TY - JOUR N2 - Vegetation succession in front of five retreating glaciers was studied using phytosociological relevés (60) located at different distances between the Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines and the present glacier fronts around Petunia Bay. Approximate dating of succession stages was based on a study of the changing position of glacier fronts in the past approximately 100 years. The described succession corresponds to the uni−directional, non−replacement model of succession. All constituent species, except one, present in the nearby old tundra have colonized the glacier forelands since the end of the LIA. The first species appeared about 5 years after deglaciation. The latest succession stages closely resemble the old tundra. L1 - http://www.journals.pan.pl/Content/99530/PDF/v10183-012-0022-3.pdf L2 - http://www.journals.pan.pl/Content/99530 PY - 2012 IS - No 4 EP - 328 DO - 10.2478/v10183−012−0022−3 KW - Arctic KW - Svalbard KW - climate warming KW - glacier forelands KW - vegetation succession A1 - Prach, Karel A1 - Rachlewicz, Grzegorz PB - Polish Academy of Sciences PB - Committee on Polar Research DA - 2012 T1 - Succession of vascular plants in front of retreating glaciers in central Spitsbergen SP - 319 UR - http://www.journals.pan.pl/dlibra/publication/edition/99530 T2 - Polish Polar Research ER -