Figure 1 Location of the research site near Qeqertarsuaq on Disko Island (green square); weather station locations are indicated with red triangles (a). The inset map shows the location of the Disko Bay area (red square) within Greenland. Location of the research site (green square) northeast of Arctic Station (b). Local weather is recorded at ClimateBasis Disko, approx. 3 km southwest of the site. Individual shrub sampling spots (c). Climate diagram showing monthly mean air temperatures (red) and precipitation sums (blue) at Qeqertarsuaq for the period 1994-2013 (d). Values to the left of the temperature axis indicate the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month (February) and the mean maximum temperature of the warmest month (July). Photo of the research site taken from sample 4 in southwestern direction (e). Vegetation at sample spot 24 in north-western direction dominated by Cassiope tetragona shrubs (f).