Riding the elevator to extinction: Disjunct arctic-alpine plants of open habitats decline as their more competitive neighbours expand

Watts, Sarah H.; Mardon, D. K.; Mercer, Catherine; Watson, D. M.; Cole, Helen; Shaw, Rosalind F.; Jump, Alistair S.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109620

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…In the global context, accelerating climate change is driving montane plants and treelines to higher latitudes and altitudes (Jump et al, 2012;Lenoir & Svenning, 2015;Coals et al, 2018;Watts et al, 2022a), albeit with variability in the responses of individual species (O' Sullivan et al, 2020). Nevertheless, the observations presented here are certainly too few to offer evidence of uphill movement in the distribution of British trees.…”

Section: Drivers Of New Altitudinal Records and Tree Establishment In...mentioning

confidence: 78%

“…These physical conditions accordingly influence vegetation phenology, growing season length and biological interactions. Altitudinal data are therefore key to documenting elevational range shifts or contractions driven by climate change or other anthropogenic causes (Jump et al, 2012;Watts et al, 2022a), and can consequently assist with conservation and land management decisions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

Watts¹

2023

BIB

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In 2022 a project was initiated utilising citizen science to document observations of trees growing in Britain above 900 m. This focused recording effort contributed to eleven new altitudinal records for tree species in this country, including Sorbus aucuparia at 1150 m and Picea sitchensis at 1125 m (both East Inverness-shire, v.c.96). Some of these observations involved increases of at least 200 m above previous known altitudinal limits. The new records were a mix of small, stunted plants not expected to reach maturity in these extreme environments, as well as arctic-alpine Salix shrubs adapted to low temperatures and exposed conditions. Although these findings are currently too restricted to draw broad conclusions on the impacts of climate warming and land management on tree colonisation in mountain environments, long-term data collection may allow an analysis of drivers of change in the future. Out of a total of 72 tree records above 900 m collated by the author in 2022, 56% were Picea sitchensis, highlighting the ability of this neophyte to spread into high elevation habitats. The project has been useful for generating public interest in biological recording at and above the altitudinal treeline, and the continuation of such work will assist with mountain woodland restoration projects for a variety of ecologically important taxa and plant communities.

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Section: Drivers Of New Altitudinal Records and Tree Establishment In...mentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

Watts¹

2023

BIB

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“…Disjunct distributions are commonly observed in Alpine species (e.g., Dixon et al, 2007; Huemer & Mutanen, 2012; Schönswetter et al, 2002; Watts et al, 2022) and often result from glacial or preglacial divergence (Schmitt et al, 2010; e.g., Sistri et al, 2022). Each disjunct population may hold a significant part of the overall genetic diversity of each species as a consequence of local adaptation and random allele shifts (Brooks et al, 2015; Razgour et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living on the edge—Genomic and ecological delineation of cryptic lineages in the high‐elevation specialist Erebia nivalis

Augustijnen,

Patsiou,

Schmitt

et al. 2024

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Cold‐adapted species at high elevations may be especially impacted by global warming since they may be limited in their capacity to adapt to changing conditions or may be prevented from shifting their distributions upwards if no suitable habitats are available. The latter may be true for Erebia nivalis, a high‐elevation specialist that mainly occurs in the Austrian Alps and on few mountaintops in Switzerland, where its taxonomic and conservation status remains unclear. We aimed to clarify the relationships among geographically isolated populations of E. nivalis using whole‐genome resequencing data to reconstruct population connectivity and phylogenetic relationships. We inferred current and historical effective population sizes and combined these with tests for ecological differentiation based on available occurrence data to re‐evaluate the conservation status of E. nivalis. Our results confirm that Swiss and Austrian E. nivalis should be considered different evolutionarily significant units for conservation purposes, as they are marked by moderate genomic differentiation, distinct demographic histories and a difference in the abiotic conditions of their habitats. In both Austria and Switzerland, we found rapid uphill range shifts over the last decades, little population connectivity, low current effective population sizes and low genetic diversity. The above, combined with the low dispersal capacity of this 2‐year lifecycle species and its need to overwinter under snow, which is rapidly retreating from several regions of the Alps, leads us to suggest that the status of E. nivalis should be updated to ‘Vulnerable’ or ‘Endangered’ in the European, Swiss and Austrian Red Lists.

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“…Thus, when trying to migrate into upslope areas characterized by the most intense slope movements (Slaymaker and Embleton-Hamann, 2018), these species may not succeed and could thus be lost. Vegetation regression and declining population sizes of arctic-alpine species due to permafrost degradation, rockfall and landslide activity are currently observed at high elevations (Cannone et al, 2007; Carlson et al, 2017; Watts et al, 2022) and also occurred in the past. Pollen analysis found that during the Younger Dryas between 11,000 and 9800 BP, abundances of tree, tall and prostrate shrub species and overall vegetation cover decreased, while abundances of pioneer species increased (Tinner et al, 1996).…”

Section: Three Scenarios Of Biogeomorphic Balance In High Mountain En...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Efficient debris flow and rockfall protection, for example, by reducing runout length is linked to high stem diameters or stem densities of tree species (Bettella et al, 2018; Guthrie et al, 2010; Michelini et al, 2017). However, upslope advance by competitive tall shrub and tree species and slope stabilization will reduce habitat area for light-demanding alpine species and limit downslope movement for those species (Choler et al, 2021; Rixen et al, 2007; Watts et al, 2022), potentially reducing biodiversity locally. Rapid shrub and tree upslope expansion is frequently reported for stable slopes at lower elevations (Filippa et al, 2019; Myers-Smith and Hik, 2018) or for stabilizing slopes at intermediate elevations, such as inactive and relict rock glaciers (Burga et al, 2004; Cannone and Gerdol, 2003).…”

Section: Three Scenarios Of Biogeomorphic Balance In High Mountain En...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Go or grow? Feedbacks between moving slopes and shifting plants in high mountain environments

Eichel,

Stoffel,

Wipf

2023

Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment

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High mountains are climate change hotspots. Quickly rising temperatures trigger vegetation shifts such as upslope migration, possibly threatening mountain biodiversity. At the same time, mountain slopes are becoming increasingly unstable due to degrading permafrost and changing rain and snowfall regimes, which favour slope movements such as rockfall and debris flows. Slope movements can limit plant colonization, while, at the same time, plant colonization can stabilize moving slopes. Thus, we here propose that response of high mountain environments to climate change depends on a ‘biogeomorphic balance’ between slope movement intensity and the trait-dependent ability of mountain plants to survive and stabilize slopes. We envision three possible scenarios of biogeomorphic balance: (1) Intensifying slope movements limit vegetation shifts and thus amplify instability. (2) Shifting ecosystem engineer species reduce slope movement and facilitate shifts for less movement-adapted species. (3) Trees and tall shrubs shifting on stable slopes limit slope instability but decrease biodiversity. Previous geomorphic, ecological and palaeoecological studies support all three scenarios. Given differences in ecologic and geomorphic response rates to climate change, as well as high environmental heterogeneity and elevational gradients in mountain environments, we posit that future biogeomorphic balances will be variable and heterogeneous in time and space. To further unravel future biogeomorphic balances, we propose three new research directions for joint research of mountain geomorphologists and ecologists, using advancing field measurement, remote sensing and modelling techniques. Recognizing high mountains as ‘biogeomorphic ecosystems’ will help to better safeguard mountain infrastructure, lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world.

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Riding the elevator to extinction: Disjunct arctic-alpine plants of open habitats decline as their more competitive neighbours expand

Cited by 14 publications

References 104 publications

High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain

Living on the edge—Genomic and ecological delineation of cryptic lineages in the high‐elevation specialist Erebia nivalis

Go or grow? Feedbacks between moving slopes and shifting plants in high mountain environments

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