Showing papers in "Arctic and alpine research in 1997"

Estimating active-layer thickness over a large region: Kuparuk River Basin, Alaska, U.S.A

Abstract: Active-layer thickness was mapped over a 26,278-km2 area of northern Alaska containing complex and highly variable patterns of topography, vegetation, and soil properties. Procedures included frequ...

Vegetation changes and timberline fluctuations in the Central Alps as indicators of holocene climatic oscillations

Abstract: Pollen and plant-macrofossil data are presented for two lakes near the timberline in the Italian (Lago Basso, 2250 m) and Swiss Central Alps (Gouille Rion, 2343 m). The reforestation at both sites started at 9700-9500 BP with Pinus cembra, Larbc decidua, and Betula. The timberline reached its highest elevation between 8700 and 5000 BP and retreated after 5000 BP, due to a mid-Holocene climatic change and increasing human impact since about 3500 BP (Bronze Age). The expansion of Picea abies at Lago Basso between ca. 7500 and 6200 BP was probably favored by cold phases accompanied by increased oceanicity, whereas in the area of Gouille Rion, where spruce expanded rather late (between 4500 and 3500 BP), human influence equally might have been important. The mass expansion of Alnus viridis between ca. 5000 and 3500 BP probably can be related to both climatic change and human activity at timberline. During the early and middle Holocene a series of timberline fluctuations is recorded as declines in pollen and macrofossil concentrations of the major tree species, and as increases in nonarboreal pollen in the pollen percentage diagram of Gouille Rion. Most of ·the periods of low timberline can be correlated by radiocarbon dating with climatic changes in the Alps as indicated by glacier ad­ vances in combination with palynological records, solifluction, and dendrocli­ matical data. Lago Basso and Gouille Rion are the only sites in the Alps showing complete palaeobotanical records of cold phases between 10,000 and 2000 BP with very good time control. The altitudinal range of the Holocene treeline fluc­ tuations caused by climate most likely was not more than 100 to 150 m. A possible correlation of a cold period at ca. 7500-6500 BP (Misox oscil­ lation) in the Alps is made with paleoecological data from North America and Scandinavia and a climatic signal in the GRIP ice core from central Greenland 8200 yr ago (ca. 7400 yr uncal. BP).

Mass Balance of Mountain and Subpolar Glaciers: A New Global Assessment for 1961-1990

Abstract: The goals of this article are (1) to combine published and unpublished mass balance measured data on more than 200 glaciers, check the quality of the data, digitize, and compile these for the period from the end of World War II (1945) to 1993 (with emphasis on the 1961-1990 period), and (2) to perform a review and analysis of this compilation. A simple global average mass balance for this period is -164 mm yr-1 (totaling -4.9 m) in water equivalent, not including iceberg calving. There are only about 40 glaciers with continuous mass balance measurements for more than 20 yr, but more than 100 with 1 to 5 yr of mass balance records. The glaciers under mass balance study differ in size from very small mountain cirque glaciers (less than 1 kin2) tO large valley glaciers (several hundred square kilometers) and subpolar ice caps with an area of several thousand square kilometers. Continuous and long-term mass balance measurements have been carried out mostly on middle-size glaciers with several exceptions. There are no longterm mass balance measurements in the following size classes: from 2-6 to 2km2; 28 to 210; and above 212 km2. The area of these unmeasured size classes of glaciers is about 200 x 103 km2, or about 29% of the global glacier area. The glacier area of mountain and subpolar glaciers (including local glaciers around Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets) is taken to be about 680 x 103 km2. The reduction in global glacier area due to retreat is calculated as 6-8 x 103 km2 from 1961-1990.

The Relationship between Diatoms and Water Temperature in Thirty Subarctic Fennoscandian Lakes

Abstract: The relationship between surface sediment diatom (Division: Bacillariophyta) assemblages and measured water chemical and environmental variables in 30 lakes from northern Fennoscandia were examined...

Year-to-Year Fluctuations of Global Mass Balance of Small Glaciers and Their Contribution to Sea-Level Changes

Abstract: We estimate the means and the interannual variability during the last 30 yr of the mass balances of the small glaciers of the world (all glaciers except for the two large ice sheets), as well as the influence of these mass balance changes on fluctuations of sea level and their relation to climate. The mass balance data base was enriched by data for glaciers of the Arctic islands, Antarctica, and mountainous areas of Siberia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, which have not been included in previous compilations. We also use a new estimate of the total area for the small glaciers on Earth: 680 X lo3 km2.The global mean mass balance as a function of time was calculated three ways: the arithmetic mean for all glaciers (Gb,), arithmetic mean for a group of representative glaciers with longterm mass balance records (Gb,), and an area-weighted mean (Gb,). The last was calculated for seven large regions in order to estimate the contribution of small glaciers to sea-level change more precisely. The results include the following: Gb, and Gb, show good correlations with each other and with global air temperature anomalies, with correlation coefficients around 0.90. Gb, produces a new global mass balance value, averaging - 130 2 33 mm yr-I, totaling -3.9 m in water equivalent for 1961-1990 period, or 0.25 + 0.10 rnrn yrr' in sea-level equivalent. This is about 14 to 18% of the average rate of sea-level rise in the last 100 yr. In the years with unusually negative mass balances, ice wastage contributed about 0.9 mm yrL to global sea-level rise, about 50% of the average rise over the recent

Climate Sensitivity of Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand, as Revealed by Numerical Modeling

Abstract: The sensitivity of Franz Josef Glacier is studied with a numerical ice-flow model. The model calculates ice mass flux along a central flow line and deals with the three-dimensional geometry in a parameterized way. Forcing is provided through a mass balance model that generates specific balance from climatological input data. Because of the very large mass turnover, e-folding response times are short: about 15 yr for ice volume and about 25 yr for glacier length. The sensitivity of glacier length to uniform warming is about 1.5 km K-1. The sensitivity to uniform changes in precipitation is about 0.05 km %-1 , implying that a 30% increase in precipitation would be needed to compensate for a 1 K warming.

Spruce and Fir Regeneration and Climate in the Forest-Tundra Ecotone of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, U.S.A.

Abstract: Department of Geography and As an ecological boundary zone, the forest-tundra ecotone is a valuable location Regional Development, University of to study the initial response of vegetation to global climate change. The purpose Arizona. Tucson, Arizona 8572 1. of this study is to predict the potential response of the forest-tundra ecotone in U.S.A. Rocky Mountain National Park to future climate change using data on historical episodes of establishment in patch forest openings of the forest-tundra ecotone. William L. Baker We hypothesized that recent seedling establishment in patch forest openings of Department of Geography and the forest-tundra ecotone, not balanced by mortality, was triggered by a warm, Recreation, University of Wyoming, but wet period following the end of the Little Ice Age ca. A.D. 1850. At four Laramie, Wyoming 8207 1, U.S.A. sampling locations distributed throughout the Park, we determined dates of es-tablishment among patch forest trees using increment cores and basal disks. We studied the relationship between establishment dates in relation to historical cli- mate records using t-tests and logistic regression. In Rocky Mountian National Park, tree invasion in patch forest openings is episodic in nature, concentrated between 1951-1964, and is not balanced by mortality, suggesting more than a short-term change in the ecotone. On the basis of the climate record, t-tests, and logistic models, we concluded that both high temperatures and high snow depths must occur simultaneously for several years in order to generate climatic condi- tions suitable for tree establishment. The historic climate record indicates that a warmer and wetter period occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, but climate data are unavailable before 1880. According to proxy climate records, it appears that the regional climate of the southern Rocky Mountain region has been both warmer and wetter since the end of the Little Ice Age (ca. A.D. 1350-1850). We conclude that these climatic conditions may be related to the tree invasion we observed in patch forest openings of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Shifts in mycorrhiza and microbial activity along an oroarctic altitudinal gradient in Northern Fennoscandia

Abstract: Roots of 42 plant species, collected in northern Finland from Carex bigelowii and Salix herbacea rich snowbed communities at four altitudes (600-900 m) above treeline in low and middle oroarctic belts, were examined for mycorrhiza and soil microbial activity. Eight plant species were common and characteristic across the gradient, all together 58 plant species were identified. Colonization percentage was 100 in the four ectomycorrhizal species, of which only S. herbacea characterizes snowbed communities. There was a trend in ericoid mycorrhizal species (all rare) of increased colonization with altitude. Twenty-three species had arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), nine being heavily colonized, including Gnaphalium supinum and Sibbaldia procumbens, which were typical for snowbed communities. Veronica alpina, also a typical species, was moderately colonized. Average AM colonization varied little from 600 to 800 m, but at 900 m root colonization dropped significantly. This was due to weakly mycorrhizal Cardamine bellidifolia and Festuca ovina, which grew only at higher altitudes. If these two species were excluded, there were no differences in average AM colonization among altitudes, e.g. colonization in G. supinum, S. procumbens, and V. alpina did not differ among altitudes. Seven AM fungal species were identified, none of which has been reported before from the Kiblen mountains in Scandinavia; Acaulospora scrobiculata was the most common. Seven species were nonmycorrhizal (NM), Carex bigelowii and Oxyria digyna being typical for snowbed communities. In addition, there were nine unexamined species which were most obviously NM, judged by related examined species. Basal respiration rate and microbial biomass as well as the metabolic quotient were highest at 700 m altitude, where also AM spore density was highest, and were only about one third at two highest altitudes compared to those at 700 m. Microbial parameters and mycorrhizal colonization did not show any relation with each other.

Recent Glacier Variations in the Southern Patagonia Icefield, South America

Abstract: The area variations of 48 outlet glaciers of the Southern Patagonia Icefield, South America, were elucidated for a period between 1944/45 and 1985/86, utilizing various remotely-sensed data. All but two of these glaciers are currently calving into a proglacial lake or a fiord. During the 41-yr period, most glaciers retreated, while a few glaciers remained almost stagnant and two glaciers had a net advance. The largest rate of area loss was 1.21 km2 yr-1 (or a distance of 484 m) at O'Higgins Glacier, which is by far the largest loss in Patagonia. On the other hand, Pfo XI Glacier, the largest glacier in South America, advanced at a rate of 1.45 km2 yr-1 (or a distance of 288 m) during the same period. Moreno Glacier oscillated frequently, with a net gain of 4.1 km2 in area in 39 yr; however, it is regarded to be currently in equilibrium. Some locational contrasts in the retreating rates can be recognized. For example, those on the northern half and on the east retreated at greater rates than those on the southern half and on the west, respectively. Possible causes for such variation patterns include temperature warming, although weak, in this century in the area south of latitude 46?S. On top of such climatic forcing, glacier dynamics affected by the size of the glacier, surface gradient around the equilibrium line (EL), and calving status and channel geometry exerted influence, causing a wide variety of the changing rates. The volume of ice loss due to snout retreats during the 41-yr period is estimated to be on the order of 40 to 80 km3. The volume loss in the ablation area due to thinning is roughly estimated at about 100 to 300 km3 for the same period.

A Community of Snow Algae on a Himalayan Glacier: Change of Algal Biomass and Community Structure with Altitude

Abstract: A community of snow algae on a Himalayan glacier, the Yala Glacier (5100-5700 m a.s.l.), Langtang region of Nepal Himalaya, were quantitatively analyzed. This is the first report on snow algae from...

Influence of Local Topography, Soils, and Vegetation on Microclimate and Hydrology at a High Arctic Site, Ellesmere Island, Canada

Abstract: Influence of topography, soils, and vegetation on the microclimate and hydrology of four slopes and a plateau site located within a 1-km2 area in the continuous permafrost zone of Arctic Canada was...

Aufeis of the Firth River Basin, Northern Yukon, Canada: insights into permafrost hydrogeology and Karst

Abstract: The 31-km2 aufeis ice sheet of the upper Firth River holds a wealth of information on groundwater hydrology in periglacial environments. Baseflow recession calculations, corrected for aufeis storage (12% of basin discharge), indicate specific groundwater recharge rates of up to 100 mm yr-' (up to 50% of runoff), suggesting a significant proportion of drainage from karst. The upper Firth River aufeis is a composite aufeis, with discrete baseflow contributions from different watersheds. Since the late Pleistocene, annual growth of the aufeis has exerted a strong control on lateral erosion and the local river channel geomorphology. Two groundwater recharge processes are distinguished on the basis of carbonate geochemistry and 8'3C: (1) Methanogenic groundwaters, with '3CDI Up to -3.3%,, are recharged through saturated soils underlain by permafrost; conditions which support anaerobic consumption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and produce up to 700 Ipg-CH4 L-' (calculated), and (2) Karst groundwaters, with '3C-depleted DIC, recharged through unsaturated soils and circulate through fissured talik in the carbonate bedrock. Most drainage from the region shows varying contributions of these two groundwaters, although a greater contribution from the methanogenic groundwaters occurs in north-facing watersheds. The 8'3C values for cryogenic calcite precipitates in the ice indicate that the karst groundwaters are the major contribution to aufeis growth. The combined use of s'3CDIC and geochemistry may be a useful tool to quantify methanogenesis in northern watersheds.

A New Population of Colobanthus quitensis near Arthur Harbor, Antarctica: Correlating Recruitment with Warmer Summer Temperatures

Abstract: We discovered a previously unreported population of the Antarctic vascular plant Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. containing 267 individuals on Gamage

Retrospective Analysis of Growth and Reproduction in Cassiope tetragona and Relations to Climate in the Canadian High Arctic

Abstract: Techniques of retrospective growth analysis, adapted from dendrochronology, were applied to Cassiope tetragona, an evergreen dwarf-shrub, sampled at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada. A new method of delimiting annual growth increments through patterns in leaf node placement along a stem was utilized. Chronologies of mean annual stem elongation, leaf production, and flower production were developed, and estimates of these parameters agree with those obtained for other arctic populations of C. tetragona. Stem elongation and leaf production were positively correlated in the same year. Flower production was positively correlated with growth in the previous year, but negatively correlated with growth in the same year. This pattern was interpreted as the effects of resource allocation strategies, namely, the preemption of within-plant resources by flower production once flowering is initiated. All chronologies were significantly correlated with climate records from Alexandra Fiord and Eureka, Ellesmere Island, with the majority of significant correlations occurring with June and July temperatures. Flower production appeared to be most sensitive to variations in summer temperatures, and climate response functions which included previous growth explained up to 84% of the variation in the flowering chronology. Unstandardized leaf and flower number chronologies were used to provide an independent test of the climate transfer function presented in Havstr6m et al. (1995). The results indicate that C. tetragona may be used successfully to generate proxy climate data, although use of standardized chronologies is recommended. Two predictive models for July temperatures at Alexandra Fiord, based on standardized chronologies, are presented to provide future opportunities for verification and application of this technique.

Temperature Adaptation and Acclimation Potential of Leaf Dark Respiration in Two Species of Ranunculus from Warm and Cold Habitats

Abstract: Rates of evolutionary thermal adaptation (ie hereditary adjustment to the thermal environment) of plant dark respiration will likely be too slow to keep up with predicted rapid climate changes However, thermal acclimation to novel temperatures (ie shorter-term phenotypic adjustment to changes in the thermal environment) may be sufficient for plants to adjust to rapidly changing temperatures We measured nighttime leaf dark respiration in the arctic/alpine species Ranunculus glacialis, and in the temperate lowland Ranunculus repens, on plants grown under either cold (100C/80C day/night) or warm (220C/180C) conditions Adaptation to their respective native thermal environments was apparent in this pair of species as indicated by similar respiration rates measured at 80C in R glacialis grown at cold temperatures and those measured at 180C in R repens grown at warm temperatures Phenotypic thermal acclimation to warmer temperatures was apparent in R glacialis as indicated by similar rates measured at 80C in cold-grown and at 180C in warm-grown plants Whether this holds true for root systems awaits testing Our results reemphasize the need to include acclimatory adjustments of plant metabolism in computer models designed to predict the response of vegetation to global change

Nitrogen fixation by free-living cyanobacteria from different coastal sites in a high Arctic tundra, Spitsbergen

Abstract: Nitrogen fixation rates were measured throughout the summer of 1994 in samples from seven coastal sites at the north side of Broggerhalvoya, Spitsbergen (78.5?N, 11.60E) using the acetylene reduction method on intact soil cores. All the sites had a crust containing cyanobacteria, which were considered to be the major nitrogen-fixing organisms. Nostoc commune was the most abundant cyanobacterium. The samples were incubated at 190C and a constant light intensity of 200 RE m-2 s-1. The potential nitrogen fixation activities ranged from 0.22 to 23.7 nmol ethylene produced cm-2 h-I when the samples were incubated under constant conditions. The spatial differences in nitrogen fixation were greater than the seasonal. No correlation between nitrogen fixation activities and ecosystem succession could be demonstrated at the sites emerged from the sea, but the nitrogen fixation activity decreased with time since the glacial retreat. There was a significant correlation between temperature at time of sampling and the nitrogen fixation activity measured under constant conditions. Lowest nitrogen fixation activities were measured at sites with the lowest concentrations of extractable magnesium and calcium and the lowest C: N ratios.

Altitudinal Turnover and Species Richness Variation in European Montane Dung Beetle Assemblages

Abstract: The dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) are divided into several guilds, particularly dwellers and small tunnelers. We analyzed and compared the faunistic composition and the organization of these guilds from several mountain systems in Western Europe. Variation in species richness with altitude, altitudinal turnover, and the taxonomical and biogeographical characteristics of beetles were analyzed. A global analysis enabled an estimation of the importance of the local speciation mechanisms and historical processes, respectively, in the formation of the assemblages in each mountain system. The roles played by each mountain system in the historical perspective of the early Quaternary and in the biogeographical context of the Western Palaearctic are discussed.

Phenology and Seed Development of the Alpine Sedges Carex curvula and Carex firma in Response to Contrasting Topoclimates

Abstract: Flowering phenology and seed development of two alpine sedges were investigated at 2200-2300 m on sunlit sites with little winter snow cover and on northern slopes with deep winter snow accumulation. During the growing season daily mean canopy temperatures between such sites differ by about 2'C. Additionally, tussocks were transplanted to 600 m a.s.l. in order to study the reproductive responses in an environment about 10IC warmer. At high altitudes the timing of reproductive processes in both Carex species strongly depended on the date of snowmelt. Carex curvula flowered as soon as the mean daily temperature exceeded 5 to 6'C. For the later flowering C. firma no specific threshold temperature could be found, indicating that the onset of flowering is regulated by complex environmental triggers. Depending on the site, C. curvula required 7 to 8 wk, and C. firma 8 to 10 wk for seed formation; under lowland conditions seeds matured within 6 wk and 8 wk, respectively. Abnormal changes in temperature may cause phenological anomalies and developmental disturbances, as could be observed after transplantation of Carex plants to the lowland. In both species, about half of the ovules matured into seeds (seed/ovule ratio 0.5-0.6), except for C. firma plants growing on the north-facing slope (S/O ratio 0.3). After transplantation the S/O ratio was 0.5 for C. curvula and 0.4 for C. firma. Seeds from sunlit sites germinated better than those from the north-facing sites. Generally, more warmth and a longer growing season promote seed production and seed size. It can be expected that a moderate climate warming will not only favor upward migration of both Carex species, but also colonization of bare ground by means of seed dispersal.

Long-term Limnological Data from the Larger Lakes of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A.

Abstract: Long-term limnological data from the four largest lakes in Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone, Lewis, Shoshone, Heart) are used to characterize their limnology and patterns of temporal and spatial variability. Heart Lake has distinctively high concentrations of dissolved materials, apparently reflecting high thermal inputs. Shoshone and Lewis lakes have the highest total SiO2 concentrations (averaging over 23.5 mg L-'), apparently as a result of the rhyolitic drainage basins. Within Yellowstone Lake spatial variability is low and ephemeral for most measured variables, except that the Southeast Arm has lower average Na concentrations. Seasonal variation is evident for Secchi transparency, pH, and totalSiO2 and probably reflects seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass and productivity. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and total-SiO2 generally show a gradual decline from the mid-1970s through mid-1980s, followed by a sharp increase. Ratios of Kjeldahl-N to total-PO4 (KN:TP) suggest that the lakes, especially Shoshone, are often nitrogen limited. Kjeldahl-N is positively correlated with winter precipitation, but TP and total-SiO2 are counterintuitively negatively correlated with precipitation. We speculate that increased winter precipitation, rather than watershed fires, increases N-loading which, in turn, leads to increased demand for TP and total SiO2.

Size and characteristics of a natural seed bank in Antarctica

Abstract: The seed banks of Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica, the only two vascular plants native to Antarctica, were assayed by collecting soils from two sites near Palmer Station, Antarctic...

Neoglacial Climate Control of Subarctic Picea abies Stand Dynamics and Range Limit in Northern Sweden

Abstract: The study focused on the performance of the spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) range limit in northern (subarctic) Sweden during the Neoglacial period of the Holocene, mainly after the climax of the Little Ice Age. Subfossil wood remains suggest that the geographic spruce tree limit has remained fairly stable for slightly more than the past 2000 14C yr. Previous postulates about delayed immigration and continual spread are contradicted in favor of a dynamic climate/spruce equilibrium. The mechanism restricting the spruce distribution was inferred to be severe annual ground frost characterizing this climatically continental and snowpoor region, which is crossed by the limit of discontinuous permafrost. An extensive (landscape scale) age structure analysis showed near-exponential population build-up over the past 100 yr or so. This manifested as densification of outlying stands and sparse range limit advance by some tens of kilometers. These responses clearly related to increased snowfall during the early (December) and late winter (March). In consequence, annual ground frost and permafrost declined in general, which made the least ground frost prone sites equable for establishment and persistent growth (less risk of winter desiccation) of spruce. These inferences are strengthened by tendencies for decreased spruce regeneration and vitality during the past decades, coincident with some exceptionally cold and snow-poor early winters. It is speculated that the structure and performance of the studied system, i.e. outliers checked by severe ground frost, is a small-scale analogy to the situation preceding the general late Holocene expansion of spruce in Fennoscandia.

Sea-Ice Melt-Pond Fraction as Determined from Low Level Aerial Photographs

Abstract: Surface melt features on Arctic sea ice contribute greatly to variations in surface energy absorption and exchange. This factor, when coupled with the spatial variability of melt-pond fractional co...

Effects of Flowering Time and Temperature on Growth and Reproduction in Leontodon autumnalis var. taraxaci, a Late-flowering Alpine Plant

Abstract: In most alpine and arctic plants there is selection for early flowering because of the short time available to complete seed production before the season terminates. Despite this, some species initiate flowering late in the season, but little work has been done on the reproductive ecology of such species. This work investigates the reproductive consequences of late flowering in Leontodon autumnalis var. taraxaci in alpine southwest Norway during two seasons. In addition, the effects of an experimental increase in growing-season temperature on growth and reproduction are also examined. The reproductive success of Leontodon decreased strongly as the flowering season progressed, possibly as a result of increased climatic severity and increased extent of pollen and resource limitation on reproduction. Experimentally warmed plants produced significantly more and heavier seeds, and flowered more than 1 wk earlier than control plants, showing that temperature conditions influence both reproductive processes and flowering phenology. The results suggest that this late-flowering alpine species will bloom earlier, reproduce more, and grow larger under global warming.

Holocene Pollen and Stomates from a Forest-tundra Site on the Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia

Abstract: A lake sediment core from forest-tundra on the Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia, was analyzed for pollen and coniferous stomate content to reconstruct Holocene vegetation history. It had a basal age of 9200 yr BE Larix stomates indicate L. sibirica trees were present at the site since before 9200 yr BP Both low total pollen accumulation rates from -9200-6500 yr BP and Juniperus stomates at -9000 yr BP indicate the site was likely forest-tundra. Stomates indicate that Picea obovata trees arrived by 7600 yr BP Combined pollen and stomate evidence suggest that Picea and Larix were more abundant during the mid-Holocene than today; Picea is now rare at the site.

Sensitivity of Timberline Flora in Kumaun Himalaya, India: Conservation Implications

Abstract: The paper focuses on the diversity in the timberline flora in a part of Kumaun (west Himalaya). Of the 465 species recorded, >64% were native Himalayan taxa. Scrophulariaceae (78%), Ranunculaceae (70%), Asteraceae (69%), Rosaceae (68%), and Saxifragaceae (63%) were the dominant families showing high percentage of native taxa. Although flora mainly contained perennial growth forms (86%), the representation of annuals (14%) was more compared to the subalpine/ alpine regions of the other mountain systems in the world. All the Himalayan endemic and near endemic taxa (55% of native taxa) in the timberline flora were analyzed for their susceptibility to endangerment. The analysis provided a rapid approach to rank the potentially endangered taxa for conservation action at both local (timberline zone of Kumaun) and regional (Himalaya) spatial scales. Analysis revealed that 34 taxa need top priority at local level while 13 deserve priority attention at Himalayan scale. Three taxa (Cypripedium himalaicum, Aconitum balfourii, and Caragana gerardiana) were, however, identified to be common to both local and Himalayan scale. The frequency of different priority classes in identified habitat types was also analyzed to identify the habitats deserving attention for conservation initiatives.