Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient
Accepted manuscript version. Published version available in Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics, 30, 71-81. Organisms that modify the environment (niche constructors) are likely candidates to mediate the effects of climate warming. Here we assess tundra plant community changes a...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/12423 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/12423 2023-05-15T16:06:06+02:00 Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient Bråthen, Kari Anne Gonzalez, Victoria Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles 2017-06-20 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/12423 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 eng eng Elsevier Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics Bråthen, K. A., Gonzalez, V. & Yoccoz, N. G. (2017). Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient. Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics, 30, 71-81. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 FRIDAID 1546075 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 1433-8319 1618-0437 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/12423 openAccess VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Marinbiologi: 497 VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Marine biology: 497 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed 2017 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 2021-06-25T17:55:39Z Accepted manuscript version. Published version available in Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics, 30, 71-81. Organisms that modify the environment (niche constructors) are likely candidates to mediate the effects of climate warming. Here we assess tundra plant community changes along a temperature gradient and how these are modified in the presence of the common allelopathic dwarf shrub Empetrum nigrum and the large herbivore Rangifer tarandus. 2 We developed a structural equation model based on data from a field-based study of 1450 tundra plant communities across Northern Fennoscandia, covering a temperature gradient of 3.5°C, contrasting Rangifer densities, a range of Empetrum abundances in addition to gradients in topography and bedrock. We found temperature to be a significant positive predictor of Empetrum, herbaceous and woody plant abundances. However, the effect of temperature as predictor for herbaceous plant abundance was significantly reduced in communities with Empetrum present. For woody plant abundance Empetrum was a stronger predictor than temperature. In comparison, we found Rangifer density to have marginal or no effect on either herbaceous or woody plant abundance. These findings were not modified by either topography or bedrock. Results from this study indicate that herbaceous plant responses to climate warming are currently reduced in communities where Empetrum is present, whereas the abundance of Empetrum and other woody plants is promoted. Results also indicate that any future Empetrum encroachment is likely to drive tundra communities towards slower process rates and lower biodiversity. As such our results substantiate the importance of understanding the dynamics of niche constructor species and include them in predictive models of climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Empetrum nigrum Fennoscandia Rangifer tarandus Tundra University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 30 71 81 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Marinbiologi: 497 VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Marine biology: 497 |
spellingShingle |
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Marinbiologi: 497 VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Marine biology: 497 Bråthen, Kari Anne Gonzalez, Victoria Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
topic_facet |
VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Marinbiologi: 497 VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Marine biology: 497 |
description |
Accepted manuscript version. Published version available in Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics, 30, 71-81. Organisms that modify the environment (niche constructors) are likely candidates to mediate the effects of climate warming. Here we assess tundra plant community changes along a temperature gradient and how these are modified in the presence of the common allelopathic dwarf shrub Empetrum nigrum and the large herbivore Rangifer tarandus. 2 We developed a structural equation model based on data from a field-based study of 1450 tundra plant communities across Northern Fennoscandia, covering a temperature gradient of 3.5°C, contrasting Rangifer densities, a range of Empetrum abundances in addition to gradients in topography and bedrock. We found temperature to be a significant positive predictor of Empetrum, herbaceous and woody plant abundances. However, the effect of temperature as predictor for herbaceous plant abundance was significantly reduced in communities with Empetrum present. For woody plant abundance Empetrum was a stronger predictor than temperature. In comparison, we found Rangifer density to have marginal or no effect on either herbaceous or woody plant abundance. These findings were not modified by either topography or bedrock. Results from this study indicate that herbaceous plant responses to climate warming are currently reduced in communities where Empetrum is present, whereas the abundance of Empetrum and other woody plants is promoted. Results also indicate that any future Empetrum encroachment is likely to drive tundra communities towards slower process rates and lower biodiversity. As such our results substantiate the importance of understanding the dynamics of niche constructor species and include them in predictive models of climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bråthen, Kari Anne Gonzalez, Victoria Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles |
author_facet |
Bråthen, Kari Anne Gonzalez, Victoria Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles |
author_sort |
Bråthen, Kari Anne |
title |
Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
title_short |
Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
title_full |
Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
title_fullStr |
Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
title_full_unstemmed |
Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
title_sort |
gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/12423 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 |
genre |
Empetrum nigrum Fennoscandia Rangifer tarandus Tundra |
genre_facet |
Empetrum nigrum Fennoscandia Rangifer tarandus Tundra |
op_relation |
Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics Bråthen, K. A., Gonzalez, V. & Yoccoz, N. G. (2017). Gatekeepers to the effects of climate warming? Niche construction restricts plant community changes along a temperature gradient. Perspectives in plant ecology, evolution and systematics, 30, 71-81. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 FRIDAID 1546075 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 1433-8319 1618-0437 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/12423 |
op_rights |
openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.06.005 |
container_title |
Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics |
container_volume |
30 |
container_start_page |
71 |
op_container_end_page |
81 |
_version_ |
1766402015547621376 |