Sexual reproduction of the high mountain plant Saxifraga moschata Wulfen at varying lengths of the growing season

Ladinig, Ursula; Wagner, Johanna

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2005.06.002

Cited by 34 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…For most insects, the base temperatures that provided the best fit in these models were higher than for most plants. This accords reasonably well with previous studies that have used base temperatures between 48C (Kimberling and Miller 1988) and 188C (Kemp and Onsager 1986) to predict insect phenology (see also Campbell et al 1974, Nealis et al 1984, and base temperatures of 0-18C (e.g., Ladinig and Wagner 2005, Larl and Wagner 2005, Hu¨lber et al 2010 for plants. If this is a general pattern, it suggests that increases in average temperatures will hasten phenologies of both insects and plants; but the details of when warming occurs will determine the potential for differential effects on insects and plants.…”

Section: Environmental Determinants Of Phenologysupporting

confidence: 91%

An examination of synchrony between insect emergence and flowering in Rocky Mountain meadows

Forrest

Thomson

2011

Ecological Monographs

228

240

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Abstract. One possible effect of climate change is the generation of a mismatch in the seasonal timing of interacting organisms, owing to species-specific shifts in phenology. Despite concerns that plants and pollinators might be at risk of such decoupling, there have been few attempts to test this hypothesis using detailed phenological data on insect emergence and flowering at the same localities. In particular, there are few data sets on pollinator flight seasons that are independent of flowering phenology, because pollinators are typically collected at flowers. To address this problem, we established standardized nesting habitat (trap nests) for solitary bees and wasps at sites along an elevational gradient in the Rocky Mountains, and monitored emergence during three growing seasons. We also recorded air temperatures and flowering phenology at each site. Using a reciprocal transplant experiment with nesting bees, we confirmed that local environmental conditions are the primary determinants of emergence phenology. We were then able to develop phenology models to describe timing of pollinator emergence or flowering, across all sites and years, as a function of accumulated degree-days. Although phenology of both plants and insects is well described by thermal models, the best models for insects suggest generally higher threshold temperatures for development or diapause termination than those required for plants. In addition, degreeday requirements for most species, both plants and insects, were lower in locations with longer winters, indicating either a chilling or vernalization requirement that is more completely fulfilled at colder sites, or a critical photoperiod before which degree-day accumulation does not contribute to development. Overall, these results suggest that phenology of plants and trap-nesting bees and wasps is regulated in similar ways by temperature, but that plants are more likely than insects to advance phenology in response to springtime warming. We discuss the implications of these results for plants and pollinators, and suggest that phenological decoupling alone is unlikely to threaten population persistence for most species in our study area.

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Section: Environmental Determinants Of Phenologysupporting

confidence: 91%

An examination of synchrony between insect emergence and flowering in Rocky Mountain meadows

Forrest

Thomson

2011

Ecological Monographs

228

240

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“…In field studies, the inflorescences of the nival cushion plant Saxifraga bryoides appeared exceptionally susceptible to low temperature exposure at the late bud stage, during anthesis and during the early fruit development, while the whole maturation phase was suggested to be rather insensitive to frost (Ladinig and Wagner 2009). Similar observations were made for Saxifraga moschata (Ladinig and Wagner 2005) and Gentianella germanica (Wagner and Mitterhofer 1998). The reproductive success will depend on sufficiently high frost resistance in all reproductive developmental stages.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Frost resistance of reproductive tissues during various stages of development in high mountain plants

Neuner

Erler

Ladinig

et al. 2012

Physiologia Plantarum

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Frost resistance of reproductive vs aboveground vegetative structures was determined for six common European high alpine plant species that can be exposed to frosts throughout their whole reproductive cycle. Freezing tests were carried out in the bud, anthesis and fruit stage. Stigma and style, ovary, placenta, ovule, flower stalk/peduncle and, in Ranunculus glacialis, the receptacle were separately investigated. In all species, the vegetative organs tolerated on an average 2-5 K lower freezing temperatures than the most frost-susceptible reproductive structures that differed in their frost resistance. In almost all species, stigma, style and the flower stalk/peduncle were the most frost-susceptible reproductive structures. Initial frost damage (LT₁₀) to the most susceptible reproductive structure usually occurred between -2 and -4°C independent of the reproductive stage. The median LT₅₀ across species for stigma and style ranged between -3.4 and -3.7°C and matched the mean ice nucleation temperature (-3.7 ± 1.4°C). In R. glacialis, the flower stalk was the most frost-susceptible structure (-5.4°C), and was in contrast to the other species ice-tolerant. The ovule and the placenta were usually the most frost-resistant structures. During reproductive development, frost resistance (LT₅₀) of single reproductive structures mostly showed no significant change. However, significant increases or decreases were also observed (2.1 ± 1.2 K). Reproductive tissues of nival species generally tolerated lower temperatures than species occurring in the alpine zone. The low frost resistance of reproductive structures before, during and shortly after anthesis increases the probability of frost damage and thus, may restrict successful sexual plant reproduction with increasing altitude.

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“…Yet, successful reproduction is highly unlikely. It was shown that seeds may take up to 11 weeks to mature in this species (Wagner and Tengg 1993), much longer than in other high elevation species (Ladinig and Wagner 2005) suggesting that successful seed production must be rare (if possible at all) at such elevations, and, thus, recruitment is likely to depend on seed sources from lower elevation. Although Saxifraga oppositifolia had the shortest (6-10 days) pre-floration period (from snowmelt to flowering) of several extreme high elevation taxa, it exhibited the longest histogenesis period (32 d), and total seed development period (46 d, excluding the period until zygote formation) of several other Saxifraga species in the subnival belt ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Coldest places on earth with angiosperm plant life

Körner

2011

Alp Botany

103

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The highest elevation flowering plant ever recorded in Europe, a lush moss flora, one of the coldest places of permanent animal life (collembola, mites) and indications of mycorrhizal fungi were evidenced for the Dom summit (4,545 m, central Swiss Alps) between solid siliceous rock at 4,505-4,543 m, 46°N. Cushions of Saxifraga oppositifolia were found at 4,505 to 4,507 m a.s.l. A large individual (possibly [30 years old) was in full bloom on 12 August 2009. The 14 C-dated oldest debris of the biggest moss, Tortula ruralis, suggests a 13 year litter turnover. The thermal conditions at this outpost of plant life were assessed with a miniature data logger. The 2008/09 growing season had 66 days with a daily mean rooting zone temperature [0°C in this high elevation micro-habitat (2-3 cm below ground). The degree hours [0°C during this period summed up to 4,277°h corresponding to 178°d (degree days), the absolute winter minimum was -20.9°C and the absolute summer maximum 18.1°C. The mean temperature for the growing period was ?2.6°C. All plant parts, including roots, experience temperatures below 0°C every night, even during the warmest part of the year. On clear summer days, plants may be physiologically active for several hours, and minimum night temperatures are clearly above the freezing tolerance of Saxifraga oppositifolia in the active state. In comparison with climate data for other extreme plant habitats in the Alps, Himalayas, in the Arctic and Antarctic, these data illustrate the life conditions at what is possibly the coldest place for angiosperm plant life on earth.

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Sexual reproduction of the high mountain plant Saxifraga moschata Wulfen at varying lengths of the growing season

Cited by 34 publications

References 35 publications

An examination of synchrony between insect emergence and flowering in Rocky Mountain meadows

An examination of synchrony between insect emergence and flowering in Rocky Mountain meadows

Frost resistance of reproductive tissues during various stages of development in high mountain plants

Coldest places on earth with angiosperm plant life

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