Variation in alpine plant diversity and soil temperatures in two mountain landscapes of south patagonia

• Published in: Diversity
• Main Authors: Lencinas, María Vanessa, Soler Esteban, Rosina Matilde, Cellini, Juan Manuel, Bahamonde, Héctor, Pérez Flores, Magalí, Monelos, Lucas Humberto, Martínez Pastur, Guillermo José, Peri, Pablo Luis
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI
• Subjects: FOOTHILL GRASSLANDS; GLORIA APPROACH; MOUNTAIN VEGETATION; SANTA CRUZ; SUB-ANTARCTIC FORESTS; TIERRA DEL FUEGO; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Antarctic; Austral; Patagonia; Argentina; Soler; Bahamonde; Antarc*; Tierra del Fuego
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/165015

Alpine environments and their temporal changes are rarely studied at high latitudes in the southern hemisphere. We analyzed alpine plants, soil temperatures, and growing-season length in mountains of two landscapes of South Patagonia (46◦ to 56◦ SL): three summits (814–1085 m a.s.l) surrounded by foothill grasslands in Santa Cruz province (SC), and four summits (634–864 m a.s.l.) in sub-Antarctic forests of Tierra del Fuego province (TF). Sampling followed the protocolized methodology of the Global Observational Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA). Factors were topography (elevation and cardinal aspect) and time (baseline vs. re-sampling for plants, five annual periods for temperatures), assessed by univariate and multivariate tests. Plant composition reflected the lowland surrounding landscapes, with only 9 mountain species on 52 totals in SC and 3 on 30 in TF. Richness was higher in re-sampling than baseline, being assemblages more influenced by aspect than elevation. Mean annual soil temperature and growing-season length, which varied with topography, were related to the Multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation Index (MEI) but did not show clear warming trends over time. We highlight the importance of long-term studies in mountainous regions of extreme southern latitudes, where factors other than warming (e.g., extreme climate events) explain variations. Fil: Lencinas, María Vanessa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Soler Esteban, Rosina Matilde. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Cellini, Juan Manuel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Maderas; Argentina Fil: Bahamonde, Héctor. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina Fil: Pérez Flores, Magalí. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio ...