The forelands of retreating glaciers are invaluable natural laboratories in which to explore the processes of primary succession. Numerous studies have been conducted on foreland chronosequences to identify temporal and spatial trends of the successional communities. This study focused on the spatio-temporal distribution of three woody plant species on the foreland of a retreating glacier in southern Iceland where historical observations provide precise age control of the moraines. To evaluate colonization and successional trends, we examined which species increase in abundance with time and tested the role of proximity to a seed source in colonization. Additionally, we quantified the rate at which biomass carbon is added to the landscape. The density of stems of Betula pubescens increases with moraine age across the foreland chronosequence while the density of stems of both Salix lanata and Salix phylicifolia decreases. We found low statistical significance to the relationship between the density of B. pubescens and distance from a forested ridge nor did we find a relationship between the lengths of the stems and the moraine ages. Woody biomass increased fastest during early successional stages and reached a maximum of 28.5 g C m− 2 on the oldest moraine. Early colonization of moraines was controlled by environmental filters which favored both Salix species. Colonization by B. pubescens followed as environmental factors, e.g., favorable soil properties, improved. We found no conclusive evidence that proximity to a potential source of B. pubescens propagules was a significant factor in controlling colonization. The assumption that the abundance of individuals increased with time through later successional stages proved valid for B. pubescens, but not for either species of Salix. These findings are consistent with the classical spatial successional model of community homogenization. Thus, general successional processes at the landscape scale control the temporal dynamics of individual species.

中文翻译：

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冰岛南部退缩冰川前陆木本植物物种（桦木和柳树）生长的时空动态

退缩冰川的前陆是宝贵的自然实验室，可在其中探索原始演替的过程。已经对前陆时间序列进行了大量研究，以查明演替社区的时空趋势。这项研究的重点是冰岛南部一个退缩冰川的前陆上三种木本植物物种的时空分布，那里的历史观测提供了精确的莫兰克年龄控制。为了评估殖民化和演替趋势，我们研究了哪种物种随时间增加并在殖民化中测试了接近种子源的作用。此外，我们量化了将生物质碳添加到景观中的速率。在前陆时间序列上，毛桦的茎密度随冰ine年龄的增加而增加，而柳柳和柳柳的茎密度均降低。我们发现耻骨双歧杆菌的密度与到密林垄之间的距离之间的关系的统计意义不高，也没有发现茎的长度与冰ora年龄之间的关系。木质生物量在演替早期阶段增长最快，最老的冰ora最高达到28.5 g C m-2。rain鼠的早期定居是由有利于两种柳属植物的环境过滤器控制的。随着环境因素（例如有利的土壤性质）的改善，由耻骨芽孢杆菌定居。我们没有确凿的证据表明与潜在的B来源接近。pubescens繁殖体是控制定植的重要因素。个体的丰度在随后的演替阶段随时间增加的假设被证明对耻骨双歧杆菌有效，但对柳柳的任何一种都不成立。这些发现与社区同质化的经典空间演替模型是一致的。因此，景观尺度上的一般演替过程控制着单个物种的时间动态。