Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark
Periglacial processes are active under current climatic conditions on the more exposed peaks and ridges of Tasmania’s high country. Non-sorted steps, stripes, and solifluction lobes with vegetated risers and bare treads have formed on many of the mountains capped in fissile sedimentary rocks. Any di...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Inst Arctic Alpine Res
2017
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Online Access: | https://eprints.utas.edu.au/26103/ https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001 |
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ftunivtasmania:oai:eprints.utas.edu.au:26103 2023-05-15T14:14:37+02:00 Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark Annandale, B Kirkpatrick, JB 2017 https://eprints.utas.edu.au/26103/ https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001 unknown Inst Arctic Alpine Res Annandale, B and Kirkpatrick, JB orcid:0000-0002-3152-3299 2017 , 'Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark' , Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, vol. 49, no. 3 , pp. 473-486 , doi:10.1657/AAAR0017-001 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001>. feldmark Tasmania dynamics Article PeerReviewed 2017 ftunivtasmania https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001 2021-08-16T22:18:15Z Periglacial processes are active under current climatic conditions on the more exposed peaks and ridges of Tasmania’s high country. Non-sorted steps, stripes, and solifluction lobes with vegetated risers and bare treads have formed on many of the mountains capped in fissile sedimentary rocks. Any disturbance to the balance between vegetation and bare ground can result in biogeomorphic feedbacks leading to an increase or decrease in periglacial activity and thereby threaten the survival of fjaeldmark. We tested the hypotheses that vegetation helps create risers by capturing material moved by needle ice, water, and wind, and that the balance between vegetation and bare ground in fjaeldmark is dynamic in Tasmania at the decadal time scale. Repeat photo plots and temperature data loggers were employed to monitor the dynamism of two non-sorted lobes on Mount Rufus over a seven-month period. Diurnal freeze/thaw cycles resulted in needle ice formation on the bare treads and promoted downslope movement of the surface layer through frost creep. Vegetation was observed to reduce geomorphic activity and to capture soil and clasts transported downslope, thereby steepening the risers. Aerial photographic analysis showed a 0.065% per annum increase in vegetation cover in fjaeldmark since the mid-20th century. Mountains that had a high number of days with snow cover were especially prone to increases in vegetation cover. Decline in vegetation cover occurred on some mountains burned during the past century. The smallest changes occurred on the most exposed peaks and ridges. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints Mount Rufus ENVELOPE(-131.954,-131.954,57.216,57.216) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 49 3 473 486 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tasmania: UTas ePrints |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtasmania |
language |
unknown |
topic |
feldmark Tasmania dynamics |
spellingShingle |
feldmark Tasmania dynamics Annandale, B Kirkpatrick, JB Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
topic_facet |
feldmark Tasmania dynamics |
description |
Periglacial processes are active under current climatic conditions on the more exposed peaks and ridges of Tasmania’s high country. Non-sorted steps, stripes, and solifluction lobes with vegetated risers and bare treads have formed on many of the mountains capped in fissile sedimentary rocks. Any disturbance to the balance between vegetation and bare ground can result in biogeomorphic feedbacks leading to an increase or decrease in periglacial activity and thereby threaten the survival of fjaeldmark. We tested the hypotheses that vegetation helps create risers by capturing material moved by needle ice, water, and wind, and that the balance between vegetation and bare ground in fjaeldmark is dynamic in Tasmania at the decadal time scale. Repeat photo plots and temperature data loggers were employed to monitor the dynamism of two non-sorted lobes on Mount Rufus over a seven-month period. Diurnal freeze/thaw cycles resulted in needle ice formation on the bare treads and promoted downslope movement of the surface layer through frost creep. Vegetation was observed to reduce geomorphic activity and to capture soil and clasts transported downslope, thereby steepening the risers. Aerial photographic analysis showed a 0.065% per annum increase in vegetation cover in fjaeldmark since the mid-20th century. Mountains that had a high number of days with snow cover were especially prone to increases in vegetation cover. Decline in vegetation cover occurred on some mountains burned during the past century. The smallest changes occurred on the most exposed peaks and ridges. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Annandale, B Kirkpatrick, JB |
author_facet |
Annandale, B Kirkpatrick, JB |
author_sort |
Annandale, B |
title |
Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
title_short |
Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
title_full |
Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
title_fullStr |
Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
title_full_unstemmed |
Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark |
title_sort |
diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in tasmanian fjaeldmark |
publisher |
Inst Arctic Alpine Res |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://eprints.utas.edu.au/26103/ https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-131.954,-131.954,57.216,57.216) |
geographic |
Mount Rufus |
geographic_facet |
Mount Rufus |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
op_relation |
Annandale, B and Kirkpatrick, JB orcid:0000-0002-3152-3299 2017 , 'Diurnal to decadal changes in the balance between vegetation and bare ground in Tasmanian fjaeldmark' , Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, vol. 49, no. 3 , pp. 473-486 , doi:10.1657/AAAR0017-001 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001>. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR0017-001 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
49 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
473 |
op_container_end_page |
486 |
_version_ |
1766286987006836736 |