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Willems FM, Scheepens JF, Bossdorf O. Forest wildflowers bloom earlier as Europe warms: lessons from herbaria and spatial modelling. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:52-65. [PMID: 35478407 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Today plants often flower earlier due to climate warming. Herbarium specimens are excellent witnesses of such long-term changes. However, the magnitude of phenological shifts may vary geographically, and the data are often clustered. Therefore, large-scale analyses of herbarium data are prone to pseudoreplication and geographical biases. We studied over 6000 herbarium specimens of 20 spring-flowering forest understory herbs from Europe to understand how their phenology had changed during the last century. We estimated phenology trends with or without taking spatial autocorrelation into account. On average plants now flowered over 6 d earlier than at the beginning of the last century. These changes were strongly associated with warmer spring temperatures. Flowering time advanced 3.6 d per 1°C warming. Spatial modelling showed that, in some parts of Europe, plants flowered earlier or later than expected. Without accounting for this, the estimates of phenological shifts were biased and model fits were poor. Our study indicates that forest wildflowers in Europe strongly advanced their phenology in response to climate change. However, these phenological shifts differ geographically. This shows that it is crucial to combine the analysis of herbarium data with spatial modelling when testing for long-term phenology trends across large spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska M Willems
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - J F Scheepens
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Vertically Transmitted Epichloë Systemic Endophyte Enhances Drought Tolerance of Achnatherum inebrians Host Plants through Promoting Photosynthesis and Biomass Accumulation. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050512. [PMID: 35628767 PMCID: PMC9144827 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Achnatherum inebrians (drunken horse grass, DHG) plants, a dominant grass species in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwest China, symbiotic with an Epichloë fungal endophyte, is well adapted to drought. However, little is known about how the presence of the foliar Epichloë endophyte enhances the tolerance of DHG to drought at the molecular level. This study explored the positive effects of the presence of the Epichloë endophyte on plant growth, biomass, and photosynthetic efficiency and processes of DHG under non-drought and two drought (moderate and severe) treatments, using RNA sequencing to compare transcriptomes. The transcriptome results showed that 32 selected unigenes involved in the photosynthesis processes within Epichloë symbiotic plants were differently expressed (DEGs) versus non-symbiotic plants. The majority of these selected DEGs were upregulated in Epichloë symbiotic plants versus non-symbiotic plants, such as upregulated unigenes (c51525.graph_c1, c47798.graph_c0 & c64087.graph_c0) under drought conditions. In line with the transcriptomes data, the presence of the Epichloë endophyte promoted the photosynthetic rate and biomass accumulation of DHG plants, and the relationship between the photosynthetic rate and biomass is linear and significant. The presence of the endophyte only increased the biomass per tiller of DHG plants under drought. This study provides further insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie the enhanced plant growth and drought tolerance of Epichloë-symbiotic DHG plants.
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Slatyer RA, Umbers KDL, Arnold PA. Ecological responses to variation in seasonal snow cover. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13727. [PMID: 33636757 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal snow is among the most important factors governing the ecology of many terrestrial ecosystems, but rising global temperatures are changing snow regimes and driving widespread declines in the depth and duration of snow cover. Loss of the insulating snow layer will fundamentally change the environment. Understanding how individuals, populations, and communities respond to different snow conditions is thus essential for predicting and managing future ecosystem change. We synthesized 365 studies that examined ecological responses to variation in winter snow conditions. This research encompasses a broad range of methods (experimental manipulations, measurement of natural snow gradients, and long-term monitoring), locations (35 countries), study organisms (plants, mammals, arthropods, birds, fish, lichen, and fungi), and response measures. Earlier snowmelt was consistently associated with advanced spring phenology in plants, mammals, and arthropods. Reduced snow depth often increased mortality or physical injury in plants, although there were few clear effects on animals. Neither snow depth nor snowmelt timing had clear or consistent directional effects on body size of animals or biomass of plants. However, because 96% of studies were from the northern hemisphere, the generality of these trends across ecosystems and localities is also unclear. We identified substantial research gaps for several taxonomic groups and response types; research on wintertime responses was notably scarce. Future research should prioritize examination of the mechanisms underlying responses to changing snow conditions and the consequences of those responses for seasonally snow-covered ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Slatyer
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Kate D L Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Pieter A Arnold
- Division of Ecology & Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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4
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Schuchardt MA, Berauer BJ, Heßberg A, Wilfahrt P, Jentsch A. Drought effects on montane grasslands nullify benefits of advanced flowering phenology due to warming. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Max A. Schuchardt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
| | - Bernd J. Berauer
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
- Department of Plant Ecology Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology University of Hohenheim Hohenheim Germany
| | - Andreas Heßberg
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
| | - Peter Wilfahrt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany
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Zettlemoyer MA, Renaldi K, Muzyka MD, Lau JA. Extirpated prairie species demonstrate more variable phenological responses to warming than extant congeners. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:958-970. [PMID: 34133754 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Shifting phenology in response to climate is one mechanism that can promote population persistence and geographic spread; therefore, species with limited ability to phenologically track changing environmental conditions may be more susceptible to population declines. Alternatively, apparently nonresponding species may demonstrate divergent responses to multiple environmental conditions experienced across seasons. METHODS Capitalizing on herbarium records from across the midwestern United States and on detailed botanical surveys documenting local extinctions over the past century, we investigated whether extirpated and extant taxa differ in their phenological responses to temperature and precipitation during winter and spring (during flowering and the growing season before flowering) or in the magnitude of their flowering time shift over the past century. RESULTS Although warmer temperatures across seasons advanced flowering, extirpated and extant species differed in the magnitude of their phenological responses to winter and spring warming. Extirpated species demonstrated inconsistent phenological responses to warmer spring temperatures, whereas extant species consistently advanced flowering in response to warmer spring temperatures. In contrast, extirpated species advanced flowering more than extant species in response to warmer winter temperatures. Greater spring precipitation tended to delay flowering for both extirpated and extant taxa. Finally, both extirpated and extant taxa delayed flowering over time. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the importance of understanding phenological responses to seasonal warming and indicates that extirpated species may demonstrate more variable phenological responses to temperature than extant congeners, a finding consistent with the hypothesis that appropriate phenological responses may reduce species' likelihood of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Zettlemoyer
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060-9505, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824-6406, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-5004, USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer A Lau
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060-9505, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824-6406, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405-7005, USA
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Arroyo MTK, Tamburrino Í, Pliscoff P, Robles V, Colldecarrera M, Guerrero PC. Flowering Phenology Adjustment and Flower Longevity in a South American Alpine Species. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10030461. [PMID: 33671053 PMCID: PMC7997458 DOI: 10.3390/plants10030461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Delayed flowering due to later snowmelt and colder temperatures at higher elevations in the alpine are expected to lead to flowering phenological adjustment to prevent decoupling of peak flowering from the warmest time of the year, thereby favoring pollination. However, even if flowering is brought forward in the season at higher elevations, an elevational temperature gap is likely to remain between the high- and low-elevation populations of a species at the time these reach peak flowering on account of the atmospheric reduction in temperature with increasing elevation. The negative effect of this temperature gap on pollination could be compensated by plastically-prolonged flower life spans at higher elevations, increasing the probability of pollination. In a tightly temperature-controlled study, the flowering phenology adjustment and flower longevity compensation hypotheses were investigated in an alpine species in the Andes of central Chile. The snow free period varied from 7 to 8.2 months over 810 m elevation. Temperatures were suitable for growth on 82-98% of the snow free days. Flowering onset was temporally displaced at the rate of 4.6 d per 100 m increase in elevation and flowering was more synchronous at higher elevations. Flowering phenology was adjusted over elevation. The latter was manifest in thermal sums tending to decrease with elevation for population flowering onset, 50% flowering, and peak flowering when the lower thermal limit for growth (TBASE) was held constant over elevation. For TBASE graded over elevation so as to reflect the growing season temperature decline, thermal sums did not vary with elevation, opening the door to a possible elevational decline in the thermal temperature threshold for growth. Potential flower longevity was reduced by passive warming and was more prolonged in natural populations when temperatures were lower, indicating a plastic trait. Pollination rates, as evaluated with the Relative Pollination Rate index (RPR), when weighted for differences in floral abundance over the flowering season, declined with elevation as did fruit set. Contrary to expectation, the life-spans of flowers at higher elevations were not more prolonged and failed to compensate for the elevational decrease in pollination rates. Although strong evidence for phenological adjustment was forthcoming, flower longevity compensation did not occur over Oxalis squamata´s elevational range. Thus, flower longevity compensation is not applicable in all alpine species. Comparison with work conducted several decades ago on the same species in the same area provides valuable clues regarding the effects of climate change on flowering phenology and fitness in the central Chilean alpine where temperatures have been increasing and winter snow accumulation has been declining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary T. K. Arroyo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile; (Í.T.); (V.R.)
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Ítalo Tamburrino
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile; (Í.T.); (V.R.)
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Patricio Pliscoff
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Ponticia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile;
- Instituto de Geografía, Facultad de Historia, Geografía y Ciencia Política, Ponticia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Valeria Robles
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile; (Í.T.); (V.R.)
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Maria Colldecarrera
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Santiago 7800003, Chile;
| | - Pablo C. Guerrero
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales & Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, Concepción 4030000, Chile;
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Hlalele BM. Variability analysis of dry spells for improving agribusiness management in Lesotho. JAMBA (POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA) 2020; 12:814. [PMID: 33354302 PMCID: PMC7736657 DOI: 10.4102/jamba.v12i1.814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, rain-fed agriculture remains one of the major sources of food, employment for low-skilled and rural community members and income for both commercial and subsistence farmers. Understanding problems posed by dry spells variability on agribusinesses is one of the critical challenges of our time. This study characterised dry spells in Lesotho for the improvement of agribusinesses using standardised precipitation (SPI) and standardised precipitation evapotranspiration (SPEI) drought indices. This study was found imperative mainly because Basotho's livelihood is dependent on rain-fed agriculture and this study further aimed to provide an early warning system that could be used for policymaking against adverse effects of drought events in the area. A 30-year-long rainfall and average monthly temperature data were collected from 10 administrative districts of Lesotho and used to compute SPI and SPEI values. Three dry spell parameters - frequency, duration and intensity - were derived from SPI and SPEI time series. The main findings of this study were that all candidate stations experienced similar dry spell conditions in both duration and frequency and all the selected stations throughout the country experienced extreme drought intensity levels from both SPI and SPEI. Two of the 10 districts showed a statistically significant decrease in Mann Kendal's trend from both SPI and SPEI time series. This implied that farmers must be encouraged to grow drought-resistant cultivars in order to sustain and support agribusiness in Lesotho. Rangeland policies and legislations must be enforced for livestock production, especially in the periods when extreme dry spell events are expected. The government and all other relevant stakeholders are, therefore, encouraged to devise means to support farmers with irrigation systems to maintain agricultural production, revenue and employees' employment status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard M Hlalele
- Department of Business Support Studies, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Chmura HE, Kharouba HM, Ashander J, Ehlman SM, Rivest EB, Yang LH. The mechanisms of phenology: the patterns and processes of phenological shifts. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen E. Chmura
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Fairbanks Alaska 99775 USA
| | - Heather M. Kharouba
- Department of Biology; University of Ottawa; Ottawa Ontario K1N 9B4 Canada
- Department of Entomology and Nematology; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Jaime Ashander
- Center for Population Biology; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Sean M. Ehlman
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
- Center for Population Biology; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Emily B. Rivest
- Bodega Marine Laboratory; University of California, Davis; Bodega Bay California 94923 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences; Virginia Institute of Marine Science; College of William & Mary; Gloucester Point Virginia 23062 USA
| | - Louie H. Yang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology; University of California, Davis; Davis California 95616 USA
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Bucher SF, König P, Menzel A, Migliavacca M, Ewald J, Römermann C. Traits and climate are associated with first flowering day in herbaceous species along elevational gradients. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1147-1158. [PMID: 29375786 PMCID: PMC5773311 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenological responses to changing temperatures are known as “fingerprints of climate change,” yet these reactions are highly species specific. To assess whether different plant characteristics are related to these species‐specific responses in flowering phenology, we observed the first flowering day (FFD) of ten herbaceous species along two elevational gradients, representing temperature gradients. On the same populations, we measured traits being associated with (1) plant performance (specific leaf area), (2) leaf biochemistry (leaf C, N, P, K, and Mg content), and (3) water‐use efficiency (stomatal pore area index and stable carbon isotopes concentration). We found that as elevation increased, FFD was delayed for all species with a highly species‐specific rate. Populations at higher elevations needed less temperature accumulation to start flowering than populations of the same species at lower elevations. Surprisingly, traits explained a higher proportion of variance in the phenological data than elevation. Earlier flowering was associated with higher water‐use efficiency, higher leaf C, and lower leaf P content. In addition to that, the intensity of shifts in FFD was related to leaf N and K. These results propose that traits have a high potential in explaining phenological variations, which even surpassed the effect of temperature changes in our study. Therefore, they have a high potential to be included in future analyses studying the effects of climate change and will help to improve predictions of vegetation changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solveig Franziska Bucher
- Department of Plant Biodiversity Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Patrizia König
- Department of Plant Biodiversity Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management Technische Universität München Freising Germany.,Institute for Advanced Study Technische Universität München Garching Germany
| | - Mirco Migliavacca
- Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions and Experimentation Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany
| | - Jörg Ewald
- Department of Forest Science and Forestry Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences Freising Germany
| | - Christine Römermann
- Department of Plant Biodiversity Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
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Rosbakh S, Leingärtner A, Hoiss B, Krauss J, Steffan-Dewenter I, Poschlod P. Contrasting Effects of Extreme Drought and Snowmelt Patterns on Mountain Plants along an Elevation Gradient. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1478. [PMID: 28900434 PMCID: PMC5581835 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Despite the evidence that increased frequency and magnitude of extreme climate events (ECE) considerably affect plant performance, there is still a lack of knowledge about how these events affect mountain plant biodiversity and mountain ecosystem functioning. Here, we assessed the short-term (one vegetation period) effects of simulated ECEs [extreme drought (DR), advanced and delayed snowmelt (AD and DE), respectively] on the performance of 42 plant species occurring in the Bavarian Alps (Germany) along an elevational gradient of 600-2000 m a.s.l. in terms of vegetative growth and reproduction performance. We demonstrate that plant vegetative and generative traits respond differently to the simulated ECEs, but the nature and magnitude treatment effects strongly depend on study site location along the elevational gradient, species' altitudinal origin and plant functional type (PFT) of the target species. For example, the negative effect of DR treatment on growth (e.g., lower growth rates and lower leaf nitrogen content) and reproduction (e.g., lower seed mass) was much stronger in upland sites, as compared to lowlands. Species' response to the treatments also differed according to their altitudinal origin. Specifically, upland species responded negatively to extreme DR (e.g., lower growth rates and lower leaf carbon concentrations, smaller seed set), whereas performance of lowland species remained unaffected (e.g., stable seed set and seed size) or even positively responded (e.g., higher growth rates) to that treatment. Furthermore, we were able to detect some consistent differences in responses to the ECEs among three PFTs (forbs, graminoids, and legumes). For instance, vegetative growth and sexual reproduction of highly adaptable opportunistic graminoids positively responded to nearly all ECEs, likely on the costs of other, more conservative, forbs and legumes. Our results suggest that ECEs can significantly modify the performance of specific plant groups and therefore lead to changes in plant community structure and composition under ongoing climate change. Our study therefore underlines the need for more experimental studies on the effects of extreme climate events to understand the potential consequences of climate change for the alpine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Rosbakh
- Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation Biology, University of RegensburgRegensburg, Germany
| | - Annette Leingärtner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hoiss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Peter Poschlod
- Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation Biology, University of RegensburgRegensburg, Germany
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11
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Wellstein C, Poschlod P, Gohlke A, Chelli S, Campetella G, Rosbakh S, Canullo R, Kreyling J, Jentsch A, Beierkuhnlein C. Effects of extreme drought on specific leaf area of grassland species: A meta-analysis of experimental studies in temperate and sub-Mediterranean systems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2473-2481. [PMID: 28208238 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of experimental drought manipulation studies using rainout shelters in five sites of natural grassland ecosystems of Europe. The single studies assess the effects of extreme drought on the intraspecific variation of the specific leaf area (SLA), a proxy of plant growth. We evaluate and compare the effect size of the SLA response for the functional groups of forbs and grasses in temperate and sub-Mediterranean systems. We hypothesized that the functional groups of grasses and forbs from temperate grassland systems have different strategies in short-term drought response, measured as adjustment of SLA, with SLA-reduction in grasses and SLA-maintenance in forbs. Second, we hypothesized that grasses and forbs from sub-Mediterranean systems do not differ in their drought response as both groups maintain their SLA. We found a significant decrease of SLA in grasses of the temperate systems in response to drought while SLA of forbs showed no significant response. Lower SLA is associated with enhanced water-use efficiency under water stress and thus can be seen as a strategy of phenotypic adjustment. By contrast, in the sub-Mediterranean systems, grasses significantly increased their SLA in the drought treatment. This result points towards a better growth performance of these grasses, which is most likely related to their strategy to allocate resources to belowground parts. The observed SLA reduction of forbs is most likely a direct drought response given that competitive effect of grasses is unlikely due to the scanty vegetation cover. We point out that phenotypic adjustment is an important driver of short-term functional plant response to climatic extremes such as drought. Differential reactions of functional groups have to be interpreted against the background of the group's evolutionary configuration that can differ between climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter Poschlod
- Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Sergey Rosbakh
- Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Jürgen Kreyling
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Vitasse Y, Rebetez M, Filippa G, Cremonese E, Klein G, Rixen C. 'Hearing' alpine plants growing after snowmelt: ultrasonic snow sensors provide long-term series of alpine plant phenology. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2017; 61:349-361. [PMID: 27539023 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-016-1216-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In alpine environments, the growing season is severely constrained by low temperature and snow. Here, we aim at determining the climatic factors that best explain the interannual variation in spring growth onset of alpine plants, and at examining whether photoperiod might limit their phenological response during exceptionally warm springs and early snowmelts. We analysed 17 years of data (1998-2014) from 35 automatic weather stations located in subalpine and alpine zones ranging from 1560 to 2450 m asl in the Swiss Alps. These stations are equipped with ultrasonic sensors for snow depth measurements that are also able to detect plant growth in spring and summer, giving a unique opportunity to analyse snow and climate effects on alpine plant phenology. Our analysis showed high phenological variation among years, with one exceptionally early and late spring, namely 2011 and 2013. Overall, the timing of snowmelt and the beginning of plant growth were tightly linked irrespective of the elevation of the station. Snowmelt date was the best predictor of plant growth onset with air temperature after snowmelt modulating the plants' development rate. This multiple series of alpine plant phenology suggests that currently alpine plants are directly tracking climate change with no major photoperiod limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Vitasse
- Institute of Geography, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland.
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Neuchatel, Switzerland.
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Group Mountain Ecosystems, Davos, Switzerland.
| | - Martine Rebetez
- Institute of Geography, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Gianluca Filippa
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Edoardo Cremonese
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Geoffrey Klein
- Institute of Geography, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Group Mountain Ecosystems, Davos, Switzerland
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Andreoli E, Roncoroni C, Gusmeroli F, Marianna GD, Giacometti G, Heroldová M, Barbieri S, Mattiello S. Feeding ecology of alpine chamois living in sympatry with other ruminant species. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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14
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Filippa G, Cremonese E, Galvagno M, Migliavacca M, Morra di Cella U, Petey M, Siniscalco C. Five years of phenological monitoring in a mountain grassland: inter-annual patterns and evaluation of the sampling protocol. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2015; 59:1927-1937. [PMID: 25933668 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-015-0999-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The increasingly important effect of climate change and extremes on alpine phenology highlights the need to establish accurate monitoring methods to track inter-annual variation (IAV) and long-term trends in plant phenology. We evaluated four different indices of phenological development (two for plant productivity, i.e., green biomass and leaf area index; two for plant greenness, i.e., greenness from visual inspection and from digital images) from a 5-year monitoring of ecosystem phenology, here defined as the seasonal development of the grassland canopy, in a subalpine grassland site (NW Alps). Our aim was to establish an effective observation strategy that enables the detection of shifts in grassland phenology in response to climate trends and meteorological extremes. The seasonal development of the vegetation at this site appears strongly controlled by snowmelt mostly in its first stages and to a lesser extent in the overall development trajectory. All indices were able to detect an anomalous beginning of the growing season in 2011 due to an exceptionally early snowmelt, whereas only some of them revealed a later beginning of the growing season in 2013 due to a late snowmelt. A method is developed to derive the number of samples that maximise the trade-off between sampling effort and accuracy in IAV detection in the context of long-term phenology monitoring programmes. Results show that spring phenology requires a smaller number of samples than autumn phenology to track a given target of IAV. Additionally, productivity indices (leaf area index and green biomass) have a higher sampling requirement than greenness derived from visual estimation and from the analysis of digital images. Of the latter two, the analysis of digital images stands out as the more effective, rapid and objective method to detect IAV in vegetation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Filippa
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy.
| | - Edoardo Cremonese
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Marta Galvagno
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Mirco Migliavacca
- Biogeochemical Integration Department, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics Lab, DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Umberto Morra di Cella
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Martina Petey
- Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley, ARPA VdA, Climate Change Unit, Aosta, Italy
| | - Consolata Siniscalco
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi - University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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Gugger S, Kesselring H, Stöcklin J, Hamann E. Lower plasticity exhibited by high- versus mid-elevation species in their phenological responses to manipulated temperature and drought. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 116:953-62. [PMID: 26424784 PMCID: PMC4640129 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Recent global changes, particularly warming and drought, have had worldwide repercussions on the timing of flowering events for many plant species. Phenological shifts have also been reported in alpine environments, where short growing seasons and low temperatures make reproduction particularly challenging, requiring fine-tuning to environmental cues. However, it remains unclear if species from such habitats, with their specific adaptations, harbour the same potential for phenological plasticity as species from less demanding habitats. METHODS Fourteen congeneric species pairs originating from mid and high elevation were reciprocally transplanted to common gardens at 1050 and 2000 m a.s.l. that mimic prospective climates and natural field conditions. A drought treatment was implemented to assess the combined effects of temperature and precipitation changes on the onset and duration of reproductive phenophases. A phenotypic plasticity index was calculated to evaluate if mid- and high-elevation species harbour the same potential for plasticity in reproductive phenology. KEY RESULTS Transplantations resulted in considerable shifts in reproductive phenology, with highly advanced initiation and shortened phenophases at the lower (and warmer) site for both mid- and high-elevation species. Drought stress amplified these responses and induced even further advances and shortening of phenophases, a response consistent with an 'escape strategy'. The observed phenological shifts were generally smaller in number of days for high-elevation species and resulted in a smaller phenotypic plasticity index, relative to their mid-elevation congeners. CONCLUSIONS While mid- and high-elevation species seem to adequately shift their reproductive phenology to track ongoing climate changes, high-elevation species were less capable of doing so and appeared more genetically constrained to their specific adaptations to an extreme environment (i.e. a short, cold growing season).
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Gugger
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, Section Plant Ecology, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Halil Kesselring
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, Section Plant Ecology, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Stöcklin
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, Section Plant Ecology, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elena Hamann
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, Section Plant Ecology, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Hoiss B, Krauss J, Steffan-Dewenter I. Interactive effects of elevation, species richness and extreme climatic events on plant-pollinator networks. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:4086-97. [PMID: 26332102 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pollinator interactions are essential for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, but are increasingly affected by global change. The risks to such mutualistic interactions from increasing temperature and more frequent extreme climatic events such as drought or advanced snow melt are assumed to depend on network specialization, species richness, local climate and associated parameters such as the amplitude of extreme events. Even though elevational gradients provide valuable model systems for climate change and are accompanied by changes in species richness, responses of plant-pollinator networks to climatic extreme events under different environmental and biotic conditions are currently unknown. Here, we show that elevational climatic gradients, species richness and experimentally simulated extreme events interactively change the structure of mutualistic networks in alpine grasslands. We found that the degree of specialization in plant-pollinator networks (H2') decreased with elevation. Nonetheless, network specialization increased after advanced snow melt at high elevations, whereas changes in network specialization after drought were most pronounced at sites with low species richness. Thus, changes in network specialization after extreme climatic events depended on climatic context and were buffered by high species richness. In our experiment, only generalized plant-pollinator networks changed in their degree of specialization after climatic extreme events. This indicates that contrary to our assumptions, network generalization may not always foster stability of mutualistic interaction networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Hoiss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany
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Primack RB, Laube J, Gallinat AS, Menzel A. From observations to experiments in phenology research: investigating climate change impacts on trees and shrubs using dormant twigs. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 116:889-97. [PMID: 25851135 PMCID: PMC4640118 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Climate change is advancing the leaf-out times of many plant species and mostly extending the growing season in temperate ecosystems. Laboratory experiments using twig cuttings from woody plant species present an affordable, easily replicated approach to investigate the relative importance of factors such as winter chilling, photoperiod, spring warming and frost tolerance on the leafing-out times of plant communities. This Viewpoint article demonstrates how the results of these experiments deepen our understanding beyond what is possible via analyses of remote sensing and field observation data, and can be used to improve climate change forecasts of shifts in phenology, ecosystem processes and ecological interactions. SCOPE The twig method involves cutting dormant twigs from trees, shrubs and vines on a single date or at intervals over the course of the winter and early spring, placing them in containers of water in controlled environments, and regularly recording leaf-out, flowering or other phenomena. Prior to or following leaf-out or flowering, twigs may be assigned to treatment groups for experiments involving temperature, photoperiod, frost, humidity and more. Recent studies using these methods have shown that winter chilling requirements and spring warming strongly affect leaf-out and flowering times of temperate trees and shrubs, whereas photoperiod requirements are less important than previously thought for most species. Invasive plant species have weaker winter chilling requirements than native species in temperate ecosystems, and species that leaf-out early in the season have greater frost tolerance than later leafing species. CONCLUSIONS This methodology could be extended to investigate additional drivers of leaf-out phenology, leaf senescence in the autumn, and other phenomena, and could be a useful tool for education and outreach. Additional ecosystems, such as boreal, southern hemisphere and sub-tropical forests, could also be investigated using dormant twigs to determine the drivers of leaf-out times and how these ecosystems will be affected by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Primack
- Biology Department, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,
| | - Julia Laube
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany and
| | - Amanda S Gallinat
- Biology Department, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Annette Menzel
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany and Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 2a, D-85748 Garching, Germany
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Predicting Effects of Climate Change on Habitat Suitability of Red Spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the USA: Understanding Complex Systems Mechanisms through Modeling. FORESTS 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/f6041208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Climate change effects on red spruce decline mitigated by reduction in air pollution within its shrinking habitat range. Ecol Modell 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Leingärtner A, Hoiss B, Krauss J, Steffan-Dewenter I. Combined effects of extreme climatic events and elevation on nutritional quality and herbivory of Alpine plants. PLoS One 2014; 9:e93881. [PMID: 24705715 PMCID: PMC3976348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climatic extreme events can cause the shift or disruption of plant-insect interactions due to altered plant quality, e.g. leaf carbon to nitrogen ratios, and phenology. However, the response of plant-herbivore interactions to extreme events and climatic gradients has been rarely studied, although climatic extremes will increase in frequency and intensity in the future and insect herbivores represent a highly diverse and functionally important group. We set up a replicated climate change experiment along elevational gradients in the German Alps to study the responses of three plant guilds and their herbivory by insects to extreme events (extreme drought, advanced and delayed snowmelt) versus control plots under different climatic conditions on 15 grassland sites. Our results indicate that elevational shifts in CN (carbon to nitrogen) ratios and herbivory depend on plant guild and season. CN ratios increased with altitude for grasses, but decreased for legumes and other forbs. In contrast to our hypotheses, extreme climatic events did not significantly affect CN ratios and herbivory. Thus, our study indicates that nutritional quality of plants and antagonistic interactions with insect herbivores are robust against seasonal climatic extremes. Across the three functional plant guilds, herbivory increased with nitrogen concentrations. Further, increased CN ratios indicate a reduction in nutritional plant quality with advancing season. Although our results revealed no direct effects of extreme climatic events, the opposing responses of plant guilds along elevation imply that competitive interactions within plant communities might change under future climates, with unknown consequences for plant-herbivore interactions and plant community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Leingärtner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Bernhard Hoiss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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