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Ni M, Vellend M. Soil properties constrain forest understory plant distributions along an elevation gradient. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230373. [PMID: 38583477 PMCID: PMC10999263 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Projections of spatial biodiversity dynamics under climate warming are often based on models including only climate variables, and when non-climatic factors (e.g. soil) are included, data are often at much coarser spatial resolutions than those experienced by plants. Field studies along elevation gradients permit the gathering of detailed soil data, while still covering a wide climatic gradient. Here, an intensive field survey of four spring forest herbs along an elevation gradient showed that soil properties had substantial impacts on the occurrence/abundance of all species, and that soil effects were more pronounced at higher elevations. For Trillium erectum and Claytonia caroliniana, very infrequent occurrences at high elevation were strongly associated with rare microsites with high pH or nutrients. In a seven-year transplant experiment with T. erectum, we found that individuals grew to much smaller sizes at high than low elevation, suggesting that environmental factors rather than dispersal limitation constrain the species' upper range limit, despite substantial warming in recent decades. Our study demonstrates that soil factors interact strongly with climate to determine plant range limits along climatic gradients. Unsuitable soils for plants at high elevations or latitudes may represent an important constraint on future plant migration and biodiversity change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ni
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Mark Vellend
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1K 2R1
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2
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Ni M, Vellend M. Soil properties constrain predicted poleward migration of plants under climate change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:131-141. [PMID: 37525059 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Many plant species are predicted to migrate poleward in response to climate change. Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely used to quantify future suitable habitats, but they often neglect soil properties, despite the importance of soil for plant fitness. As soil properties often change along latitudinal gradients, higher-latitude soils might be more or less suitable than average conditions within the current ranges of species, thereby accelerating or slowing potential poleward migration. In this study, we built three SDMs - one with only climate predictors, one with only soil predictors, and one with both - for each of 1870 plant species in Eastern North America, in order to investigate the relative importance of soil properties in determining plant distributions and poleward shifts under climate change. While climate variables were the most important predictors, soil properties also had a substantial influence on continental-scale plant distributions. Under future climate scenarios, models including soil predicted much smaller northward shifts in distributions than climate-only models (c. 40% reduction). Our findings strongly suggest that high-latitude soils are likely to impede ongoing plant migration, and they highlight the necessity of incorporating soil properties into models and predictions for plant distributions and migration under environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ni
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
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3
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Jiménez-Alfaro B, Aunina L, Carbognani M, Dítě D, Fernández-Pascual E, Garbolino E, Hájek O, Hájková P, Ivchenko TG, Jandt U, Jansen F, Kolari THM, Pawlikowski P, Pérez-Haase A, Peterka T, Petraglia A, Plesková Z, Tahvanainen T, Tomaselli M, Hájek M. Habitat-based biodiversity responses to macroclimate and edaphic factors in European fen ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6756-6771. [PMID: 37818677 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding large-scale drivers of biodiversity in palustrine wetlands is challenging due to the combined effects of macroclimate and local edaphic conditions. In boreal and temperate fen ecosystems, the influence of macroclimate on biodiversity is modulated by hydrological settings across habitats, making it difficult to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Here, we investigate the influence of macroclimate and edaphic factors on three Essential Biodiversity Variables across eight ecologically defined habitats that align with ecosystem classifications and red lists. We used 27,555 vegetation plot samples from European fens to assess the influence of macroclimate and groundwater pH predictors on the geographic distribution of each habitat type. Additionally, we modeled the relative influence of macroclimate, water pH, and water table depth on community species richness and composition, focusing on 309 plant specialists. Our models reveal strong effects of mean annual temperature, diurnal thermal range, and summer temperature on biodiversity variables, with contrasting differences among habitats. While macroclimatic factors primarily shape geographic distributions and species richness, edaphic factors emerge as the primary drivers of composition for vascular plants and bryophytes. Annual precipitation exhibits non-linear effects on fen biodiversity, with varying impact across habitats with different hydrological characteristics, suggesting a minimum requirement of 600 mm of annual precipitation for the occurrence of fen ecosystems. Our results anticipate potential impacts of climate warming on European fens, with predictable changes among habitat types and geographic regions. Moreover, we provide evidence that the drivers of biodiversity in boreal and temperate fens are closely tied to the ecological characteristics of each habitat type and the dispersal abilities of bryophytes and vascular plants. Given that the influence of macroclimate and edaphic factors on fen ecosystems is habitat specific, climate change research and conservation actions should consider ecological differentiation within functional IUCN ecosystems at continental and regional scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
- Biodiversity Research Institute, IMIB (Univ.Oviedo-CSIC-Princ.Asturias), Mieres, Spain
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Liene Aunina
- Institute of Biology of University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Michele Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Daniel Dítě
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Emmanuel Garbolino
- Climpact Data Science, Nova Sophia-Regus Nova, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France
| | - Ondřej Hájek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Hájková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tatiana G Ivchenko
- Laboratory of General Geobotany, Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Group of Ecology of Living Organisms, Tobolsk Complex Scientific Station, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tobolsk, Russia
| | - Ute Jandt
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Jansen
- Faculty of Agricultural- and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Tiina H M Kolari
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Paweł Pawlikowski
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aaron Pérez-Haase
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomáš Peterka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Zuzana Plesková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Teemu Tahvanainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Marcello Tomaselli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michal Hájek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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4
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Kolari THM, Tahvanainen T. Inference of future bog succession trajectory from spatial chronosequence of changing aapa mires. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9988. [PMID: 37082320 PMCID: PMC10111175 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change-driven vegetation changes can alter the ecosystem functions of northern peatlands. Several case studies have documented fen-to-bog transition (FBT) over recent decades, which can have major implications, as increased bog growth would likely cause cooling feedback. However, studies beyond individual cases are missing to infer if a common trajectory or many alternatives of FBT are in progress. We explored plant community and hydrology patterns during FBT of 23 boreal aapa mire complexes in Finland. We focused on mires where comparisons of historical (1940-1970) and new (2017-2019) aerial photographs indicated an expansion of Sphagnum-dominated zones. Vegetation plot and water chemistry data were collected from string-flark fens, transition zones with indications of Sphagnum increase, and bog zones; thus, in a chronosequence with a decadal time span. We ask, is there a common trajectory or many alternatives of FBT in progress, and what are the main characteristics (species and traits) of transitional plant communities? We found a pattern of fen-bog transitions via an increase in Sphagnum sect. Cuspidata (mainly S. majus and S. balticum), indicating a consistently high water table. Indicators only of transitional communities were scarce (Sphagnum lindbergii), but FBT had apparently facilitated shallow-rooted aerenchymatous vascular plants, especially Scheuchzeria palustris. Water pH consistently reflected the chronosequence with averages of 4.2, 3.9, and 3.8, from fen to transition and bog zones. Due to weak minerotrophy of string-flark fens, species richness increased towards bogs, but succession led to reduced beta diversity and homogenization among bog sites. Decadal chronosequence suggested a future fen-bog transition through a wet phase, instead of a drying trend. Transitional poor-fen vegetation was characterized by the abundance of Sphagnum lindbergii, S. majus, and Scheuchzeria palustris. Sphagnum mosses likely benefit from longer growing seasons and consistently wet and acidic conditions of aapa mires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiina H. M. Kolari
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandP.O. Box 111JoensuuFI‐80101Finland
| | - Teemu Tahvanainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandP.O. Box 111JoensuuFI‐80101Finland
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5
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Climate change and land use threats to species of aapa mires, an EU priority habitat. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2023.126390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
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Singh P, Hájková P, Jiroušek M, Lizoňová Z, Peterka T, Plesková Z, Šímová A, Šmerdová E, Štechová T, Hájek M. Can Sphagnum removal reverse the undesired succession of rich fens under different alkalinity and fertility levels? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2691. [PMID: 35697659 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An undesired succession of rich fens leads to the formation of dense Sphagnum carpets that outcompete brown mosses and some vascular plants, resulting in biodiversity loss in fen habitats of high conservation importance. Small-scale Sphagnum removal is a rarely implemented conservational measure, whose success may depend on soil alkalinity and fertility (i.e., nutrient availability). Therefore, characterizing the effects of pH and fertility levels would potentially allow for the development of better Sphagnum removal strategies. Two experiments were conducted across 24 rich fens of different alkalinity and fertility located in an area of ~32,000 km2 spanning from the Bohemian Massif to the Western Carpathians (Europe). We hypothesized that high alkalinity and low fertility support the restoration of rich fen vegetation after Sphagnum removal. Our study focused on four different Sphagnum groups. In Experiment 1, the treatment plots remained unfenced. In Experiment 2, the treatment plots were fenced off and target brown mosses were transplanted from the surroundings to overcome dispersal limitations. A repeated-measures design was used, with vegetation composition recorded over a 5-year period. High alkalinity rather than fertility facilitated species richness and the appearance of target brown mosses. High alkalinity generally hindered Sphagnum recovery, whereas high fertility supported the recurrence of S. teres and S. recurvum agg. Under high pH conditions, enhanced fertility further correlated with the spread of nonsphagnaceous generalist bryophytes of low conservation value. Despite sustaining a significant overall reduction, all Sphagnum taxa began to recover throughout the experiment, albeit less obviously in fens with S. warnstorfii. Sphagnum removal may reverse biodiversity loss and allow for the restoration of brown mosses in rich fens where Sphagnum cover had increased due to slight eutrophication, acidification, or a decrease in the water table. In alkaline and nutrient-poor conditions (e.g., S. warnstorfii fens), the effect is evident and long lasting and the intervention may not be extensive. In fens dominated by S. teres or S. recurvum agg., repeated or large-scale removal may be needed if high nutrient availability (potassium, phosphorus) or low alkalinity supports Sphagnum recolonization. Treatment plots with S. subgenus Sphagnum exhibited the least promising brown-moss restoration prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Singh
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Hájková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Jiroušek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Lizoňová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Peterka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Plesková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Šímová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Šmerdová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Táňa Štechová
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hájek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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7
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Hájková P, Horsáková V, Peterka T, Janeček Š, Galvánek D, Dítě D, Horník J, Horsák M, Hájek M. Conservation and restoration of Central European fens by mowing: A consensus from 20 years of experimental work. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 846:157293. [PMID: 35835198 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While the importance of conservation mowing for mesic grasslands is generally accepted, its use for fens and fen grasslands interspersed within agricultural land is still controversial. Although fens may persist naturally, ongoing environmental changes increase productivity and accelerate succession. These processes can be mitigated through conservation management with appropriate settings. However, long-term management experiments are challenging and provide only locally valid results. Here, we analysed vegetation data (bryophytes and vascular plants) from seven management experiments (spanning 3-20 years) conducted in Central European poor, moderately-rich, and calcareous spring fens (Czech Republic, Slovakia). Two of these experiments examined the effects of restoration of abandoned fens, while five experiments examined changes in mowing regimes in managed fens (cessation, intensification, delay to autumn, and litter removal). Data were analysed using unidimensional and multidimensional methods separately for the initial, extended, and entire period. Mowing had a statistically significant effect on species composition except for the shortest (3-year) experiment. Litter removal did not compensate for mowing. Mowing twice or delayed mowing significantly affected the species composition of calcareous fens. In all cases, cessation of mowing significantly reduced the richness of species, especially those of conservation importance. In contrast, any mowing of abandoned fens increased species richness. The effects of mowing intensification or cessation on species richness and composition of a restored calcareous fen were evident in the first 2-3 years. Other effects were initially weak or nonsignificant but later became stronger, such as mowing delay and restoration removal of litter, which became significant only after nearly 20 years. We found that cessation or restoration of mowing usually triggers a rapid vegetation change, whereas it can take decades to detect the response caused by changes in mowing timing. Importantly, mowing can stabilise or even restore vegetation of fen ecosystems that have been weakened by their fragmentation in the temperate agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Hájková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Lidická 25/27, CZ-602 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Veronika Horsáková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Peterka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Dobromil Galvánek
- Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-845 23, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Dítě
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Botany, Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-845 23, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jan Horník
- NGO Centaurea - Society for Landscape Monitoring and Management, Stolany 53, CZ-538 03, Czech Republic; Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Regional Department East Bohemia, Jiráskova 1665, CZ-530 02, Pardubice, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Horsák
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hájek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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Ma XY, Xu H, Cao ZY, Shu L, Zhu RL. Will climate change cause the global peatland to expand or contract? Evidence from the habitat shift pattern of Sphagnum mosses. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6419-6432. [PMID: 35900846 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Sphagnum mosses (peat mosses) are considered to be the peatland ecosystem engineers and contribute to the carbon accumulation in the peatland ecosystems. As cold-adapted species, the dominance of Sphagnum mosses in peatlands will be threatened by climate warming. The response of Sphagnum mosses to climate change is closely related to the future trajectory of carbon fluxes in peatlands. However, the impact of climate change on the habitat suitability of Sphagnum mosses on a global scale is poorly understood. To predict the potential impact of climate change on the global distribution of Sphagnum mosses, we used the MaxEnt model to predict the potential geographic distribution of six Sphagnum species that dominate peatlands in the future (2050 and 2070) under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5). The results show that the mean temperature of the coldest quarter, precipitation of the driest month, and topsoil calcium carbonate are the main factors affecting the habitat availability of Sphagnum mosses. As the climate warms, Sphagnum mosses tend to migrate northward. The suitable habitat and abundance of Sphagnum mosses increase extensively in the high-latitude boreal peatland (north of 50°N) and decrease on a large scale beyond the high-latitude boreal peatland. The southern edge of boreal peatlands would experience the greatest decline in the suitable habitat and richness of Sphagnum mosses with the temperature rising and would be a risk area for the transition from carbon sink to carbon source. The spatial-temporal pattern changes of Sphagnum mosses simulated in this study provide a reference for the development of management and conservation strategies for Sphagnum bogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ying Ma
- Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zi-Yin Cao
- Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Shu
- Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui-Liang Zhu
- Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Tiantong National Station of Forest Ecosystem, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Land Spatial Eco-restoration in Metropolitan Area, Ministry of Natural Resources, Shanghai, China
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