The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic
Abstract Background Antarctic terrestrial vegetation is subject to one of the most extreme climates on Earth. Currently, parts of Antarctica are one of the fastest warming regions on the planet. During 3 growing seasons, we investigated the effect of experimental warming on the diversity and abundan...
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ftbiomed:oai:biomedcentral.com:1472-6785-7-15 2023-05-15T13:25:03+02:00 The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic Bokhorst, Stef Huiskes, Ad Convey, Peter Aerts, Rien 2007-12-19 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/7/15 en eng BioMed Central Ltd. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/7/15 Copyright 2007 Bokhorst et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Research article 2007 ftbiomed 2008-02-23T00:11:06Z Abstract Background Antarctic terrestrial vegetation is subject to one of the most extreme climates on Earth. Currently, parts of Antarctica are one of the fastest warming regions on the planet. During 3 growing seasons, we investigated the effect of experimental warming on the diversity and abundance of coastal plant communities in the Maritime Antarctic region (cryptogams only) and the Falkland Islands (vascular plants only). We compared communities from the Falkland Islands (51°S, mean annual temperature 7.9°C), with those of Signy Island (60°S, -2.1°C) and Anchorage Island (67°S, -2.6°C), and experimental temperature manipulations at each of the three islands using Open Top Chambers (OTCs). Results Despite the strong difference in plant growth form dominance between the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic, communities across the gradient did not differ in total diversity and species number. During the summer months, the experimental temperature increase at 5 cm height in the vegetation was similar between the locations (0.7°C across the study). In general, the response to this experimental warming was low. Total lichen cover showed a non-significant decreasing trend at Signy Island (p < 0.06). In the grass community at the Falkland Islands total vegetation cover decreased more in the OTCs than in adjacent control plots, and two species disappeared within the OTCs after only two years. This was most likely a combined consequence of a previous dry summer and the increase in temperature caused by the OTCs. Conclusion These results suggest that small temperature increases may rapidly lead to decreased soil moisture, resulting in more stressful conditions for plants. The more open plant communities (grass and lichen) appeared more negatively affected by such changes than dense communities (dwarf shrub and moss). Article in Journal/Newspaper Anchorage Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island BioMed Central Anchorage Anchorage Island ENVELOPE(-68.214,-68.214,-67.605,-67.605) Antarctic Signy Island ENVELOPE(-45.595,-45.595,-60.708,-60.708) |
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Open Polar |
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BioMed Central |
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ftbiomed |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Background Antarctic terrestrial vegetation is subject to one of the most extreme climates on Earth. Currently, parts of Antarctica are one of the fastest warming regions on the planet. During 3 growing seasons, we investigated the effect of experimental warming on the diversity and abundance of coastal plant communities in the Maritime Antarctic region (cryptogams only) and the Falkland Islands (vascular plants only). We compared communities from the Falkland Islands (51°S, mean annual temperature 7.9°C), with those of Signy Island (60°S, -2.1°C) and Anchorage Island (67°S, -2.6°C), and experimental temperature manipulations at each of the three islands using Open Top Chambers (OTCs). Results Despite the strong difference in plant growth form dominance between the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic, communities across the gradient did not differ in total diversity and species number. During the summer months, the experimental temperature increase at 5 cm height in the vegetation was similar between the locations (0.7°C across the study). In general, the response to this experimental warming was low. Total lichen cover showed a non-significant decreasing trend at Signy Island (p < 0.06). In the grass community at the Falkland Islands total vegetation cover decreased more in the OTCs than in adjacent control plots, and two species disappeared within the OTCs after only two years. This was most likely a combined consequence of a previous dry summer and the increase in temperature caused by the OTCs. Conclusion These results suggest that small temperature increases may rapidly lead to decreased soil moisture, resulting in more stressful conditions for plants. The more open plant communities (grass and lichen) appeared more negatively affected by such changes than dense communities (dwarf shrub and moss). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bokhorst, Stef Huiskes, Ad Convey, Peter Aerts, Rien |
spellingShingle |
Bokhorst, Stef Huiskes, Ad Convey, Peter Aerts, Rien The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
author_facet |
Bokhorst, Stef Huiskes, Ad Convey, Peter Aerts, Rien |
author_sort |
Bokhorst, Stef |
title |
The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
title_short |
The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
title_full |
The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
title_fullStr |
The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
The effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic |
title_sort |
effect of environmental change on vascular plant and cryptogam communities from the falkland islands and the maritime antarctic |
publisher |
BioMed Central Ltd. |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/7/15 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-68.214,-68.214,-67.605,-67.605) ENVELOPE(-45.595,-45.595,-60.708,-60.708) |
geographic |
Anchorage Anchorage Island Antarctic Signy Island |
geographic_facet |
Anchorage Anchorage Island Antarctic Signy Island |
genre |
Anchorage Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island |
genre_facet |
Anchorage Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Signy Island |
op_relation |
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/7/15 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2007 Bokhorst et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. |
_version_ |
1766383307869650944 |