Alpine vascular plant species richness: the importance of daily maximum temperature and pH

Vonlanthen, Corinne M.; Kammer, Peter M.; Eugster, Werner; Bühler, A.; Veit, Heinz

doi:10.1007/s11258-005-9048-5

Cited by 54 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They showed that, besides soil pH, length of growing season and daily maximum temperature (measured 15 cm above ground) were important abiotic factors discerning snowbed communities from other alpine plant communities. Furthermore, the study of Vonlanthen et al (2006b) as well as our study found that T max and T mean were highly correlated and that both significantly influenced floristic composition while T min was of lower relevance in this regard. Our results, therefore, suggest that growing season length and T max are not only relevant explanatory variables to discriminate among the alpine plant communities (Vonlanthen et al 2006a), but also for small-scale vegetation patterns within alpine snowbed communities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Small-scale plant species distribution in snowbeds and its sensitivity to climate change

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

International audienceAlpine snowbeds are characterized by a long-lasting snow cover and low soil temperature during the growing season. Both these key abiotic factors controlling plant life in snowbeds are sensitive to anthropogenic climate change and will alter the environmental conditions in snowbeds to a considerable extent until the end of this century. In order to name winners and losers of climate change among the plant species inhabiting snowbeds, we analyzed the small-scale species distribution along the snowmelt and soil temperature gradients within alpine snowbeds in the Swiss Alps. The results show that the date of snowmelt and soil temperature were relevant abiotic factors for small-scale vegetation patterns within alpine snowbed communities. Species richness in snowbeds was reduced to about 50% along the environmental gradients towards later snowmelt date or lower daily maximum temperature. Furthermore, the occurrence pattern of the species along the snowmelt gradient allowed the establishment of five species categories with different predictions of their distribution in a warmer world. The dominants increased their relative cover with later snowmelt date and will, therefore, lose abundance due to climate change, but resist complete disappearance from the snowbeds. The indifferents and the transients increased in species number and relative cover with higher temperature and will profit from climate warming. The snowbed specialists will be the most suffering species due to the loss of their habitats as a consequence of earlier snowmelt dates in the future and will be replaced by the avoiders of late-snowmelt sites. These forthcoming profiteers will take advantage from an increasing number of suitable habitats due to an earlier start of the growing season and increased temperature. Therefore, the characteristic snowbed vegetation will change to a vegetation unit dominated by alpine grassland species. The study highlights the vulnerability of the established snowbed vegetation to climate change and requires further studies particularly about the role of biotic interactions in the predicted invasion and replacement process

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Short growing seasons and low temperature are well known alpine stress factors (e.g. Komárková 1993;Kammer and Möhl 2002;Vonlanthen et al 2006b) delimiting the number of species able to grow under these conditions. Only well adapted plant species could grow and reproduce at the harsher end of the environmental gradients under study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale plant species distribution in snowbeds and its sensitivity to climate change

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Plant size of all species occurring in snowbeds was consistently low (mean canopy height approximately 5 cm). Peak standing biomass was 14.5 g m −2 with a vegetation cover of 85% (Vonlanthen et al 2006b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Counterbalancing effects of competition for resources and facilitation against grazing in alpine snowbed communities

Schöb

Kammer

Kikvidze

et al. 2010

Oikos

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Alpine snowbeds are habitats where the major limiting factors for plant growth are herbivory and a small time window for growth due to late snowmelt. Despite these limitations, snowbed vegetation usually forms a dense carpet of palatable plants due to favourable abiotic conditions for plant growth within the short growing season. These environmental characteristics make snowbeds particularly interesting to study the interplay of facilitation and competition. We hypothesised an interplay between resource competition and facilitation against herbivory. Further, we investigated whether these predicted neighbour effects were species‐specific and/or dependent on ontogeny, and whether the balance of positive and negative plant–plant interactions shifted along a snowmelt gradient. We determined the neighbour effects by means of neighbour removal experiments along the snowmelt gradient, and linear mixed model analyses. The results showed that the effects of neighbour removal were weak but generally consistent among species and snowmelt dates, and depended on whether biomass production or survival was considered. Higher total biomass and increased fruiting in removal plots indicated that plants competed for nutrients, water, and light, thereby supporting the hypothesis of prevailing competition for resources in snowbeds. However, the presence of neighbours reduced herbivory and thereby also facilitated survival. For plant growth the facilitative effects against herbivores in snowbeds counterbalanced competition for resources, leading to a weak negative net effect. Overall the neighbour effects were not species‐specific and did not change with snowmelt date. Our finding of counterbalancing effects of competition and facilitation within a plant community is of special theoretical value for species distribution models and can explain the success of models that give primary importance to abiotic factors and tend to overlook interrelations between biotic and abiotic effects on plants.

show abstract

“…), and data on the effect of environmental gradients on the patterns of distribution of plant communities in alpine ranges are in general very rare (Vonlanthen et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation–environment relationships in alpine mires of the West Carpathians and the Alps

Sekulová

Hájek

Syrovátka

2013

J Vegetation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Questions How do two distant mountain ranges differ in their vegetation–environment relationships, overall species composition and its variability and species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes in alpine fens and bogs? Is the floristic difference consistent along the acidity–alkalinity gradient? Location West Carpathians (Poland, Slovakia) and Swiss Alps. Methods Vascular plant and bryophyte species compositions and environmental characteristics were sampled along the large acidity–alkalinity gradient within the alpine belts. PERMANOVA was used for testing floristic differences between the regions, DCA for the patterns description, CCA for testing the vegetation–environment relationships and linear models for testing the local species richness determinants. Compositional β‐diversity (rate of compositional turnover) and regional species pool were compared using PERMDISP and sample‐based rarefaction curves. Results Most floristic variation was explained by water pH in both regions. Macroclimate was the second most important gradient in the Alps, correlating with the second DCA axis delimiting the moderately poor brown‐moss fens from the Sphagnum bogs. The species composition differed significantly between the regions in all three pH classes, expect for bryophytes in the middle pH class. Bryophytes exhibited higher similarities between the regions, except in acidic mires. Vascular plant composition differed most in the middle pH class. The local species richness was predominantly determined by pH, except for bryophytes in the Alps. As compared to bryophytes, vascular plant local species richness was affected by more factors and showed a clear linear response to pH. Within the particular pH classes, there were few differences in local species richness, compositional β‐diversity and regional species pool between the two mountain ranges. Conclusions The pattern in inter‐regional floristic dissimilarities differs between bryophytes and vascular plants, probably because of better dispersal ability of bryophytes, and different causes of these dissimilarities: lower mass effect at extreme ends of the acidity–alkalinity gradient in the case of vascular plants and higher compositional β‐diversity of acidic mires in the case of bryophytes. Contrary to previously explored alpine springs of the same regions, local species richness and composition were determined rather by pH than mineral richness, and all patterns were more consistent between the regions and the taxonomic groups.

show abstract

Alpine vascular plant species richness: the importance of daily maximum temperature and pH

Cited by 54 publications

References 37 publications

Small-scale plant species distribution in snowbeds and its sensitivity to climate change

Small-scale plant species distribution in snowbeds and its sensitivity to climate change

Counterbalancing effects of competition for resources and facilitation against grazing in alpine snowbed communities

Vegetation–environment relationships in alpine mires of the West Carpathians and the Alps

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About