine Tundra weiterbestand, Clouds. Climatic constraints on the alpine flora ter tout au long de l’Holocène, ce qui témoigne belegen Fossile von einer leichten Mooserhe- during the Younger Dryas oscillation and per- de la persistance de la toudra alpine, les fos- bung Hylocomiastrum umbratum, dass Wald haps during other cold-climate events and in- siles de Hylocomiastrum umbratum montrent (vielleicht in Form von Krummholz) ein gröβeres tervening periods of higher temperature may que la forêt (peut-être sous forme de krum- Gebiet in der Nähe des Beckens von 7500 bis have led to the loss of plant species in the mholz) a couvert un plus grand espace près du 3500 Jahren v.u.Z. bedeckte. In den Sedimen- White Mountain alpine zone. Late-glacial flo- bassin de 7500 à 3500 BP. Aucune plante cal- ten bei den unteren Lakes of the Clouds wurden ras of lowland western New England were ciphile n’a été trouvé dans les sédiments des keine kalkliebenden Pflanzen gefunden. Klima- much richer than floras of areas above treeline Lakes of the Clouds inférieurs. Les contraintes tische Zwänge, die auf die alpine Flora während during late-glacial time and at the present. climatiques sur la flore alpine pendant l’oscilla- der Schwankungen des jüngeren Dryas und tion du Dryas récent et peut-être aussi au vielleicht während anderer Kaltklima-Ereignis- cours d’autres périodes du tardiglaciaire ont se und dazwischenauftretenden Perioden wär- peut-être contribué à la perte de certaines merer Temperaturen gewirkt haben, mögen espèces de plantes dans la zone alpine des zum Verlust von Pflanzen-Arten in der alpinen White Mountains. Zone der White Mountains geführt haben. Die spätglaziale Flora der Niederungen von West- Neu-England war viel reicher als die Flora ober- halb der Baumgrenze während der spätglazia- len und gegenwärtigen Zeit. Manuscrit reçu le 3 juin 1998 ; manuscrit révisé accepté le 13 janvier 1999 * E-mail address: [email protected] ** E-mail address: [email protected] 138 N. G. MILLER and R. W. SPEAR INTRODUCTION The Presidential Range, and specifically Mount Washing- ton, is also a southern outlier for arctic and alpine bryo- The high-elevation, treeless vegetation of the Presidential phytes, although that flora less well documented (Grout, Range in the New Hampshire White Mountains has attracted 1940). The mosses Arctoa fulvella (Dicks.) B.S.G., Aulacom- much attention since the late 1700s.