Changing methodology results in operational drift in the meaning of leaf area index, necessitating implementation of foliage layer index

Rapson, Gillian L.

doi:10.1002/ece3.3662

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In each plot, dwarf shrub cover was also recorded as a percentage of ground area covered by shrub species, represented by the shadow at solar zenith (Rapson 2018). Species cover was collected during the sampling survey in order to represent shrub abundance at the peak of the growing season.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

et al. 2020

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The study of morphological and physiological responses of shrubs to climate is crucial for the understanding of future scenarios regarding climate change. In this light, studying shrub growth and physiological acclimation along an elevation gradient might be insightful. The phenolic metabolic pathway represents a powerful tool to interpret such processes. In the South‐Eastern Alps, we investigated the relationships between elevation, plant traits (i.e. age, xylem ring width, annual shoot length), plant–plant interaction (i.e. shrub cover) and flavonoids in Vaccinium myrtillus L. (leaves, berries) in stands above the treeline. The relationships were parsed within causal networks using a confirmatory path analysis. Elevation was the main driver of V. myrtillus growth, having both direct and indirect effects on the leaf flavonoid content, but this was less evident for berries. In particular, the content of foliar flavonoids showed a peak at mid‐elevation and where the growth of xylem rings was intermediate, while it decreased in stands with higher shoot length. Flavonoid content variability of both leaves and berries was affected by elevation and shoot length. In berries, flavonoid variability was further related to all growth traits and shrub cover. These findings evidence that flavonoid content is influenced by both elevation and growth traits of V. myrtillus, often showing non‐linear relationships. These results suggest a trait‐mediated response of this plant to climate conditions as a result of trade‐offs between plant growth, plant defence, environmental stress and nutrient/resource availability.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

et al. 2020

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“…In common use by the 1900s (Shantz 1906), it is not clear why the original terminological choice was of “primary” and “secondary” succession, when “initialising succession” and “regeneration succession” would be more intuitive. But since we humans entrench our ideas (Pickett et al 2009; Rapson 2018), we should stick to the same nomenclatural theory, and add “tertiary (3°) succession” (meaning “restoration succession”) to our vocabulary, specifically to help our restoration activities. This terminology should focus managers on factors which can improve a project's success.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tertiary succession: a new concept to help vegetation restoration

Rapson

2022

Restoration Ecology

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Restoration is the human activity of manipulating vegetation with the aim of accelerating attainment of stable vegetation. But current procedures seem to arrest succession instead. A comparison of primary and secondary successions with restoration activities suggests there is little overlap in these concepts. Thinking of the process of restoration as a tertiary succession helps highlight managerial options which may improve success, especially by addressing environmental and biological legacies.

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“…On a northerly aspect of Mt Tongariro eight plots (15 × 30 m, elongated along the contour) were established, one every ≈100 m in elevation, in February 2011 from 1000 m (Plot 1) to 1700 m (Plot 8; Figure 3). Cover of Chionochloa per plot was estimated as that species' shadow at solar zenith (following Rapson, 2017; Table 1). Near each plot, precipitation was collected over the first 2 years of the experiment in two 1.5 L containers (containing 5 cm 3 of kerosene to prevent evaporation).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature dependency of litter decomposition is not demonstrated under reciprocal transplantation of tussock leaves along an altitudinal gradient

et al. 2023

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Decomposition rates are an important component of carbon sequestration rates in soils, potentially mitigating future climate change. Here we aim to better understand decomposition's relationship with temperature in natural conditions. In snow‐tussock grassland dominated by Chionochloa rubra on Mount Tongariro, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand, we measured decomposition of Chionochloa leaf litter along an ≈ 700 m altitudinal gradient, as a space‐for‐temperature experiment, representing 4.2°C of warming. We examined decomposition rates in a full reciprocal translocation of litter bags between eight plots as both the origin of eight litter types and the eight destinations of plating out of litter bags, over 4 years using six replicates, and modelled their relationships to environmental variates. Litter decomposed progressively over time, but at the same rate along the altitudinal gradient. There was no home‐field advantage. In terms of litter quality, decomposition rates were related only to litter lignin, or fibre or litter N. Only decomposition at Year 4, and that only when organised by litter destination, showed a relationship to mean annual temperature jointly with soil C, and this was only weak and implausible. When studied across the full reciprocal transplant, there were no significant interactions between Origin and Destination data with or without Years. Therefore litter from each plot decomposed at the same rate as other plots' litter at all altitudes, allowing for small, often irregular differences in litter quality and micro‐environment. Despite the few modelled differences, decomposition rates show no plausible trends in our altitude‐for‐temperature substitution. We suggest this may be a universal finding, except perhaps under different moisture regimes. Thus, under projected climate warming scenarios, changes in temperature will not directly affect decomposition rates, and cannot influence C sequestration in nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Changing methodology results in operational drift in the meaning of leaf area index, necessitating implementation of foliage layer index

Cited by 6 publications

References 36 publications

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

Plant growth shapes the effects of elevation on the content and variability of flavonoids in subalpine bilberry stands

Tertiary succession: a new concept to help vegetation restoration

Temperature dependency of litter decomposition is not demonstrated under reciprocal transplantation of tussock leaves along an altitudinal gradient

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