Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit
Abstract: Alpine environments are currently relatively free from non-native plant species, although their presence and abundance have recently been on the rise. It is however still unclear whether the observed low invasion levels in these areas are due to an inherent resistance of the alpine zone to...
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ftunivantwerpen:c:irua:147021 2023-07-16T04:01:04+02:00 Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit Lembrechts, Jonas Lenoir, Jonathan Nuñez, Martin A. Pauchard, Aníbal Geron, Charly Bussé, Gilles Milbau, Ann Nijs, Ivan 2018 pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10067/1470210151162165141 https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/472e41/147021_2018_11_21.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/ECOG.03263 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/isi/000434091800005 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess 0906-7590 Ecography Chemistry Biology info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2018 ftunivantwerpen https://doi.org/10.1111/ECOG.03263 2023-06-26T22:23:58Z Abstract: Alpine environments are currently relatively free from non-native plant species, although their presence and abundance have recently been on the rise. It is however still unclear whether the observed low invasion levels in these areas are due to an inherent resistance of the alpine zone to invasions or whether an exponential increase in invasion is just a matter of time. Using a seed-addition experiment on north- and south-facing slopes (cf. microclimatic gradient) on two mountains in subarctic Sweden, we tested the establishment of six non-native species at an elevation above their current distribution limits and under experimentally enhanced anthropogenic pressures (disturbance, added nutrients and increased propagule pressure). We found a large microclimatic variability in cumulative growing degree days (GDD) (range = 500.77°C, SD = 120.70°C) due to both physiographic (e.g. aspect) and biophysical (e.g. vegetation cover) features, the latter being altered by the experimental disturbance. Non-native species establishment and biomass production were positively correlated with GDD along the studied microclimatic gradient. However, even though establishment on the north-facing slopes caught up with that on the south-facing slopes throughout the growing season, biomass production was limited on the north-facing slopes due to a shorter growing season. On top of this microclimatic effect, all experimentally imposed anthropogenic factors enhanced non-native species success. The observed microclimatic effect indicates a potential for non-native species to use warm microsites as stepping stones for their establishment towards the cold end of the gradient. Combined with anthropogenic pressures this result suggests an increasing risk for plant invasion in cold ecosystems, as such stepping stones in alpine ecosystems are likely to be more common in a future that will combine a warming climate with persistent anthropogenic pressures. Article in Journal/Newspaper Subarctic Stepping Stones IRUA - Institutional Repository van de Universiteit Antwerpen Stepping Stones ENVELOPE(-63.992,-63.992,-64.786,-64.786) Ecography 41 6 900 909 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
IRUA - Institutional Repository van de Universiteit Antwerpen |
op_collection_id |
ftunivantwerpen |
language |
English |
topic |
Chemistry Biology |
spellingShingle |
Chemistry Biology Lembrechts, Jonas Lenoir, Jonathan Nuñez, Martin A. Pauchard, Aníbal Geron, Charly Bussé, Gilles Milbau, Ann Nijs, Ivan Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
topic_facet |
Chemistry Biology |
description |
Abstract: Alpine environments are currently relatively free from non-native plant species, although their presence and abundance have recently been on the rise. It is however still unclear whether the observed low invasion levels in these areas are due to an inherent resistance of the alpine zone to invasions or whether an exponential increase in invasion is just a matter of time. Using a seed-addition experiment on north- and south-facing slopes (cf. microclimatic gradient) on two mountains in subarctic Sweden, we tested the establishment of six non-native species at an elevation above their current distribution limits and under experimentally enhanced anthropogenic pressures (disturbance, added nutrients and increased propagule pressure). We found a large microclimatic variability in cumulative growing degree days (GDD) (range = 500.77°C, SD = 120.70°C) due to both physiographic (e.g. aspect) and biophysical (e.g. vegetation cover) features, the latter being altered by the experimental disturbance. Non-native species establishment and biomass production were positively correlated with GDD along the studied microclimatic gradient. However, even though establishment on the north-facing slopes caught up with that on the south-facing slopes throughout the growing season, biomass production was limited on the north-facing slopes due to a shorter growing season. On top of this microclimatic effect, all experimentally imposed anthropogenic factors enhanced non-native species success. The observed microclimatic effect indicates a potential for non-native species to use warm microsites as stepping stones for their establishment towards the cold end of the gradient. Combined with anthropogenic pressures this result suggests an increasing risk for plant invasion in cold ecosystems, as such stepping stones in alpine ecosystems are likely to be more common in a future that will combine a warming climate with persistent anthropogenic pressures. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lembrechts, Jonas Lenoir, Jonathan Nuñez, Martin A. Pauchard, Aníbal Geron, Charly Bussé, Gilles Milbau, Ann Nijs, Ivan |
author_facet |
Lembrechts, Jonas Lenoir, Jonathan Nuñez, Martin A. Pauchard, Aníbal Geron, Charly Bussé, Gilles Milbau, Ann Nijs, Ivan |
author_sort |
Lembrechts, Jonas |
title |
Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
title_short |
Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
title_full |
Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
title_fullStr |
Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
title_sort |
microclimate variability in alpine ecosystems as stepping stones for non-native plant establishment above their current elevational limit |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10067/1470210151162165141 https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/472e41/147021_2018_11_21.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-63.992,-63.992,-64.786,-64.786) |
geographic |
Stepping Stones |
geographic_facet |
Stepping Stones |
genre |
Subarctic Stepping Stones |
genre_facet |
Subarctic Stepping Stones |
op_source |
0906-7590 Ecography |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/ECOG.03263 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/isi/000434091800005 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ECOG.03263 |
container_title |
Ecography |
container_volume |
41 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
900 |
op_container_end_page |
909 |
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1771550516231274496 |