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Zheng X, Babst F, Camarero JJ, Li X, Lu X, Gao S, Sigdel SR, Wang Y, Zhu H, Liang E. Density-dependent species interactions modulate alpine treeline shifts. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14403. [PMID: 38577961 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Species interactions such as facilitation and competition play a crucial role in driving species range shifts. However, density dependence as a key feature of these processes has received little attention in both empirical and modelling studies. Herein, we used a novel, individual-based treeline model informed by rich in situ observations to quantify the contribution of density-dependent species interactions to alpine treeline dynamics, an iconic biome boundary recognized as an indicator of global warming. We found that competition and facilitation dominate in dense versus sparse vegetation scenarios respectively. The optimal balance between these two effects was identified at an intermediate vegetation thickness where the treeline elevation was the highest. Furthermore, treeline shift rates decreased sharply with vegetation thickness and the associated transition from positive to negative species interactions. We thus postulate that vegetation density must be considered when modelling species range dynamics to avoid inadequate predictions of its responses to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Flurin Babst
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Xiaoxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shalik Ram Sigdel
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yafeng Wang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haifeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Dial RJ, Maher CT, Hewitt RE, Wockenfuss AM, Wong RE, Crawford DJ, Zietlow MG, Sullivan PF. Arctic sea ice retreat fuels boreal forest advance. Science 2024; 383:877-884. [PMID: 38386760 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh2339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Climate-induced northward advance of boreal forest is expected to lessen albedo, alter carbon stocks, and replace tundra, but where and when this advance will occur remains largely unknown. Using data from 19 sites across 22 degrees of longitude along the tree line of northern Alaska, we show a stronger temporal correlation of tree ring growth with open water uncovered by retreating Arctic sea ice than with air temperature. Spatially, our results suggest that tree growth, recruitment, and range expansion are causally linked to open water through associated warmer temperatures, deeper snowpacks, and improved nutrient availability. We apply a meta-analysis to 82 circumarctic sites, finding that proportionally more tree lines have advanced where proximal to ongoing sea ice loss. Taken together, these findings underpin how and where changing sea ice conditions facilitate high-latitude forest advance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman J Dial
- Institute for Culture and Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Colin T Maher
- Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Rebecca E Hewitt
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Amy M Wockenfuss
- Institute for Culture and Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Russell E Wong
- Institute for Culture and Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Daniel J Crawford
- Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Madeline G Zietlow
- Institute for Culture and Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Patrick F Sullivan
- Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
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Glückler R, Gloy J, Dietze E, Herzschuh U, Kruse S. Simulating long-term wildfire impacts on boreal forest structure in Central Yakutia, Siberia, since the Last Glacial Maximum. FIRE ECOLOGY 2024; 20:1. [PMID: 38186675 PMCID: PMC10766680 DOI: 10.1186/s42408-023-00238-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Background Wildfires are recognized as an important ecological component of larch-dominated boreal forests in eastern Siberia. However, long-term fire-vegetation dynamics in this unique environment are poorly understood. Recent paleoecological research suggests that intensifying fire regimes may induce millennial-scale shifts in forest structure and composition. This may, in turn, result in positive feedback on intensifying wildfires and permafrost degradation, apart from threatening human livelihoods. Most common fire-vegetation models do not explicitly include detailed individual-based tree population dynamics, but a focus on patterns of forest structure emerging from interactions among individual trees may provide a beneficial perspective on the impacts of changing fire regimes in eastern Siberia. To simulate these impacts on forest structure at millennial timescales, we apply the individual-based, spatially explicit vegetation model LAVESI-FIRE, expanded with a new fire module. Satellite-based fire observations along with fieldwork data were used to inform the implementation of wildfire occurrence and adjust model parameters. Results Simulations of annual forest development and wildfire activity at a study site in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) since the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 20,000 years BP) highlight the variable impacts of fire regimes on forest structure throughout time. Modeled annual fire probability and subsequent burned area in the Holocene compare well with a local reconstruction of charcoal influx in lake sediments. Wildfires can be followed by different forest regeneration pathways, depending on fire frequency and intensity and the pre-fire forest conditions. We find that medium-intensity wildfires at fire return intervals of 50 years or more benefit the dominance of fire-resisting Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.), while stand-replacing fires tend to enable the establishment of evergreen conifers. Apart from post-fire mortality, wildfires modulate forest development mainly through competition effects and a reduction of the model's litter layer. Conclusion With its fine-scale population dynamics, LAVESI-FIRE can serve as a highly localized, spatially explicit tool to understand the long-term impacts of boreal wildfires on forest structure and to better constrain interpretations of paleoecological reconstructions of fire activity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42408-023-00238-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Glückler
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45, Potsdam, 14473 Germany
- Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Potsdam, 14476 Germany
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan
| | - Josias Gloy
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45, Potsdam, 14473 Germany
| | - Elisabeth Dietze
- Institute of Geography, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstrasse 5, Göttingen, 37077 Germany
| | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45, Potsdam, 14473 Germany
- Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Potsdam, 14476 Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, Potsdam, 14476 Germany
| | - Stefan Kruse
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45, Potsdam, 14473 Germany
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Gloy J, Herzschuh U, Kruse S. Evolutionary adaptation of trees and modelled future larch forest extent in Siberia. Ecol Modell 2023; 478:110278. [PMID: 37013221 PMCID: PMC9972785 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
With changing climate, the boreal forest could potentially migrate north and become threatened by droughts in the south. However, whether larches, the dominant tree species in eastern Siberia, can adapt to novel situations is largely unknown but is crucial for predicting future population dynamics. Exploring variable traits and trait adaptation through inheritance in an individual-based model can improve our understanding and help future projections. We updated the individual-based spatially explicit vegetation model LAVESI (Larix Vegetation Simulator), used for forest predictions in Eastern Siberia, with trait value variation and incorporated inheritance of parental values to their offspring. Forcing the model with both past and future climate projections, we simulated two areas - the expanding northern treeline and a southerly area experiencing drought. While the specific trait of 'seed weight' regulates migration, the abstract 'drought resistance' protects stands. We show that trait variation with inheritance leads to an increase in migration rate (∼ 3% area increase until 2100). The drought resistance simulations show that, under increasing stress, including adaptive traits leads to larger surviving populations (17% of threatened under RCP 4.5 (Representative Concentration Pathway)). We show that with the increase expected under the RCP 8.5 scenario vast areas (80% of the extrapolated area) of larch forest are threatened and could disappear due to drought as adaptation plays only a minor role under strong warming. We conclude that variable traits facilitate the availability of variants under environmental changes. Inheritance allows populations to adapt to environments and promote successful traits, which leads to populations that can spread faster and be more resilient, provided the changes are not too drastic in both time and magnitude. We show that trait variation and inheritance contribute to more accurate models that can improve our understanding of responses of boreal forests to global change.
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Hewitt RE, Alexander HD, Izbicki B, Loranty MM, Natali SM, Walker XJ, Mack MC. Increasing tree density accelerates stand‐level nitrogen cycling at the taiga–tundra ecotone in northeastern Siberia. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E. Hewitt
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA
- Department of Environmental Studies Amherst College Amherst Massachusetts USA
| | | | - Brian Izbicki
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | | | | | - Xanthe J. Walker
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - Michelle C. Mack
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona USA
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Schulte L, Meucci S, Stoof-Leichsenring KR, Heitkam T, Schmidt N, von Hippel B, Andreev AA, Diekmann B, Biskaborn BK, Wagner B, Melles M, Pestryakova LA, Alsos IG, Clarke C, Krutovsky KV, Herzschuh U. Larix species range dynamics in Siberia since the Last Glacial captured from sedimentary ancient DNA. Commun Biol 2022; 5:570. [PMID: 35681049 PMCID: PMC9184489 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03455-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to cause major shifts in boreal forests which are in vast areas of Siberia dominated by two species of the deciduous needle tree larch (Larix). The species differ markedly in their ecosystem functions, thus shifts in their respective ranges are of global relevance. However, drivers of species distribution are not well understood, in part because paleoecological data at species level are lacking. This study tracks Larix species distribution in time and space using target enrichment on sedimentary ancient DNA extracts from eight lakes across Siberia. We discovered that Larix sibirica, presently dominating in western Siberia, likely migrated to its northern distribution area only in the Holocene at around 10,000 years before present (ka BP), and had a much wider eastern distribution around 33 ka BP. Samples dated to the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21 ka BP), consistently show genotypes of L. gmelinii. Our results suggest climate as a strong determinant of species distribution in Larix and provide temporal and spatial data for species projection in a changing climate. Using ancient sedimentary DNA from up to 50 kya, dramatic distributional shifts are documented in two dominant boreal larch species, likely guided by environmental changes suggesting climate as a strong determinant of species distribution.
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Kruse S, Herzschuh U. Regional opportunities for tundra conservation in the next 1000 years. eLife 2022; 11:75163. [PMID: 35607894 PMCID: PMC9129881 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The biodiversity of tundra areas in northern high latitudes is threatened by invasion of forests under global warming. However, poorly understood nonlinear responses of the treeline ecotone mean the timing and extent of tundra losses are unclear, but policymakers need such information to optimize conservation efforts. Our individual-based model LAVESI, developed for the Siberian tundra-taiga ecotone, can help improve our understanding. Consequently, we simulated treeline migration trajectories until the end of the millennium, causing a loss of tundra area when advancing north. Our simulations reveal that the treeline follows climate warming with a severe, century-long time lag, which is overcompensated by infilling of stands in the long run even when temperatures cool again. Our simulations reveal that only under ambitious mitigation strategies (relative concentration pathway 2.6) will ∼30% of original tundra areas remain in the north but separated into two disjunct refugia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kruse
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Environmental Sciences 6 and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.,Institute of 7 Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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8
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Berner LT, Goetz SJ. Satellite observations document trends consistent with a boreal forest biome shift. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3275-3292. [PMID: 35199413 PMCID: PMC9303657 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The boreal forest biome is a major component of Earth's biosphere and climate system that is projected to shift northward due to continued climate change over the coming century. Indicators of a biome shift will likely first be evident along the climatic margins of the boreal forest and include changes in vegetation productivity, mortality, and recruitment, as well as overall vegetation greenness. However, the extent to which a biome shift is already underway remains unclear because of the local nature of most field studies, sparsity of systematic ground-based ecological monitoring, and reliance on coarse resolution satellite observations. Here, we evaluated early indicators of a boreal forest biome shift using four decades of moderate resolution (30 m) satellite observations and biogeoclimatic spatial datasets. Specifically, we quantified interannual trends in annual maximum vegetation greenness using an ensemble of vegetation indices derived from Landsat observations at 100,000 sample sites in areas without signs of recent disturbance. We found vegetation greenness increased (greened) at 38 [29, 42] % and 22 [15, 26] % of sample sites from 1985 to 2019 and 2000 to 2019, whereas vegetation greenness decreased (browned) at 13 [9, 15] % and 15 [13, 19] % of sample sites during these respective periods [95% Monte Carlo confidence intervals]. Greening was thus 3.0 [2.6, 3.5] and 1.5 [0.8, 2.0] times more common than browning and primarily occurred in cold sparsely treed areas with high soil nitrogen and moderate summer warming. Conversely, browning primarily occurred in the climatically warmest margins of both the boreal forest biome and major forest types (e.g., evergreen conifer forests), especially in densely treed areas where summers became warmer and drier. These macroecological trends reflect underlying shifts in vegetation productivity, mortality, and recruitment that are consistent with early stages of a boreal biome shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan T. Berner
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber SystemsNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
| | - Scott J. Goetz
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber SystemsNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
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Opposite Tree-Tree Interactions Jointly Drive the Natural Fir Treeline Population on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12101417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The long-term stability of alpine treeline positions and increased stem density are frequently reported by recent studies; however, whether a denser treeline forest is relevant to competitive tree–tree interactions remain unclear. Herein, we mapped and surveyed individual trees in two undisturbed Smith fir (Abies georgei var. smithii) treeline plots (with a size: 30 m × 200 m; plot NE1: 4477 m, NE2: 4451 m) near Ranwu Lake (RW) on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. The surface pattern method and spatial point pattern analysis were used to detect the spatial distribution patterns of three size classes (seedlings, juveniles, adults) and spatial associations between the pairwise size classes. We also compared our results to the spatial patterns of the five other treeline forests (Deqin, Linzhi, Changdu, Yushu, Aba) reported from the Tibetan Plateau. Young trees dominated the two fir treeline plots. Both positive and negative spatial autocorrelations for all of the trees were detected in two study plots. Intraspecific facilitation and competition coexisted at the fir treelines in three forest regions (RW, Linzhi, Aba) characterized by a mild moist climate, whereas intraspecific facilitation dominated the other three forest regions (Changdu, Deqin, Yushu), which featured seasonal climatic stress or high disturbance pressure. Thus, increased stem density at alpine treeline can be linked to competitive interactions in relatively favorable environmental conditions. Overall, the spatial patterns of the treeline population are mainly shaped by the combination of thermal and moisture conditions and are also modulated by non-climatic variables (e.g., disturbance history and microtopography).
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Meucci S, Schulte L, Zimmermann HH, Stoof‐Leichsenring KR, Epp L, Bronken Eidesen P, Herzschuh U. Holocene chloroplast genetic variation of shrubs ( Alnus alnobetula, Betula nana, Salix sp.) at the siberian tundra-taiga ecotone inferred from modern chloroplast genome assembly and sedimentary ancient DNA analyses. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2173-2193. [PMID: 33717447 PMCID: PMC7920767 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming alters plant composition and population dynamics of arctic ecosystems. In particular, an increase in relative abundance and cover of deciduous shrub species (shrubification) has been recorded. We inferred genetic variation of common shrub species (Alnus alnobetula, Betula nana, Salix sp.) through time. Chloroplast genomes were assembled from modern plants (n = 15) from the Siberian forest-tundra ecotone. Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA; n = 4) was retrieved from a lake on the southern Taymyr Peninsula and analyzed by metagenomics shotgun sequencing and a hybridization capture approach. For A. alnobetula, analyses of modern DNA showed low intraspecies genetic variability and a clear geographical structure in haplotype distribution. In contrast, B. nana showed high intraspecies genetic diversity and weak geographical structure. Analyses of sedaDNA revealed a decreasing relative abundance of Alnus since 5,400 cal yr BP, whereas Betula and Salix increased. A comparison between genetic variations identified in modern DNA and sedaDNA showed that Alnus variants were maintained over the last 6,700 years in the Taymyr region. In accordance with modern individuals, the variants retrieved from Betula and Salix sedaDNA showed higher genetic diversity. The success of the hybridization capture in retrieving diverged sequences demonstrates the high potential for future studies of plant biodiversity as well as specific genetic variation on ancient DNA from lake sediments. Overall, our results suggest that shrubification has species-specific trajectories. The low genetic diversity in A. alnobetula suggests a local population recruitment and growth response of the already present communities, whereas the higher genetic variability and lack of geographical structure in B. nana may indicate a recruitment from different populations due to more efficient seed dispersal, increasing the genetic connectivity over long distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Meucci
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research GroupAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Luise Schulte
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research GroupAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
| | - Heike H. Zimmermann
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research GroupAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
| | - Kathleen R. Stoof‐Leichsenring
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research GroupAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
| | - Laura Epp
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | | | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research GroupAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Biochemistry and BiologyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and GeographyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
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11
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Kruse S, Kolmogorov AI, Pestryakova LA, Herzschuh U. Long-lived larch clones may conserve adaptations that could restrict treeline migration in northern Siberia. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10017-10030. [PMID: 33005360 PMCID: PMC7520212 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The occurrence of refugia beyond the arctic treeline and genetic adaptation therein play a crucial role of largely unknown effect size. While refugia have potential for rapidly colonizing the tundra under global warming, the taxa may be maladapted to the new environmental conditions. Understanding the genetic composition and age of refugia is thus crucial for predicting any migration response. Here, we genotype 194 larch individuals from an ~1.8 km2 area in northcentral Siberia on the southern Taimyr Peninsula by applying an assay of 16 nuclear microsatellite markers. For estimating the age of clonal individuals, we counted tree rings at sections along branches to establish a lateral growth rate that was then combined with geographic distance. Findings reveal that the predominant reproduction type is clonal (58.76%) by short distance spreading of ramets. One outlier of clones 1 km apart could have been dispersed by reindeer. In clonal groups and within individuals, we find that somatic mutations accumulate with geographic distance. Clonal groups of two or more individuals are observed. Clonal age estimates regularly suggest individuals as old as 2,200 years, which coincides with a major environmental change that forced a treeline retreat in the region. We conclude that individuals with clonal growth mode were naturally selected as it lowers the likely risk of extinction under a harsh environment. We discuss this legacy from the past that might now be a maladaptation and hinder expansion under currently strongly increasing temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kruse
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental SystemsAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
| | - Aleksey I. Kolmogorov
- Institute of Natural SciencesNorth‐Eastern Federal University of YakutskYakutskRussia
| | | | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental SystemsAlfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine ResearchPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and GeographyUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
- Institute of Biology and BiochemistryUniversity of PotsdamPotsdamGermany
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12
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Rees WG, Hofgaard A, Boudreau S, Cairns DM, Harper K, Mamet S, Mathisen I, Swirad Z, Tutubalina O. Is subarctic forest advance able to keep pace with climate change? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3965-3977. [PMID: 32281711 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent climate warming and scenarios for further warming have led to expectations of rapid movement of ecological boundaries. Here we focus on the circumarctic forest-tundra ecotone (FTE), which represents an important bioclimatic zone with feedbacks from forest advance and corresponding tundra disappearance (up to 50% loss predicted this century) driving widespread ecological and climatic changes. We address FTE advance and climate history relations over the 20th century, using FTE response data from 151 sites across the circumarctic area and site-specific climate data. Specifically, we investigate spatial uniformity of FTE advance, statistical associations with 20th century climate trends, and whether advance rates match climate change velocities (CCVs). Study sites diverged into four regions (Eastern Canada; Central and Western Canada and Alaska; Siberia; and Western Eurasia) based on their climate history, although all were characterized by similar qualitative patterns of behaviour (with about half of the sites showing advancing behaviour). The main associations between climate trend variables and behaviour indicate the importance of precipitation rather than temperature for both qualitative and quantitative behaviours, and the importance of non-growing season as well as growing season months. Poleward latitudinal advance rates differed significantly among regions, being smallest in Eastern Canada (~10 m/year) and largest in Western Eurasia (~100 m/year). These rates were 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller than expected if vegetation distribution remained in equilibrium with climate. The many biotic and abiotic factors influencing FTE behaviour make poleward advance rates matching predicted 21st century CCVs (~103 -104 m/year) unlikely. The lack of empirical evidence for swift forest relocation and the discrepancy between CCV and FTE response contradict equilibrium model-based assumptions and warrant caution when assessing global-change-related biotic and abiotic implications, including land-atmosphere feedbacks and carbon sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Gareth Rees
- Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Stéphane Boudreau
- Département de biologie, Centre d'études Nordiques, Université Laval, QC, Canada
| | - David M Cairns
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Karen Harper
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Steven Mamet
- College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Zuzanna Swirad
- Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Olga Tutubalina
- Faculty of Geography, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Abstract
Elevational and polar treelines have been studied for more than two centuries. The aim of the present article is to highlight in retrospect the scope of treeline research, scientific approaches and hypotheses on treeline causation, its spatial structures and temporal change. Systematic treeline research dates back to the end of the 19th century. The abundance of global, regional, and local studies has provided a complex picture of the great variety and heterogeneity of both altitudinal and polar treelines. Modern treeline research started in the 1930s, with experimental field and laboratory studies on the trees’ physiological response to the treeline environment. During the following decades, researchers’ interest increasingly focused on the altitudinal and polar treeline dynamics to climate warming since the Little Ice Age. Since the 1970s interest in treeline dynamics again increased and has considerably intensified from the 1990s to today. At the same time, remote sensing techniques and GIS application have essentially supported previous analyses of treeline spatial patterns and temporal variation. Simultaneously, the modelling of treeline has been rapidly increasing, often related to the current treeline shift and and its implications for biodiversity, and the ecosystem function and services of high-elevation forests. It appears, that many seemingly ‘new ideas’ already originated many decades ago and just confirm what has been known for a long time. Suggestions for further research are outlined.
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14
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Zimmermann HH, Harms L, Epp LS, Mewes N, Bernhardt N, Kruse S, Stoof-Leichsenring KR, Pestryakova LA, Wieczorek M, Trense D, Herzschuh U. Chloroplast and mitochondrial genetic variation of larches at the Siberian tundra-taiga ecotone revealed by de novo assembly. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216966. [PMID: 31291259 PMCID: PMC6619608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Larix populations at the tundra-taiga ecotone in northern Siberia are highly under-represented in population genetic studies, possibly due to the remoteness of these regions that can only be accessed at extraordinary expense. The genetic signatures of populations in these boundary regions are therefore largely unknown. We aim to generate organelle reference genomes for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can be used for paleogenetic studies. We present 19 complete chloroplast genomes and mitochondrial genomic sequences of larches from the southern lowlands of the Taymyr Peninsula (northernmost range of Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen.), the lower Omoloy River, and the lower Kolyma River (both in the range of Larix cajanderi Mayr). The genomic data reveal 84 chloroplast SNPs and 213 putatively mitochondrial SNPs. Parsimony-based chloroplast haplotype networks show no spatial structure of individuals from different geographic origins, while the mitochondrial haplotype network shows at least a slight spatial structure with haplotypes from the Omoloy and Kolyma populations being more closely related to each other than to most of the haplotypes from the Taymyr populations. Whole genome alignments with publicly available complete chloroplast genomes of different Larix species show that among official plant barcodes only the rcbL gene contains sufficient polymorphisms, but has to be sequenced completely to distinguish the different provenances. We provide 8 novel mitochondrial SNPs that are putatively diagnostic for the separation of L. gmelinii and L. cajanderi, while 4 chloroplast SNPs have the potential to distinguish the L. gmelinii/L. cajanderi group from other Larix species. Our organelle references can be used for a targeted primer and probe design allowing the generation of short amplicons. This is particularly important with regard to future investigations of, for example, the biogeographic history of Larix by screening ancient sedimentary DNA of Larix.
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MESH Headings
- Chromosome Mapping
- DNA, Ancient
- DNA, Chloroplast/genetics
- DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
- DNA, Plant/genetics
- Genetic Variation
- Genetics, Population
- Genome, Chloroplast
- Genome, Mitochondrial
- Genome, Plant
- Haplotypes
- History, Ancient
- Larix/classification
- Larix/genetics
- Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
- Siberia
- Taiga
- Tundra
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike H. Zimmermann
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- * E-mail: (HHZ); (UH)
| | - Lars Harms
- Scientific Computing, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Laura S. Epp
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nick Mewes
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Nadine Bernhardt
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Kruse
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kathleen R. Stoof-Leichsenring
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Mareike Wieczorek
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Daronja Trense
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, Biology, Koblenz-Landau University, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Research Group, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- * E-mail: (HHZ); (UH)
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15
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Advances in the Derivation of Northeast Siberian Forest Metrics Using High-Resolution UAV-Based Photogrammetric Point Clouds. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11121447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest structure is a crucial component in the assessment of whether a forest is likely to act as a carbon sink under changing climate. Detailed 3D structural information about the tundra–taiga ecotone of Siberia is mostly missing and still underrepresented in current research due to the remoteness and restricted accessibility. Field based, high-resolution remote sensing can provide important knowledge for the understanding of vegetation properties and dynamics. In this study, we test the applicability of consumer-grade Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for rapid calculation of stand metrics in treeline forests. We reconstructed high-resolution photogrammetric point clouds and derived canopy height models for 10 study sites from NE Chukotka and SW Yakutia. Subsequently, we detected individual tree tops using a variable-window size local maximum filter and applied a marker-controlled watershed segmentation for the delineation of tree crowns. With this, we successfully detected 67.1% of the validation individuals. Simple linear regressions of observed and detected metrics show a better correlation (R2) and lower relative root mean square percentage error (RMSE%) for tree heights (mean R2 = 0.77, mean RMSE% = 18.46%) than for crown diameters (mean R2 = 0.46, mean RMSE% = 24.9%). The comparison between detected and observed tree height distributions revealed that our tree detection method was unable to representatively identify trees <2 m. Our results show that plot sizes for vegetation surveys in the tundra–taiga ecotone should be adapted to the forest structure and have a radius of >15–20 m to capture homogeneous and representative forest stands. Additionally, we identify sources of omission and commission errors and give recommendations for their mitigation. In summary, the efficiency of the used method depends on the complexity of the forest’s stand structure.
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16
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Epp LS, Kruse S, Kath NJ, Stoof-Leichsenring KR, Tiedemann R, Pestryakova LA, Herzschuh U. Temporal and spatial patterns of mitochondrial haplotype and species distributions in Siberian larches inferred from ancient environmental DNA and modeling. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17436. [PMID: 30498238 PMCID: PMC6265258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35550-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in species' distributions are classically projected based on their climate envelopes. For Siberian forests, which have a tremendous significance for vegetation-climate feedbacks, this implies future shifts of each of the forest-forming larch (Larix) species to the north-east. However, in addition to abiotic factors, reliable projections must assess the role of historical biogeography and biotic interactions. Here, we use sedimentary ancient DNA and individual-based modelling to investigate the distribution of larch species and mitochondrial haplotypes through space and time across the treeline ecotone on the southern Taymyr peninsula, which at the same time presents a boundary area of two larch species. We find spatial and temporal patterns, which suggest that forest density is the most influential driver determining the precise distribution of species and mitochondrial haplotypes. This suggests a strong influence of competition on the species' range shifts. These findings imply possible climate change outcomes that are directly opposed to projections based purely on climate envelopes. Investigations of such fine-scale processes of biodiversity change through time are possible using paleoenvironmental DNA, which is available much more readily than visible fossils and can provide information at a level of resolution that is not reached in classical palaeoecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Epp
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research Section, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Stefan Kruse
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research Section, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Nadja J Kath
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research Section, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kathleen R Stoof-Leichsenring
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research Section, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Luidmila A Pestryakova
- Department for Geography and Biology, North-Eastern Federal University of Yakutsk, Belinskogo 58, 67700, Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Ulrike Herzschuh
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research Section, Telegrafenberg A43, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
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