Data from: New multicentury evidence for dispersal limitation during primary succession

Primary succession is limited both by ecosystem development and plant dispersal, but the extent to which dispersal constrains succession over the long term is unknown. We compared primary succession along two co-occurring arctic chronosequences with contrasting spatial scales: sorted circles that span a few m and may have few dispersal constraints; and glacial forelands that span several km and may have greater dispersal constraints. Dispersal constraints slowed primary succession by centuries: plots were dominated by cryptogamic soil after 20 years on circles, but after 270 years on forelands; plots supported deciduous plants after 100 years on circles, but after >400 years on forelands. Our study provides century-scale evidence suggesting that dispersal limitations constrain the rate of primary succession in glacial forelands.原生演替（Primary succession）同时受到生态系统发育与植物扩散的双重限制，但长期尺度下扩散约束对演替的影响程度仍不明确。本研究针对两处同域分布、空间尺度差异显著的北极时间序列（chronosequence）样地开展原生演替对比分析：一类是跨度仅数米的分选环（sorted circles），其扩散限制较弱；另一类是绵延数千米的冰川前缘地（glacial forelands），其扩散限制更强。研究发现，扩散限制使原生演替进程滞后数百年：分选环样地在20年后便以隐花植物土壤（cryptogamic soil）为优势群落，而冰川前缘地则需270年才能达到该状态；分选环样地在100年后即可出现落叶植物，而冰川前缘地则需超过400年。本研究提供了百年尺度的实证证据，表明扩散限制会制约冰川前缘地的原生演替速率。