Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin
Global change is expected to lead to range shifts of plant species. The ecological mechanisms underpinning these shifts are currently not well understood. Here, we compared ecological responses possibly underlying southern range contraction and northern range expansion of Empetrum nigrum, a key spec...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5052 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/5052 2023-05-15T15:13:25+02:00 Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin Buizer, B Weijers, S van Bodegom, PM Alsos, Inger Greve Eidesen, Pernille Bronken van Breda, J de Korte, M van Rijckevorsel, J Rozema, J 2012 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5052 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 eng eng IOP Publishing Environmental Research Letters 7(2012) nr. 2 FRIDAID 968844 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 1748-9326 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5052 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_4768 openAccess VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed 2012 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 2021-06-25T17:53:27Z Global change is expected to lead to range shifts of plant species. The ecological mechanisms underpinning these shifts are currently not well understood. Here, we compared ecological responses possibly underlying southern range contraction and northern range expansion of Empetrum nigrum, a key species in northern heathlands, which may be related to global change. We hypothesized a negative response to warming in the ‘south’ (i.e. the Netherlands) and a positive response at the northern range margin (the tundra on Svalbard). Open top chambers (OTCs) were used to simulate global warming. In the ‘south’, OTC warming caused enhanced shoot growth and growth rate, biomass increment, advanced phenology, larger and heavier berries of Empetrum, while its growing season was extended by 75 days. Under OTC warming co-occurring Calluna vulgaris also showed an increased growing season length (by 98 days) as well as increased shoot growth rate and biomass growth, plant cover and height. Still, we found no evidence for increased competitiveness relative to Empetrum. In the ‘north’, Empetrum responded with increased shoot and biomass growth, enhanced berry development and ripening to warming. These responses exceeded those of co-occurring Cassiope tetragona with the exception of its biomass response. The direct and indirect ecological responses found do not readily explain the observed northward retreat of Empetrum at the southern range margin. The direct ecological responses found at its northern range margin are, on the other hand, in line with the increased occurrences of this species on Svalbard. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Cassiope tetragona Empetrum nigrum Global warming Svalbard Tundra University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Arctic Svalbard Environmental Research Letters 7 2 025501 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400 |
spellingShingle |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400 Buizer, B Weijers, S van Bodegom, PM Alsos, Inger Greve Eidesen, Pernille Bronken van Breda, J de Korte, M van Rijckevorsel, J Rozema, J Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
topic_facet |
VDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400 VDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400 |
description |
Global change is expected to lead to range shifts of plant species. The ecological mechanisms underpinning these shifts are currently not well understood. Here, we compared ecological responses possibly underlying southern range contraction and northern range expansion of Empetrum nigrum, a key species in northern heathlands, which may be related to global change. We hypothesized a negative response to warming in the ‘south’ (i.e. the Netherlands) and a positive response at the northern range margin (the tundra on Svalbard). Open top chambers (OTCs) were used to simulate global warming. In the ‘south’, OTC warming caused enhanced shoot growth and growth rate, biomass increment, advanced phenology, larger and heavier berries of Empetrum, while its growing season was extended by 75 days. Under OTC warming co-occurring Calluna vulgaris also showed an increased growing season length (by 98 days) as well as increased shoot growth rate and biomass growth, plant cover and height. Still, we found no evidence for increased competitiveness relative to Empetrum. In the ‘north’, Empetrum responded with increased shoot and biomass growth, enhanced berry development and ripening to warming. These responses exceeded those of co-occurring Cassiope tetragona with the exception of its biomass response. The direct and indirect ecological responses found do not readily explain the observed northward retreat of Empetrum at the southern range margin. The direct ecological responses found at its northern range margin are, on the other hand, in line with the increased occurrences of this species on Svalbard. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Buizer, B Weijers, S van Bodegom, PM Alsos, Inger Greve Eidesen, Pernille Bronken van Breda, J de Korte, M van Rijckevorsel, J Rozema, J |
author_facet |
Buizer, B Weijers, S van Bodegom, PM Alsos, Inger Greve Eidesen, Pernille Bronken van Breda, J de Korte, M van Rijckevorsel, J Rozema, J |
author_sort |
Buizer, B |
title |
Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
title_short |
Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
title_full |
Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
title_fullStr |
Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
title_full_unstemmed |
Range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of Empetrum nigrum L. to experimental warming at its northern (high Arctic) and southern (Atlantic) geographical range margin |
title_sort |
range shifts and global warming: ecological responses of empetrum nigrum l. to experimental warming at its northern (high arctic) and southern (atlantic) geographical range margin |
publisher |
IOP Publishing |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5052 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Cassiope tetragona Empetrum nigrum Global warming Svalbard Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Cassiope tetragona Empetrum nigrum Global warming Svalbard Tundra |
op_relation |
Environmental Research Letters 7(2012) nr. 2 FRIDAID 968844 http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 1748-9326 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5052 URN:NBN:no-uit_munin_4768 |
op_rights |
openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/025501 |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
025501 |
_version_ |
1766343975159988224 |