Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps
Poa alpina grass plays a predominant role across the entire range of primary succession on alpine glacier forelands. One demographic factor that reacts clearly to changing environmental conditions is reproduction. Using permanent plot data, the complete life cycle of Poa alpina was studied along a s...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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University of Colorado, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Boulder, CO
2010
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Online Access: | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10667 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 |
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ftufz:oai:ufz.de:10667 2023-12-10T09:53:07+01:00 Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps Winkler, Eckart Marcante, S. Erschbamer, B. 2010 application/pdf https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10667 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 en eng University of Colorado, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Boulder, CO Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research 42 (2);; 227 - 235 https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10667 https://dx.doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess ISSN: 1523-0430 info:eu-repo/semantics/article https://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text 2010 ftufz https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 2023-11-12T23:31:14Z Poa alpina grass plays a predominant role across the entire range of primary succession on alpine glacier forelands. One demographic factor that reacts clearly to changing environmental conditions is reproduction. Using permanent plot data, the complete life cycle of Poa alpina was studied along a successional gradient of the Rotmoos glacier foreland (2300-2400 m a.s.l., Central Alps, Austria) over a period of three years. We used matrix modeling to study the importance of the generation of plantlets and seedlings along the successional gradient and their ability to form adult individuals, and we hypothesized that plantlets develop faster to adults than seedlings because they start already with 3-4 developed leaves.The study showed that plantlet and seedling fecundities of Poa alpina changed differently in the course of succession: seedling establishment was observed over the entire range of the successional stages, whereas plantlet establishment almost vanished with ongoing succession. In the pioneer stage, plantlets were more important than reproduction by seedlings. But we found neither a higher survival rate nor a significant advantage in development to adults for plantlets compared to seedlings. Opportunistic reproduction-plantlets under harsh abiotic conditions, seeds under increasing density-may therefore explain the fact that the species is ubiquitous along the whole glacier foreland. Article in Journal/Newspaper Poa alpina UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 42 2 227 235 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftufz |
language |
English |
description |
Poa alpina grass plays a predominant role across the entire range of primary succession on alpine glacier forelands. One demographic factor that reacts clearly to changing environmental conditions is reproduction. Using permanent plot data, the complete life cycle of Poa alpina was studied along a successional gradient of the Rotmoos glacier foreland (2300-2400 m a.s.l., Central Alps, Austria) over a period of three years. We used matrix modeling to study the importance of the generation of plantlets and seedlings along the successional gradient and their ability to form adult individuals, and we hypothesized that plantlets develop faster to adults than seedlings because they start already with 3-4 developed leaves.The study showed that plantlet and seedling fecundities of Poa alpina changed differently in the course of succession: seedling establishment was observed over the entire range of the successional stages, whereas plantlet establishment almost vanished with ongoing succession. In the pioneer stage, plantlets were more important than reproduction by seedlings. But we found neither a higher survival rate nor a significant advantage in development to adults for plantlets compared to seedlings. Opportunistic reproduction-plantlets under harsh abiotic conditions, seeds under increasing density-may therefore explain the fact that the species is ubiquitous along the whole glacier foreland. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Winkler, Eckart Marcante, S. Erschbamer, B. |
spellingShingle |
Winkler, Eckart Marcante, S. Erschbamer, B. Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
author_facet |
Winkler, Eckart Marcante, S. Erschbamer, B. |
author_sort |
Winkler, Eckart |
title |
Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
title_short |
Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
title_full |
Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
title_fullStr |
Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
title_full_unstemmed |
Demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in Poa alpina L. along a primary succession gradient in the Central Alps |
title_sort |
demographic consequences of the two reproductive modes in poa alpina l. along a primary succession gradient in the central alps |
publisher |
University of Colorado, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Boulder, CO |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10667 https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 |
genre |
Poa alpina |
genre_facet |
Poa alpina |
op_source |
ISSN: 1523-0430 |
op_relation |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10667 https://dx.doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-42.2.227 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
42 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
227 |
op_container_end_page |
235 |
_version_ |
1784899666736840704 |