Shifts in plant species elevational range limits and abundances observed over nearly five decades in a western <scp>N</scp>orth <scp>A</scp>merica mountain range

Kopp, Christopher W.; Cleland, Elsa E.

doi:10.1111/jvs.12072

Cited by 47 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Elevational range shifts at the distributional margins, however, show divergent patterns for terrestrial animals and terrestrial plants. In contrast, the few studies focusing on the trailing edge of terrestrial plants' elevational distribution (n  10) have found divergent results, with either a clear upward trend (Brusca et al 2013, Telwala et al 2013, Kopp and Cleland 2014 or no trend (Bergamini et al 2009, Frei et al 2010. For terrestrial plants, however, the trailing edge seems to be less responsive than the leading edge (Brusca et al 2013).…”

Section: Methodological Shortfallsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Climate‐related range shifts – a global multidimensional synthesis and new research directions

2014

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Poleward and upward shifts are the most frequent types of range shifts that have been reported in response to contemporary climate change. However, the number of reports documenting other types of range shifts -such as in east-west directions across longitudes or, even more unexpectedly, towards tropical latitudes and lower elevations -is increasing rapidly. Recent studies show that these range shifts may not be so unexpected once the local climate changes are accounted for. We here provide an updated synthesis of the fast-moving research on climate-related range shifts. By describing the current state of the art on geographical patterns of species range shifts under contemporary climate change for plants and animals across both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, we identified a number of research shortfalls. In addition to the recognised geographic shortfall in the tropics, we found taxonomic and methodological shortfalls with knowledge gaps regarding range shifts of prokaryotes, lowland range shifts of terrestrial plants, and bathymetric range shifts of marine plants. Based on this review, we provide a research agenda for filling these gaps. We outline a comprehensive framework for assessing multidimensional changes in species distributions, which should then be contrasted with expectations based on climate change indices, such as velocity measures accounting for complex local climate changes. Finally, we propose a unified classification of geographical patterns of species range shifts, arranged in a bi-dimensional space defined by species' persistence and movement rates. Placing the observed and expected shifts into this bi-dimensional space should lead to more informed assessments of extinction risks.

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Section: Methodological Shortfallsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Climate‐related range shifts – a global multidimensional synthesis and new research directions

2014

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“…Winter snow accounts for much of the yearly precipitation, which varies with elevation, forming a gradient where precipitation is positively correlated with elevation and temperature is negatively correlated with elevation (Hall, ). Between 1961 and 2010, mean growing season temperatures increased by 1.0°C in this mountain range (Kopp & Cleland, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Supporting information Appendix S1: Figure shows photographs of typical individual plots. At the 2,900 and 3,100 m elevations, sagebrush plants are widely spaced, with one sagebrush plant every 1.9 and 1.7 m, respectively (data from 2010 transect surveys reported in Kopp & Cleland, ). At 3,750 m, sagebrush plants in patches were more closely spaced (Supporting information Appendix S1: Figures and ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This current period of range adjustment allows for real‐time monitoring of species interactions in environments formerly novel to one or more species (Alexander, Diez, & Levine, ). Woody species, predominantly shrubs, are particularly responsive to changing climate (Walker et al., ) and their range expansions (Kopp & Cleland, ; Sturm, Racine, & Tape, ) could have significant impacts on ecosystems into which they encroach (Knapp et al., ). In grasslands and other herbaceous‐dominated communities, the arrival of shrubs may alter light, water and nutrient availability, but outcomes will vary from community to community (Archer et al., ; Eldridge et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plant community response to Artemisia rothrockii (sagebrush) encroachment and removal along an arid elevational gradient

Kopp

Cleland

2018

J Vegetation Science

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Questions Shrub expansion into alpine ecosystems worldwide raises important questions regarding the influence of shrub encroachment on alpine species diversity. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts interactions will be competitive when resources are plentiful and the environment is benign, but that facilitative interactions will dominate when conditions are stressful. We asked how Artemisia rothrockii (sagebrush) encroachment in an arid mountain range is affecting alpine plant species there and how the plant community responds to the experimental removal of sagebrush at three sites along an elevational gradient. Location The White Mountains, California, USA (37°30′N, 118°10′W). Methods A shrub removal experiment was established at three elevations (2,900, 3,100 and 3,750 m) to evaluate how sagebrush interacts with alpine and sub‐alpine plant communities. Results The study sites experienced a strong drought over the 4 yrs of the experiment and plant cover declined overall. However, in the sagebrush removal treatment, cover of co‐occurring species increased at both the high‐elevation and low‐elevation sites, with no differences observed at the mid‐elevation site. Conclusions We observed the greatest inhibitory effects of sagebrush at high and low elevations, where plants experience the largest temperature and moisture stress, respectively, and no evidence of facilitation anywhere along the elevational gradient. These results demonstrate that while sagebrush has important influences on herbaceous species composition in the White Mountains, they are inconsistent with the classic predictions of the SGH.

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“…For example, intraspecific competition can drive niche partitioning, making overall resource use more efficient (Boyden et al, 2008) and can increase tolerance to herbivory (McNutt et al, 2012). Further research into biotic interactions in E. regnans forests is needed to assess the likelihood of elevational range shifts in this ecosystem as the climate continues to change (le Roux et al, 2013;Kopp & Cleland, 2014). Further research into biotic interactions in E. regnans forests is needed to assess the likelihood of elevational range shifts in this ecosystem as the climate continues to change (le Roux et al, 2013;Kopp & Cleland, 2014).…”

Section: Effects On Densitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The dynamic regeneration niche of a forest following a rare disturbance event

Smith

Blanchard

Blair

et al. 2016

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Knowledge of how climate and fire regimes affect regeneration in foundation species is critical to the conservation of entire ecosystems. Different stages of regeneration often require different ecological conditions, but dynamic constraints on regeneration are poorly known for species that regenerate only after infrequent wildfires. Focussing on a long-lived, foundation tree species (Eucalyptus regnans), we tested the hypothesis that the relative importance of fire regime variables (fire severity and time since previous fire) and environmental gradients on post-fire regeneration would shift as seedlings developed.Location South-eastern Australia.Methods Following a large (> 59,000 ha) summer wildfire in 2009, we sampled 131 sites (61 burnt) annually for four years (2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), representing the range of environmental conditions in which E. regnans occurs. We analysed the effect of fire severity, time since fire and environmental variables on early regeneration processes critical for post-fire species distributions: seedling establishment, seedling density and growth through different height stages (10 cm, 25 cm, 50 cm and 200 cm). ResultsThe regeneration niche of E. regnans was defined by different factors at different stages of development. Initially, seedlings established prolifically on burnt sites, regardless of severity. Three years into the regeneration process, high-severity fire became the dominant driver of seedling persistence and growth over 25 cm. Growth over 50 cm was dependent on environmental conditions relating to elevation and precipitation.Main conclusions Our results describe how fire occurrence, fire severity and environmental gradients affected seedling establishment, persistence and growth. The dynamic constraints on regeneration likely reflect temporal changes in the biotic and abiotic environment and variation in resource requirements during the early post-fire years. Our findings will enable more accurate forecasts of species distributions to assist forest conservation in the face of global changes in climate and fire regimes.

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Shifts in plant species elevational range limits and abundances observed over nearly five decades in a western North America mountain range

Cited by 47 publications

References 69 publications

Climate‐related range shifts – a global multidimensional synthesis and new research directions

Climate‐related range shifts – a global multidimensional synthesis and new research directions

Plant community response to Artemisia rothrockii (sagebrush) encroachment and removal along an arid elevational gradient

The dynamic regeneration niche of a forest following a rare disturbance event

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