Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance
This study explores whether the high variability of vascular plant diversity among alpine plant communities can be explained by stress and/or disturbance intensities. Species numbers of 14 alpine plant communities were sampled in the Swiss Alps. To quantify the intensity of 13 stress and 6 disturban...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Language: | English |
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Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder
2002
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Online Access: | https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/1/AAAR_34_398.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/ |
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ftunivbern:oai:boris.unibe.ch:73358 2023-08-20T04:02:37+02:00 Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance Kammer, Peter M. Möhl, Adrian 2002-11 application/pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/1/AAAR_34_398.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/ eng eng Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/ info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Kammer, Peter M.; Möhl, Adrian (2002). Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 34(4), pp. 398-407. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder 10.2307/1552197 <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1552197> 580 Plants (Botany) info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion PeerReviewed 2002 ftunivbern https://doi.org/10.2307/1552197 2023-07-31T21:20:54Z This study explores whether the high variability of vascular plant diversity among alpine plant communities can be explained by stress and/or disturbance intensities. Species numbers of 14 alpine plant communities were sampled in the Swiss Alps. To quantify the intensity of 13 stress and 6 disturbance factors potentially controlling plant life in these communities, a survey was conducted by asking numerous specialists in alpine vegetation to assess the importance of the different factors for each community. The estimated values were combined in stress- and disturbance-indices which were compared with diversity according to the Intermediate Stress Hypothesis, the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, and the Dynamic Equilibrium Model, respectively. Each of these theories explained a part of the variability in the species richness, but only the Dynamic Equilibrium Model provided a complete and consistent explanation. The last model suggests that community species richness within the alpine life zone is generally controlled by stress intensity. Disturbance and competition seem to play a secondary role by fine-tuning diversity in specific communities. As diversity is primarily limited by stress, a moderation of temperature-related stress factors, as a result of global warming, may cause a shift of the equilibrium between stress, disturbance, and competition in alpine ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 34 4 398 |
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Open Polar |
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BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) |
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ftunivbern |
language |
English |
topic |
580 Plants (Botany) |
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580 Plants (Botany) Kammer, Peter M. Möhl, Adrian Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
topic_facet |
580 Plants (Botany) |
description |
This study explores whether the high variability of vascular plant diversity among alpine plant communities can be explained by stress and/or disturbance intensities. Species numbers of 14 alpine plant communities were sampled in the Swiss Alps. To quantify the intensity of 13 stress and 6 disturbance factors potentially controlling plant life in these communities, a survey was conducted by asking numerous specialists in alpine vegetation to assess the importance of the different factors for each community. The estimated values were combined in stress- and disturbance-indices which were compared with diversity according to the Intermediate Stress Hypothesis, the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, and the Dynamic Equilibrium Model, respectively. Each of these theories explained a part of the variability in the species richness, but only the Dynamic Equilibrium Model provided a complete and consistent explanation. The last model suggests that community species richness within the alpine life zone is generally controlled by stress intensity. Disturbance and competition seem to play a secondary role by fine-tuning diversity in specific communities. As diversity is primarily limited by stress, a moderation of temperature-related stress factors, as a result of global warming, may cause a shift of the equilibrium between stress, disturbance, and competition in alpine ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kammer, Peter M. Möhl, Adrian |
author_facet |
Kammer, Peter M. Möhl, Adrian |
author_sort |
Kammer, Peter M. |
title |
Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
title_short |
Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
title_full |
Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
title_fullStr |
Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance |
title_sort |
factors controlling species richness in alpine plant communities: an assessment of the importance of stress and disturbance |
publisher |
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/1/AAAR_34_398.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/ |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research |
op_source |
Kammer, Peter M.; Möhl, Adrian (2002). Factors Controlling Species Richness in Alpine Plant Communities: An Assessment of the Importance of Stress and Disturbance. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 34(4), pp. 398-407. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder 10.2307/1552197 <http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1552197> |
op_relation |
https://boris.unibe.ch/73358/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.2307/1552197 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
398 |
_version_ |
1774713160487403520 |