Debris-covered glaciers as habitat for plant and arthropod species: Environmental framework and colonization patterns

Tampucci, Duccio; Azzoni, R.; Boracchi, Patrizia; Citterio, Clara; Compostella, Chiara; Diolaiuti, Guglielmina; Isaia, Marco; Marano, Giuseppe; Smiraglia, Claudio; Gobbi, Mauro; Caccianiga, Marco

doi:10.1016/j.ecocom.2017.09.004

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Specifically, they differ from the surrounding landforms (e.g. scree slopes) by an overall lower ground surface temperature (average annual temperatures around or below 0°C) (Gobbi et al 2014, Tampucci et al 2017a, b, Gobbi et al 2018 (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several authors argued that ice-related landforms, like debris-covered glaciers and rock glaciers, can act as potential refugia for cold-adapted plants, arthropods and small rodents (Millar et al 2010, Gentili et al 2015, Tampucci et al 2017a. Debris-covered glaciers are glaciers partially or totally covered by a continuous layer of sand, gravel and rock; they are particularly common in the mountains of Asia, but the stone debris is fast increasing also on glaciers located in other areas such as the European Alps (Scherler et al 2011).…”

Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifically, debris-covered glaciers with their tongue descending below the climatic treeline, thus crossing the subalpine belt, permit the survival of cold-adapted carabids below their normal altitudinal distribution as a consequence of the thermal effect of underlying ice which ensure annual temperatures around 0°C (e.g. Gobbi et al 2011, Tampucci et al 2017a. Besides, the pressure of the stones on the ice located under them ensure the constant presence of a thin layer of water that maintains high levels of relative humidity (above 90%, see Gobbi et al 2017 andTampucci et al 2017a) which provides suitable microhabitat for the larvae (Valle et al 2020).…”

Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global warning: challenges, threats and opportunities for ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in high altitude habitats

Gobbi

2020

Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung.

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Aim of this paper is to provide the first comprehensive synthesis about ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) distribution in high altitude habitats. Specifically, the attention is focused on the species assemblages living on the most common ice-related mountain landforms (glaciers, debris-covered glaciers, glacier forelands and rock glaciers) and the challenges, threats and opportunities carabids living in these habitats have to face concerning the ongoing climate warming. The suggested role of the ice-related alpine landforms, as present climatic refugia for cold-adapted ground beetles, is discussed. Finally, the needs to develop a large-scale High-alpine Biodiversity Monitoring Program to describe how the current climate change is shaping the distribution of high altitude specialists is highlighted.

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Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Are There Alpine Landforms Actingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global warning: challenges, threats and opportunities for ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in high altitude habitats

Gobbi

2020

Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung.

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“…It is therefore evident that glacial biodiversity is characterized by species living in ice-related landforms, thus landforms ensuring, at the ground as well as on the water, average annual temperatures around 0°C [17,18]. Thus, the species living on and around ice-related landforms can be defined as cryophilous (which means "loving the ice") or cold-adapted species.…”

Section: Glacial Biodiversity: Glacial and Periglacial Landforms As Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, debris-covered glaciers are able to host permanent population of Nebria/Oreonebria species (Figure 3). Currently, data are available for five debriscovered glaciers of the Italian Alps [17,18,27,28].…”

Section: Ground Beetles On Glaciersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacial Biodiversity: Lessons from Ground-dwelling and Aquatic Insects

Gobbi¹,

Lencioni²

2021

Glaciers and the Polar Environment

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At first glance, the ground surrounding the glacier front and the streams originated by melting glaciers seem to be too extreme to host life forms. They are instead ecosystems, colonized by bacteria, fungi, algae, mosses, plants and animals (called the "glacial biodiversity"). The best adapted animals to colonize glacier surface, the recently deglaciated terrains and glacial streams are insects, specifically the ground beetles (carabids) and the non-biting midges (chironomids). This chapter aims to overview the species colonizing these habitats, their adaptation strategies to face natural cold and anthropogenic heat and the extinction threats of glacial retreat and pollution by emerging contaminants. Notes on their role in the glacial-ecosystem functioning and related ecosystem services are also given.

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