Soil abiotic and biotic properties constrain the establishment of a dominant temperate tree into boreal forests

Abstract

Climate warming is expected to cause the poleward and upward elevational expansion of temperate plant species, but non‐climatic factors such as soils could constrain this range expansion. However, the extent to which edaphic constraints on range expansion have an abiotic (e.g. soil chemistry) or biotic (e.g. micro‐organisms) origin remains undetermined. We conducted greenhouse experiments to test if the survival and growth of a major North American temperate tree species, Acer saccharum (sugar maple), is independently or jointly constrained by abiotic and biotic properties of field‐collected soils from within and beyond the species' elevational range. Abiotic factors, particularly low base cation concentrations, were major constraints to seedling establishment in boreal forest soils (beyond the range edge), but insufficient arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum (biotic factor) also strongly reduced seedling performance in these soils. Synthesis. Our results suggest that forecasting future changes in forest composition under climate warming requires consideration of soil properties as well as the mycorrhizal status of tree species.

Host neighborhood shapes bacterial community assembly and specialization on tree species across a latitudinal gradient

“…However, bacteria specialized on more southern species would not be resistant to climate stress, and thus average specialization would be reduced toward a host’s northern range limit where it is less abundant. These results are consistent with observed constraints to sugar maple establishment at the northern portion of their range as a result of a lower availability of their associated mycorrhizal fungi (Brown and Vellend 2014, Carteron et al 2020), and suggest that such constraints might also exist at the level of the phyllosphere and be affecting the northern expansion of tree species.…”

Unravelling potential northward migration pathways for tree species under climate change

“…The transition from the temperate to boreal forest, however, is particularly challenging for species that will need to cope with strong gradients in soil conditions and competition with boreal species. By investigating baseline conditions at migration sites as well as potential interspecific influences on species establishment, our study complements others examining site and/or biotic constraints to migration (Brown & Vellend, 2014;Carteron et al, 2020;Collin et al, 2016;Solarik et al, 2020). Site conditions are important because failure to establish at unsuitable sites will result in species distribution lagging behind suitable climate (i.e.…”

Multi‐population seedling and soil transplants show possible responses of a common tropical montane tree species (Weinmannia bangii) to climate change

“…While the vast majority of studies have focused on only a few climatic factors (primarily temperature or drought), the effects of climate change on species and ecosystems can involve many other facets of the environment. To better understand plant responses to climate change, a comprehensive approach that takes into account both climatic and non‐climatic factors is required (Carteron et al., 2020; Tito, Vasconcelos, & Feeley, 2020a). One of the non‐climatic variables that can influence species’ responses is changes in biotic interactions (e.g.…”

“…Edaphic conditions can also modulate the effects of climate change on some species. In particular, if climate change drives range shifts, many migrating plant species will potentially have to grow in different soils and under different edaphic conditions (Carteron et al, 2020;Ibañez et al, 2006;Tito et al, 2020a). Even if species do not migrate, the soil conditions where they occur may still change due to the effects of altered temperatures and precipitation regimes on soil properties (Ma et al, 2019;Nottingham, Bååth, Reischke, Salinas, & Meir, 2019).…”