How fast can conifers climb mountains? Investigating the effects of a changing climate on the viability of Juniperus seravschanica within the mountains of Oman, and developing a conservation strategy for this tree species

Farsi, Khalid Al; Lupton, Darach; Hitchmough, James; Cameron, Ross

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.07.020

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Elevation was similarly found to be important by Casady et al (2010). Because our study area was limited to existing conifer forests, however, we did not directly look for “new conifer forests” as species expand their range to include higher elevations (Farsi et al 2017). However, the GS saw opposite directionality in temperature with cooler summer temperatures associated with faster rates of deciduous recovery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking rates of postfire conifer regeneration vs. deciduous vegetation recovery across the western United States

Vanderhoof

Hawbaker

Merriam

et al. 2020

Ecological Applications

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Postfire shifts in vegetation composition will have broad ecological impacts. However, information characterizing postfire recovery patterns and their drivers are lacking over large spatial extents. In this analysis, we used Landsat imagery collected when snow cover (SCS) was present, in combination with growing season (GS) imagery, to distinguish evergreen vegetation from deciduous vegetation. We sought to (1) characterize patterns in the rate of postfire, dual‐season Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) across the region, (2) relate remotely sensed patterns to field‐measured patterns of re‐vegetation, and (3) identify seasonally specific drivers of postfire rates of NDVI recovery. Rates of postfire NDVI recovery were calculated for both the GS and SCS for more than 12,500 burned points across the western United States. Points were partitioned into faster and slower rates of NDVI recovery using thresholds derived from field plot data (n = 230) and their associated rates of NDVI recovery. We found plots with conifer saplings had significantly higher SCS NDVI recovery rates relative to plots without conifer saplings, while plots with ≥50% grass/forbs/shrubs cover had significantly higher GS NDVI recovery rates relative to plots with <50%. GS rates of NDVI recovery were best predicted by burn severity and anomalies in postfire maximum temperature. SCS NDVI recovery rates were best explained by aridity and growing degree days. This study is the most extensive effort, to date, to track postfire forest recovery across the western United States. Isolating patterns and drivers of evergreen recovery from deciduous recovery will enable improved characterization of forest ecological condition across large spatial scales.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking rates of postfire conifer regeneration vs. deciduous vegetation recovery across the western United States

Vanderhoof

Hawbaker

Merriam

et al. 2020

Ecological Applications

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“…cuspidata, and Juniperus polycarpos var. seravschanica in the mountains of Oman [14][15][16][17]41]. Both of these species are associated with S. mascatense higher elevation communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kitam. has been the subject of many studies as it is a key species in the Western Hajar Mountains [14][15][16][17]. In another species-of-special-concern survey, Dracaena serrulata Baker was studied in the Dhofar mountains in southern Oman by Vahalík et al [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Sideroxylon Mascatense (A.DC.) T.D.Penn. and Associated Perennial Plant Communities in Oman

Hopkins

Al-Yahyai

Lupton³

2021

Preprint

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BackgroundOman is located on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and is characterized by an arid climate with a vast and varied landscape. Sideroxylon mascatense is a fruit-producing species growing in the arid mountainous regions of North Africa, The Middle East, and Asia. To date, there are no studies describing the population distribution of S. mascatense and the plant communities associated with it in Oman. This study fills this gap.ResultsA series of botanical field surveys was carried out between June 2018 and August 2019 to describe the distribution and associated plant communities of S. mascatense in the Western Hajar Mountains. Sample units were surveyed in the months of June, July, and August as this is the optimal fruiting period of S. mascatense in the Western Hajar Mountains of Oman. Throughout the surveys, 54 perennial non-cultivated species from 32 families were observed growing with S. mascatense. Two-way cluster analysis and indicator species analysis found two main plant communities associated with S. mascatense along an altitudinal gradient. These were the Acridocarpus orientalis-Euphorbia larica community and the Olea europaea-Euryops arabicus community. There was species overlap in the transitional area between the communities where the environmental factors allowed for continuation along the altitudinal gradient. There was no recruitment of S. mascatense observed during the surveys.ConclusionsThe lack of recruitment, along with the threats of overgrazing and habitat destruction, point to an uncertain future for the S. mascatense populations in Oman. As S. mascatense is associated with threatened key species in the Western Hajar Mountains, S. mascatense should be protected and included in conservation projects. This could allow for the establishment of natural recruitment of S. mascatense, thereby preserving the fragile ecosystem of the Western Hajar Mountains and ensuring the future survival of S. mascatense and its associated communities.

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“…The name of this species is associated with the region along the Zeravshan (Zarafshon) River in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where this tree was initially found, widely spread across the hills of the Pamir-Alay mountain system [ 3 ]. Therefore, it was assumed that J. seravschanica originated in that area and spread to the neighboring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Oman [ 4 ]. This species is the main forest-forming factor of the Western Tian Shan (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and the Pamir-Alay (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) mountain systems [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the conservation of this species’ genetic resources and the reconstruction of its habitats are essential. A comprehensive assessment of the genetic diversity and genetic structure of this species’ natural populations will serve as a basic background for proposing conservation strategies and protecting J. servaschanica resources [ 4 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Juniperus seravschanica Kom. Collected in Central Asia

Yermagambetova

Almerekova

Turginov³

et al. 2023

Plants

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Juniperus seravschanica Kom. is a species that grows widely in the mountain ranges from Central Asia to Oman. It is an important tree for the formation of shrub–forest massifs in mountainous areas and for draining and fixing soils from middle to high altitudes. A comprehensive study of the species’ genetic diversity and population structure is a basic approach to understanding the current status of J. seravschanica resources for the development of future conservation strategies. Samples from 15 populations of J. seravschanica were collected from the mountain ranges of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The genetic diversity and population structure of 15 Central Asian populations of J. seravschanica were assessed using 11 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Genetic diversity parameters, including the number of alleles (na), the effective number of alleles (ne), Shannon’s information index (I), the percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL), Nei’s genetic diversity index (Nei), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), etc., were evaluated. The analysis of 15 J. seravschanica populations based on 11 polymorphic SSRs detected 35 alleles. The average PIC value was 0.432, and the highest value (0.662) was found in the JT_40 marker. Nei’s genetic diversity index for the J. seravschanica populations was 0.450, ranging from 0.407 (population 14) to 0.566 (population 4). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 90.3% of total genetic variation is distributed within the population. Using the alleles of all the populations, the gene flow (Nm) was found to be 4.654. Population structure analysis revealed poor clustering in the studied populations and confirmed our AMOVA results. The output of this work can be efficiently used for the maintenance of the species across the Central Asian region.

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How fast can conifers climb mountains? Investigating the effects of a changing climate on the viability of Juniperus seravschanica within the mountains of Oman, and developing a conservation strategy for this tree species

Cited by 9 publications

References 30 publications

Tracking rates of postfire conifer regeneration vs. deciduous vegetation recovery across the western United States

Tracking rates of postfire conifer regeneration vs. deciduous vegetation recovery across the western United States

Distribution of Sideroxylon Mascatense (A.DC.) T.D.Penn. and Associated Perennial Plant Communities in Oman

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Juniperus seravschanica Kom. Collected in Central Asia

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