The Hepaticae of the Yamal Peninsula, West Siberian Arctic

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Arctoa (1993) 2: 57-101
THE HEPATICAE OF THE YAMAL PENINSULA,
WEST SIBERIAN ARCTIC
ПЕЧЕНОЧНИКИ ПОЛУОСТРОВА ЯМАЛ, ЗАПАДНОСИБИРСКАЯ АРКТИКА
ALEXEY D. POTEMKIN1
А. Д. ПОТЕМКИН1
Abstract
Hepatic flora of Yamal Peninsula Includes 121 species, 2 subspecies, 22 varieties and
11 forms. The conspect includes informatoion about species distribution within the peninsula,
their habitat preferences, associated species, and for selected species also taxonomlc
comments. There is described Gymnocolea fascinifera Potemk. sp. nov. and new
combinations suggested for Cephalozielia dlvarlcata var. potystratosa (Schust. & Damsh.)
Potemk. comb. nov.
(Cephalozielia
byssacea (A.Roth) Warnst. var. polystratosa Schust. &
Damsh. and also for two forms in
Barbilophozia.
Резюме
Флора печеночников полуострова Ямал насчитывает 121 вид, 2 подвида, 22
разновидности и 11 форм. В приводимом конспекте подробно указано рас-
пространение видов на полуострове, описаны их местообитания, сопутствующие виды,
а для некоторых - даны также таксономические заметки. Описан новый вид,
Gymnocolea fascinifera Potemk. sp. nov. предложены новые комбинации для
Cephalozielia divaricata var. polystratosa (Schust. & Damsh.) Potemk. comb. nov.
(Cephalozielia byssacea (A.Roth) Warnst. var. polystratosa Schust. & Damsh. и для двух
форм в роде
Barbilophozia.
I. INTRODUCTION
1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND MATE-
RIALS
The report represents the first attempt
to bring together in one place and reconsider
all available information, published and un-
published, about the Hepaticae of the Yamal
Peninsula. Until the last decade, our knowl-
edge concerning this peculiar Arctic region
was almost noneexistent. A few reports
(Arnell 1918; Ladyzhenskaja 1971;
Andrejeva 1981), contain mostly fragmentary
data on about 30 species, and several
geobotanical papers mention some common
hepatics.
The most important contribution to the
study of the Yamal flora has been made by
Olga V. Rebristaya, the leader of the Yamal
group of Polar Expedition of the V. L. Ko-
marov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg. Be-
sides of study of vascular plants, she and her
colleagues collected bryophytes and lichens
everywhere they worked from 1973 to 1983,
and in 1990 and 1992. These materials form
the basis for the reports of A. L. Zhukova
and O. V. Rebristaya (1986, 1987) on the
Hepaticae of Belyy Island and the
Matyuiyaha (Matyuiyakha) River Region and
for my studies of Yamal liverworts (Gribova
& Potemkin 1988; Potemkin 1988, 1989,
1990 a, b, c, d, e, 1992 a, b, 1993 a, b,
Czernyadjeva & Potemkin 1993, etc.).
Moreover my own collections (July, Aug.
1988) and collections of L. I. Mel'tzer and
A. P. Popov (Institute of Problem of
Development of North, Tyumen) made in
1987,
1989 and 1990 were used for the
study. Totally about 15 000 specimens of
bryophytes and lichens were investigated for
hepatics.
- Russia 197376 St.-Petersburg,
Prof.
Popova str., 2, Botanical Institute of Russian Acad. Sci. (Россия 197376
Санкт-Петербург, проф. Попова, 2, Ботанический институт РАН).

58 A. D. POTEMKIN
Table 1. Localities of Yamal, where Hepaticae have been collected
№ Locality and its abbreviation (in italics) latitude longitude
1.
SE part of Belyy Island 73° 15' N 71° 30' E
2.
Middle Khabeiyaha River
72е
25' N 72° 10' E
3.
Upper Tambey River 7Г 45' N 70° 30' E
4.
Lower Tirvyyaha River 71° 35' N 71° 30' E
5.
Basin of right tributary of Kharasavey River - Silyaha River 71° 10' N 67° 05' E
6. Middle Matyuiyaha River 70° 55f N 70° 20' E
7.
Upper Tiutey River 70° 50' N 69° 45' E
8. Middle Venuieuo River 70° 40' N 71° 00' E
9. Geological station Bovanenkovo 70° 20' N 68° 20' E
10.
Interfluve of Tomboiyaha and Syoyaha Rivers (Tomboitosyo) 70° 15' N 69° 40' E
11.
Neromayaha River Basin 70° 10' N 69° 10' E
12.
Middle Syoyaha River, norther of Mantyto Lake 70° 05' N 72° 10' E
13.
15 km NW of Marre Sale Polar Station 69° 50' N 67° 10' E
14.
Saletayaha River Basin 69° 45' N 68° 40' E
15.
Lower Yuribeitoyaha River 69° 45' N 72° 25' E
16.
Middle Sebayaha River 69° 37' N 69° 27' E
17.
Lower Khakhayayaha River 69° 35' N 67° 35' E
18.
Middle Lyakkotosyo River 69° 30' N 71° 25' E
19.
Lower Khutyyaha River 69° 45' N 70° 30' E
20.
Middle Khevesyo River 68° 35' N 73° 20' E
21.
Middle
Yuribey
River 68° 25' N 72° 10* E
22.
Lower Laptayaha River (Mys Kamennyy) 68° 20' N 73° 15' E
23.
Erkutayaha River Basin, 10 km to N from Kharangyneto Lake 68° 15' N 69° 55' E
24.
Lower Eryaha River 68° 10' N 72° 50' E
25.
Upper Khadytayaha River 67° 35' N 70° 25' E
2. METHODOLOGICAL REMARKS
Taking into account the great malleabil-
ity of arctic liverworts and the importance of
oil-bodies characteristics for their determina-
tion, I tried to identify them alive when it
was possible. Only complex analysis of vari-
ability of morphological features, data on oil-
bodies and ecological conditions made it pos-
sible to form a notion about specific criteria
of many species. Absence of data on oil-bod-
ies of some taxa of Lophozia, Scapania, Ric-
cardia, Chiloscyphus, etc. keeps some prob-
lems still insoluble. For the analysis of vari-
ability of Yamal hepatics see Potemkin
(1990b).
3. DEFINITION OF YAMAL AND PHYSIO-
GRAPHIC REMARKS
Yamal Peninsula is situated in the
north-western part of the West-Siberian
Lowland and extends from 66° 50' to 73°
30'N and from 66° 45' to 73° 30'E,
occupying about 112 000 km2 of territory
(Sisko 1977).
Yamal is considered here in the narrow
sense, i.e., its southern limit is the southern
boundary of the peninsula (some authors
also classify southern territories adjacent to
the peninsula as Yamal). At the same time I
classify here under Yamal its northernmost
part, Belyy Island, which has the same gene-
sis and is separated from the peninsula only
by the shallow Strait of Malygin. Places were
collections have been made are in Table 1
and Fig. 1.
Yamal is unique in respect of its physio-
graphic peculiarities and as the youngest
Arctic region (Rebristaya 1989). The lowland
landscape, absence of rocky outcrops,
predominantly oligotrophic, usually acid, rar-

The Hepaticae
of
the Yamal Peninsula 59
66"
68"
70*
72"
7i»*
76"
Fig.
1.
Cited localities
of
hepatic collections
(see Tab. 1).
AT
-
Arctic tundra,
NT -
northern hypoarctic tundra,
ST
- southern hypoarctic tundra.
ely neutral soils together with
the
rigorous
climate
and
young
age of the
region cause
the poverty
of the
Yamal flora
and the
formation
of
rather monotonous tundra veg-
etation
on the
peninsula. According
to
Yurt-
sev
& al.
(1978),
the
tundra zone
of the Ya-
mal Peninsula
is
divided into three subzones,
the southern hypoarctic, northern hypoarctic,
and arctic tundras
(Fig. 1).
4. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I express
my
sincerest thanks
to
Drs.
A. L.
Zhukova
and 0. V.
Rebristaya
for
drawing
my
attention
to the
need
for
investi-
gation
of
Yamal hepatics
and to Drs.
O.
V.
Rebristaya