A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change
Abstract Recent findings of peak plant species diversity occurring in alpine tundra in Alaska may reflect the filtering of the regional species pool during Pleistocene Epoch cold periods. Specifically, herbaceous plant groups and those with far northern geographic distributions centered in Beringia...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:9129030aa5584d5fab965c8009ee9332 2023-05-15T18:40:19+02:00 A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change Carl A. Roland Giancarlo Sadoti E. Fleur Nicklen Stephanie A. McAfee Sarah E. Stehn 2019-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/article/9129030aa5584d5fab965c8009ee9332 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/article/9129030aa5584d5fab965c8009ee9332 Ecosphere, Vol 10, Iss 8, Pp n/a-n/a (2019) alpine tundra biogeography boreal forest Denali National Park and Preserve elevation gradient microclimate Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 2022-12-31T11:58:47Z Abstract Recent findings of peak plant species diversity occurring in alpine tundra in Alaska may reflect the filtering of the regional species pool during Pleistocene Epoch cold periods. Specifically, herbaceous plant groups and those with far northern geographic distributions centered in Beringia may have persisted coincident with repeated diminution of tall‐statured and southern continental plant groups during cold intervals, thus potentially structuring current diversity patterns in relation to elevation. Numerous biotic and abiotic drivers of plant species distributions vary with elevation, raising questions concerning which of these drivers are responsible for these surprising diversity patterns. We used structural equation modeling to investigate relationships among a suite of biotic and abiotic covariates and the richness of species groups based on growth form (GF) and biogeographic affinity across interior Alaska. Our results confirm the primary importance of microclimate in controlling the distribution, abundance, and richness of woody plants, which increased in warm, south‐exposed plots. In contrast, the suite of other site factors had considerably stronger combined direct influences on richness of forbs, graminoids, and dwarf shrubs as compared to microclimate. Thus, species groups with negative richness responses to increasing temperature and potential solar radiation may have a competitive disadvantage to woody species, suggesting competitive displacement as one mechanism for these patterns. Our findings reveal that conditions associated with the high plant diversity (including cooler air temperatures, ground disturbance, and weakly acidic soil pH) are spatially restricted as compared to widespread conditions associated with low species diversity (warm lowlands with acidic soil reaction). Our results confirm a strong correspondence between localized richness patterns and variation in the overall fractions of the GF and biogeographic groups within the regional species pool. Our work suggests ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Alaska Beringia Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecosphere 10 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
alpine tundra biogeography boreal forest Denali National Park and Preserve elevation gradient microclimate Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
alpine tundra biogeography boreal forest Denali National Park and Preserve elevation gradient microclimate Ecology QH540-549.5 Carl A. Roland Giancarlo Sadoti E. Fleur Nicklen Stephanie A. McAfee Sarah E. Stehn A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
topic_facet |
alpine tundra biogeography boreal forest Denali National Park and Preserve elevation gradient microclimate Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Recent findings of peak plant species diversity occurring in alpine tundra in Alaska may reflect the filtering of the regional species pool during Pleistocene Epoch cold periods. Specifically, herbaceous plant groups and those with far northern geographic distributions centered in Beringia may have persisted coincident with repeated diminution of tall‐statured and southern continental plant groups during cold intervals, thus potentially structuring current diversity patterns in relation to elevation. Numerous biotic and abiotic drivers of plant species distributions vary with elevation, raising questions concerning which of these drivers are responsible for these surprising diversity patterns. We used structural equation modeling to investigate relationships among a suite of biotic and abiotic covariates and the richness of species groups based on growth form (GF) and biogeographic affinity across interior Alaska. Our results confirm the primary importance of microclimate in controlling the distribution, abundance, and richness of woody plants, which increased in warm, south‐exposed plots. In contrast, the suite of other site factors had considerably stronger combined direct influences on richness of forbs, graminoids, and dwarf shrubs as compared to microclimate. Thus, species groups with negative richness responses to increasing temperature and potential solar radiation may have a competitive disadvantage to woody species, suggesting competitive displacement as one mechanism for these patterns. Our findings reveal that conditions associated with the high plant diversity (including cooler air temperatures, ground disturbance, and weakly acidic soil pH) are spatially restricted as compared to widespread conditions associated with low species diversity (warm lowlands with acidic soil reaction). Our results confirm a strong correspondence between localized richness patterns and variation in the overall fractions of the GF and biogeographic groups within the regional species pool. Our work suggests ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Carl A. Roland Giancarlo Sadoti E. Fleur Nicklen Stephanie A. McAfee Sarah E. Stehn |
author_facet |
Carl A. Roland Giancarlo Sadoti E. Fleur Nicklen Stephanie A. McAfee Sarah E. Stehn |
author_sort |
Carl A. Roland |
title |
A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
title_short |
A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
title_full |
A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
title_fullStr |
A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
title_full_unstemmed |
A structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in Alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
title_sort |
structural equation model linking past and present plant diversity in alaska: a framework for evaluating future change |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/article/9129030aa5584d5fab965c8009ee9332 |
genre |
Tundra Alaska Beringia |
genre_facet |
Tundra Alaska Beringia |
op_source |
Ecosphere, Vol 10, Iss 8, Pp n/a-n/a (2019) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.2832 https://doaj.org/article/9129030aa5584d5fab965c8009ee9332 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2832 |
container_title |
Ecosphere |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
8 |
_version_ |
1766229636785635328 |