Developmental Plasticity Allows Betula nana to Dominate Tundra Subjected to an Altered Environment

Bret‐Harte, M. Syndonia; Shaver, Gaius R.; Zoerner, Jennifer P.; Johnstone, J. F.; Wagner, Joanna L.; Chavez, Andreas S.; IV, Ralph F. Gunkelman; Lippert, Suzanne; Laundre, James A.

doi:10.2307/2680083

Cited by 186 publications

(282 citation statements)

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“…The weakness is related to light intensity, rather than to light quality (Steufer & Huber 1998;Huber et al 1999). The development of branches, in terms of growth intensity of long shoots can play an important role in competition between shrubs (Bret-Harte et al 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic variation of dwarf birch (Betula nana) in communities dominated by Ledum palustre and Vaccinium uliginosum

Ejankowski

2010

Biologia

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Abstract:The structure and demographic processes were compared in shrub communities to test the effects of vegetation succession on population growth, fecundity and abundance of the dwarf birch (Betula nana L.), which is a rare and endangered plant species in Poland and a glacial relict in Central Europe. The effects of Ledum palustre L. and Vaccinium uliginosum L. were studied in the Linje nature reserve in Che lmińskie Lake District (northern Poland), in three permanent plots on a peat bog. Vegetative growth and reproduction of B. nana were lower in plant communities dominated by L. palustre and V. uliginosum, than in a reference site. Fecundity was also lower, despite the fact that the percentage share of potentially fertile age groups was similar in all study sites. Mortality of ramets was independent of vegetation, both for juvenile and mature stages. The results confirm that B. nana is intolerant of shade, and it is more abundant in vegetation without competitors. Light limitation can lead to its decline, primarily by a decrease in vegetative growth. Sexual reproduction may be negatively affected by shade, but it plays only small role in population growth. Butterfly larvae can destroy inflorescences, and thus contribute to low effectiveness of sexual reproduction. Increasing density of shrubs and trees in peat bogs can reduce the abundance of dwarf birch, and can lead to the extinction of its local populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic variation of dwarf birch (Betula nana) in communities dominated by Ledum palustre and Vaccinium uliginosum

Ejankowski

2010

Biologia

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“…We performed leaf-level isoprene emission rate measurements on S. pulchra plants from an existing global change manipulation experiment (for full details, see Chapin et al, 1995;Bret-Harte et al, 2001;Shaver et al, 2001). The following treatments were applied in addition to the control (C): nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), combined nitrogen and phosphorus (NP), and a greenhouse (GH) treatment which elevated ecosystem temperature.…”

Section: Global Change Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isoprene emissions from a tundra ecosystem

et al. 2013

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Whole-system fluxes of isoprene from a moist acidic tundra ecosystem and leaf-level emission rates of isoprene from a common species (Salix pulchra) in that same ecosystem were measured during three separate field campaigns. The field campaigns were conducted during the summers of 2005, 2010 and 2011 and took place at the Toolik Field Station (68.6° N, 149.6° W) on the north slope of the Brooks Range in Alaska, USA. The maximum rate of whole-system isoprene flux measured was over 1.2 mg C m−2 h−1 with an air temperature of 22 °C and a PAR level over 1500 μmol m−2 s−1. Leaf-level isoprene emission rates for S. pulchra averaged 12.4 nmol m−2 s−1 (27.4 μg C gdw−1 h−1) extrapolated to standard conditions (PAR = 1000 μmol m−2 s−1 and leaf temperature = 30 °C). Leaf-level isoprene emission rates were well characterized by the Guenther algorithm for temperature with published coefficients, but less so for light. Chamber measurements from a nearby moist acidic tundra ecosystem with little S. pulchra emitted significant amounts of isoprene, but at lower rates (0.45 mg C m−2 h−1) suggesting other significant isoprene emitters. Comparison of our results to predictions from a global model found broad agreement, but a detailed analysis revealed some significant discrepancies. An atmospheric chemistry box model predicts that the observed isoprene emissions have a significant impact on Arctic atmospheric chemistry, including a reduction of hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations. Our results support the prediction that isoprene emissions from Arctic ecosystems will increase with global climate change

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“…These studies have demonstrated that plant productivity responds strongly to nutrient additions and to a lesser degree to temperature increase (Shaver and Chapin 1980, Parsons et al 1994, Boelman et al 2003, Van Wijk et al 2003. Nitrogen (N) or N in combination with phosphorus (P) can limit productivity in upland communities such as moist acidic tussock tundra (Shaver and Chapin 1980, Shaver et al 2001, moist non-acidic tussock tundra , heath tundra (Gough et al 2002), and dwarf shrub communities (Baddeley et al 1994, Zamin andGrogan 2012), while wet sedge communities tend to be Plimited .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term experimental warming and nutrient additions increase productivity in tall deciduous shrub tundra

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Warming Arctic temperatures can drive changes in vegetation structure and function directly by stimulating plant growth or indirectly by stimulating microbial decomposition of organic matter and releasing more nutrients for plant uptake and growth. The arctic biome is currently increasing in deciduous shrub cover and this increase is expected to continue with climate warming. However, little is known how current deciduous shrub communities will respond to future climate induced warming and nutrient increase. We examined the plant and ecosystem response to a long-term (18 years) nutrient addition and warming experiment in an Alaskan arctic tall deciduous shrub tundra ecosystem to understand controls over plant productivity and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storage in shrub tundra ecosystems. In addition, we used a meta-analysis approach to compare the treatment effect size for aboveground biomass among seven long-term studies conducted across multiple plant community types within the Arctic. We found that biomass, productivity, and aboveground N pools increased with nutrient additions and warming, while species diversity decreased. Both nutrient additions and warming caused the dominant functional group, deciduous shrubs, to increase biomass and proportional C and N allocation to aboveground stems but decreased allocation to belowground stems. For all response variables except soil C and N pools, effects of nutrients plus warming were largest. Soil C and N pools were highly variable and we could not detect any response to the treatments. The biomass response to warming and fertilization in tall deciduous shrub tundra was greater than moist acidic and moist non-acidic tundra and more similar to the biomass response of wet sedge tundra. Our data suggest that in a warmer and more nutrient-rich Arctic, tall deciduous shrub tundra will have greater total deciduous shrub biomass and a higher proportion of woody tissue that has a longer residence time, with a lower proportion of C and N allocated to belowground stems.

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Developmental Plasticity Allows Betula nana to Dominate Tundra Subjected to an Altered Environment

Cited by 186 publications

References 0 publications

Demographic variation of dwarf birch (Betula nana) in communities dominated by Ledum palustre and Vaccinium uliginosum

Demographic variation of dwarf birch (Betula nana) in communities dominated by Ledum palustre and Vaccinium uliginosum

Isoprene emissions from a tundra ecosystem

Long‐term experimental warming and nutrient additions increase productivity in tall deciduous shrub tundra

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