Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska
Abstract. Subarctic steppe is currently restricted in interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory to steep, south‐facing river bluffs. Paleoecological and biogeographic evidence suggests that some steppe taxa may have been more widespread during the Full‐Glacial. We examined factors controlling the dist...
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crwiley:10.2307/3236202 2024-09-15T18:38:02+00:00 Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska Lloyd, Andrea H. Armbruster, W. Scott Edwards, Mary E. 1994 http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3236202 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2307%2F3236202 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/3236202 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Vegetation Science volume 5, issue 6, page 897-912 ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103 journal-article 1994 crwiley https://doi.org/10.2307/3236202 2024-07-25T04:20:50Z Abstract. Subarctic steppe is currently restricted in interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory to steep, south‐facing river bluffs. Paleoecological and biogeographic evidence suggests that some steppe taxa may have been more widespread during the Full‐Glacial. We examined factors controlling the distribution of steppe taxa on an elevation gradient across a steppetundra ecotone; such analyses may help define potential Full‐Glacial distributions of these taxa. Multivariate analyses suggest that species can be divided into four spatially distinct groups, but individualistic species distributions create considerable overlap among these groups. The steppe‐tundra ecotone comprises a broad zone of mixing between steppe taxa and drought‐tolerant alpine tundra taxa, followed by an abrupt shift to alpine shrub tundra. The transition from low steppe to tundra vegetation is primarily associated with a gradient of decreasing soil temperature. The more abrupt transition from mixed steppe‐tundra to alpine shrub tundra vegetation is primarily associated with changes in soil depth and soil moisture. Variation in vegetation within steppe is associated with gradients in soil phosphorus and moisture. Greenhouse experiments on drought tolerance of two steppe and two tundra taxa suggest that the individualistic distribution of species along the ecotone is partly a function of physiological differences among species. Our analyses of vegetation‐environment relationships support the hypothesis that some components of the steppe community could have been more widespread during the colder Full‐Glacial. Article in Journal/Newspaper Subarctic Tundra Alaska Yukon Wiley Online Library Journal of Vegetation Science 5 6 897 912 |
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Abstract. Subarctic steppe is currently restricted in interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory to steep, south‐facing river bluffs. Paleoecological and biogeographic evidence suggests that some steppe taxa may have been more widespread during the Full‐Glacial. We examined factors controlling the distribution of steppe taxa on an elevation gradient across a steppetundra ecotone; such analyses may help define potential Full‐Glacial distributions of these taxa. Multivariate analyses suggest that species can be divided into four spatially distinct groups, but individualistic species distributions create considerable overlap among these groups. The steppe‐tundra ecotone comprises a broad zone of mixing between steppe taxa and drought‐tolerant alpine tundra taxa, followed by an abrupt shift to alpine shrub tundra. The transition from low steppe to tundra vegetation is primarily associated with a gradient of decreasing soil temperature. The more abrupt transition from mixed steppe‐tundra to alpine shrub tundra vegetation is primarily associated with changes in soil depth and soil moisture. Variation in vegetation within steppe is associated with gradients in soil phosphorus and moisture. Greenhouse experiments on drought tolerance of two steppe and two tundra taxa suggest that the individualistic distribution of species along the ecotone is partly a function of physiological differences among species. Our analyses of vegetation‐environment relationships support the hypothesis that some components of the steppe community could have been more widespread during the colder Full‐Glacial. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lloyd, Andrea H. Armbruster, W. Scott Edwards, Mary E. |
spellingShingle |
Lloyd, Andrea H. Armbruster, W. Scott Edwards, Mary E. Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
author_facet |
Lloyd, Andrea H. Armbruster, W. Scott Edwards, Mary E. |
author_sort |
Lloyd, Andrea H. |
title |
Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
title_short |
Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
title_full |
Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
title_fullStr |
Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior Alaska |
title_sort |
ecology of a steppe‐tundra gradient in interior alaska |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3236202 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.2307%2F3236202 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2307/3236202 |
genre |
Subarctic Tundra Alaska Yukon |
genre_facet |
Subarctic Tundra Alaska Yukon |
op_source |
Journal of Vegetation Science volume 5, issue 6, page 897-912 ISSN 1100-9233 1654-1103 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2307/3236202 |
container_title |
Journal of Vegetation Science |
container_volume |
5 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
897 |
op_container_end_page |
912 |
_version_ |
1810482368839942144 |