Climate‐driven speedup of alpine treeline forest growth in the Tianshan Mountains,Northwestern China

Forest growth is sensitive to interannual climatic change in the alpine treeline ecotone (ATE). Whether the alpine treeline ecotone shares a similar pattern of forest growth with lower elevational closed forest belt (CFB) under changing climate remains unclear. Here, we reported an unprecedented acceleration of Picea schrenkiana forest growth since 1960s in the ATE of Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China by a stand‐total sampling along six altitudinal transects with three plots in each transect: one from the ATE between the treeline and the forest line, and the other two from the CFB. All the sampled P. schrenkiana forest patches show a higher growth speed after 1960 and, comparatively, forest growth in the CFB has sped up much slower than that in the ATE. The speedup of forest growth at the ATE is mainly accounted for by climate factors, with increasing temperature suggested to be the primary driver. Stronger water deficit as well as more competition within the CFB might have restricted forest growth there more than that within the ATE, implying biotic factors were also significant for the accelerated forest growth in the ATE, which should be excluded from simulations and predictions of warming‐induced treeline dynamics.     

长白山北坡林线灌木草本植物与岳桦的动态关系

本文以长白山北坡林线为研究区,调查125个样方内岳桦种群的径级结构与林线灌草植物的生态重要值。采用常规统计和聚类方法分析岳桦种群与8种常见灌草植物的动态特点,采用典型与单因子相关分析岳桦动态与林线灌草植物的变化关系。结果表明岳桦种群扩张带动林下灌草的相继移动,林线上侵不仅是单一乔木的变化,而是森林群落向苔原群落的入侵,从空间上挤占生态位的过程。另外,这种替代中各个成分变化也存在差异,由于各种植物在群落中的地位和生态竞争力的区别,在替代过程中不同植物变化也具有明显的异步性。     

Tree recruitment at the treeline across the Continental Divide in the Northern Rocky Mountains,USA: the role of spring snow and autumn climate

ABSTRACT

Background: Topoclimate can influence tree establishment within treeline ecotones. Yet much less is known about how regional topography, such as the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountains, mediates the role of climate in governing treeline dynamics.

Aims: To utilise the Continental Divide to test whether contrasts in growing-season moisture regimes to the west (summer-dry) and east (summer-wet) impact the spatio-temporal patterns of tree establishment and rates of treeline advance in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Methods: We sampled trees at sites on north- and south-facing slopes, west and east of the Continental Divide. We used dendroecological techniques to reconstruct patterns of tree establishment. Age-structure data were quantitatively compared with climate to evaluate possible mechanistic linkages.

Results: Across all sites, 96% of trees established after 1950. There was a treeline advance (range = 39–140 m) accompanied by increases in tree density. Significantly more trees established during wet springs on both sides of the Divide.

Conclusions: Overall, snow duration in spring and autumn temperatures appear to influence patterns of tree recruitment at the treeline. Continued warming will likely amplify the role of autumn climate in regulating tree establishment throughout treeline ecotones in the Northern Rocky Mountains, particularly west of the Divide where summer-dry conditions persist.     

Long‐lived larch clones may conserve adaptations that could restrict treeline migration in northern Siberia

The occurrence of refugia beyond the arctic treeline and genetic adaptation therein play a crucial role of largely unknown effect size. While refugia have potential for rapidly colonizing the tundra under global warming, the taxa may be maladapted to the new environmental conditions. Understanding the genetic composition and age of refugia is thus crucial for predicting any migration response. Here, we genotype 194 larch individuals from an ~1.8 km² area in northcentral Siberia on the southern Taimyr Peninsula by applying an assay of 16 nuclear microsatellite markers. For estimating the age of clonal individuals, we counted tree rings at sections along branches to establish a lateral growth rate that was then combined with geographic distance. Findings reveal that the predominant reproduction type is clonal (58.76%) by short distance spreading of ramets. One outlier of clones 1 km apart could have been dispersed by reindeer. In clonal groups and within individuals, we find that somatic mutations accumulate with geographic distance. Clonal groups of two or more individuals are observed. Clonal age estimates regularly suggest individuals as old as 2,200 years, which coincides with a major environmental change that forced a treeline retreat in the region. We conclude that individuals with clonal growth mode were naturally selected as it lowers the likely risk of extinction under a harsh environment. We discuss this legacy from the past that might now be a maladaptation and hinder expansion under currently strongly increasing temperatures.     

Growth response of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) to climate in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA

Growth response of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) to climate was studied across its local geographical and elevation range in the Olympic Mountains, Washington. A dendroecological analysis of subalpine fir across a range of elevations (1350-1850 m) and annual precipitation (125-350 cm y^?1), was used to compare environmental factors affecting growth. Climate-growth relationships were explored using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients; partial correlation analysis was used to assess relationships among site chronologies and climatic variables. Radial growth is negatively correlated with winter precipitation at high elevation and wet sites, but not at low and middle elevation dry sites. Growth is positively correlated with current growing season temperature at all sites; however, growth is negatively correlated with previous year August temperature, indicating that climate affects growth in subsequent years. Positive correlations between growth and summer precipitation during the growing season at low and middle elevation dry sites suggest that soil moisture is partially limiting to growth on these sites. If the climate of the Pacific Northwest becomes warmer and drier, then subalpine fir growth may increase at high elevation and wet sites, but may decrease at lower elevation dry sites in the Olympic Mountains. However, the growth response of subalpine fir to potentially rapid climate change will not be uniform because subalpine fir grows over a wide range of topographic features, habitats, and local climates at different geographical scales. A comparison of growth response to current growing season temperature suggests that the temperature-related growth response of subalpine fir is not adequately described by the parabolic curve used in JABOWA-based models.     

Mosses modify effects of warmer and wetter conditions on tree seedlings at the alpine treeline

Climate warming enables tree seedling establishment beyond the current alpine treeline, but to achieve this, seedlings have to establish within existing tundra vegetation. In tundra, mosses are a prominent feature, known to regulate soil temperature and moisture through their physical structure and associated water retention capacity. Moss presence and species identity might therefore modify the impact of increases in temperature and precipitation on tree seedling establishment at the arctic‐alpine treeline. We followed Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris seedling survival and growth during three growing seasons in the field. Tree seedlings were transplanted along a natural precipitation gradient at the subarctic‐alpine treeline in northern Sweden, into plots dominated by each of three common moss species and exposed to combinations of moss removal and experimental warming by open‐top chambers (OTCs). Independent of climate, the presence of feather moss, but not Sphagnum, strongly supressed survival of both tree species. Positive effects of warming and precipitation on survival and growth of B. pubescens seedlings occurred in the absence of mosses and as expected, this was partly dependent on moss species. P. sylvestris survival was greatest at high precipitation, and this effect was more pronounced in Sphagnum than in feather moss plots irrespective of whether the mosses had been removed or not. Moss presence did not reduce the effects of OTCs on soil temperature. Mosses therefore modified seedling response to climate through other mechanisms, such as altered competition or nutrient availability. We conclude that both moss presence and species identity pose a strong control on seedling establishment at the alpine treeline, and that in some cases mosses weaken climate‐change effects on seedling establishment. Changes in moss abundance and species composition therefore have the potential to hamper treeline expansion induced by climate warming.     

黑龙江长白山森林生物量的时空变化分析

森林生物量碳储量的空间分布及其变化信息, 对揭示地表空间变化规律及驱动因子、分析评价森林生产力及生态功能具有重要意义。该文以20世纪70年代、80年代、90年代和21世纪初4个时期的遥感数据和同期的森林资源清查样地数据为基础, 应用遥感信息模型, 估算了黑龙江长白山地区的森林生物量, 分析了该地区森林生物量的时空动态变化, 以及森林生物量随高程、坡度和坡向的变化规律。结果表明: 该地区4个时期的森林平均生物量分别为81.56、44.27、48.27和54.82 t·hm^-2。4个时期总的森林生物量分别为5.37 × 10 ⁸、2.83 × 10 ⁸、3.06 × 10 ⁸和3.46 × 10 ⁸ t。20世纪70年代到21世纪初森林平均生物量和总的森林生物量都呈现出先降低后增加的趋势, 呈先下降趋势的主要原因是20世纪70-80年代以森林采伐为主, 后增加趋势的主要原因是实施天然林保护工程起到了很大的作用。该地区4个时期森林生物量随高程、坡度和坡向都表现出一致性的变化规律, 森林生物量随高程和坡度变化都呈先增加后减少的趋势, 导致这一现象的主要原因是, 高程、坡度和坡向变化引起了局地气候条件的变化, 从而直接影响森林生长环境, 造成森林分布的变化。森林生物量在200-400 m高程所占的比例最大, 约为35%, 在坡度5°-15°所占的比例接近50%。森林生物量在南坡和西南坡所占的比例最小, 为7%; 平坡所占的比例最大, 为28%; 南坡次之, 为19%。     

长白山溪流河岸带森林木本植物多样性沿海拔梯度分布规律

采用样带网格调查方法和α、β多样性指数分析方法,研究了长白山河岸带原始林和次生林群落木本植物多样性沿海拔梯度分布规律及其对采伐干扰的响应.结果表明：不同海拔区域河岸带原始林群落均由11～13个树种组成,其在群落中的地位随海拔升高而发生变化,阔叶树种优势地位逐步被针叶树种所取代,采伐干扰不仅改变了群落树种丰富度及其在群落中的地位,而且使针叶树种取代阔叶树种的趋势有所增强;河岸带原始林群落物种多样性沿海拔梯度呈现出中、低海拔区域相对较高且比较恒定(2.454～2.544),高海拔区域(2.250)下降的分布规律,采伐干扰改变了其沿海拔梯度分布格局(波动型),加大了不同海拔区域群落间的波动性(2.174～2.692);河岸带原始林群落树种沿海拔梯度的变动速率相对较低(1.5～3.5),且群落相似性较高(0.85～0.94),采伐干扰使次生林群落树种沿海拔梯度的变动幅度增大(0.5～6.0),群落相似性下降(0.68～0.91),但次生林群落沿海拔梯度分布仍具有较高连续性.     

贡嘎山雅家埂峨眉冷杉林线种群的时空动态

通过对贡嘎山雅家埂峨眉冷杉种群林线附近6个3000 m2样地(阴阳坡各3个)中峨眉冷杉(Abies fabri Craib)种群的定位调查,分析了过去100a间该区峨眉冷杉种群的时间-空间动态。结果表明:1)雅家埂林线附近峨眉冷杉种群密度在过去100 a(主要是近50 a)有显著的升高,但树线的海拔位置并无明显的爬升;2)阴阳坡林线格局存在显著的坡向分异:阴坡林线和树线的海拔高度显著高于阳坡(分别比阳坡高152.5 m和135.8 m),阳坡林线附近峨眉冷杉早期的生长速率在大于阴坡,但后期的生长速率却低于阴坡;3)热量(温度)控制假说不能完全解释雅家埂目前的树线格局,除气候因素之外,其它因素也限制了雅家梗地区树线位置的变化。     

长白山高山冻原生态系统凋落物养分归还功能

研究了长白山高山冻原生态系统中凋落物量及其养分空间分布特征 ,并对凋落物在养分生物循环中的功能进行了讨论。结果表明 :长白山高山冻原植被凋落物量为 1.378～ 2 .4 76 t/hm2 ,通过对不同海拔凋落物量的数量特征进行分析 ,海拔是影响长白山高山冻原植被凋落物量的主要因子。长白山高山冻原生态系统凋落物中 S、N和 P含量分别为 0 .14 % ,0 .4 9%和0 .2 1% ;3种营养元素在凋落物中积累量为 81.99kg/hm2 ,其中 S、N和 P积累量分别是 15 .0 4 kg/hm2 ,4 5 .93kg/hm2 和2 1.0 2 kg/hm2 。长白山高山冻原生态系统中 5种植被型 (FA,L A,TA,MA和 SA)年归还量依次为 0 .72 ,1.35 ,14 .6 5 ,10 .88和 11.91kg/(hm2· a) ;平均归还率依次 0 .33,0 .4 2 ,0 .39,0 .39和 0 .4 8。典型高山冻原植被型的归还量最大 ,而归还率却较低。长白山高山冻原生态系统内 S、N和 P的利用效率分别是 7.14、2 .0 4和 4 .76。在整个长白山高山冻原生态系统中 S和P的利用效率大于 N的利用效率     

长白山三种林型对蛾类群落结构和多样性的影响

选择长白山阔叶红松林、白桦林和落叶松林3种林型,对各林型蛾类的群落结构和多样性进行了比较。结果表明:蛾类各科(亚科)在3种林型中的比例分配明显不同。阔叶红松林中尺蛾科数量占优绝对优势,占47.0%,其次是舟蛾科,为9.3%。优势种为台褥尺蛾,占17.2%;从蛾类总种数和蛾类个体总数上看,白桦林中蛾类物种丰富度、多度和多样性指数明显高于阔叶红松林和落叶松林,优势度指数则最低;白桦林的优势种有尘尺蛾、枞灰尺蛾和双星白枝尺蛾;在落叶松林中,灯蛾科、波纹蛾科和枯叶蛾科的多度都比阔叶红松林和白桦林高,其优势种为阿泊波纹蛾。     

长白山不同海拔树木生长对气候变化的响应差异

以长白落叶松和红松为例,探讨了长白山地区不同海拔树木生长对气候变化的响应。利用长白山北坡不同海拔4个长白落叶松样点和6个红松样点的树轮宽度资料建立差值年表,通过聚类分析、相关分析和响应分析等方法,研究树木生长特征及其气候响应。结果表明:两个树种年表的平均敏感度、树轮宽度指数的年际变率、信噪比等特征值较高,反映年表含有较强的环境信息。随海拔升高,长白落叶松年表特征值呈先下降后增加的趋势,红松年表特征值则呈先增加后下降的趋势。聚类分析将长白落叶松年表分成高、低海拔两类,红松年表分成高、中、低海拔三类。树木生长对气候响应存在海拔差异。高海拔长白落叶松生长受当年气温影响;低海拔长白落叶松生长对气候存在"滞后响应"。高海拔红松不仅受降水限制,且对气温有"滞后响应";中海拔红松不仅受气温限制,且对降水有"滞后响应";低海拔红松生长主要受气温限制。     

川西高山林线土壤活性碳、氮对短期增温的响应

随着温室效应的加剧,受低温限制的高山林线生态系统对全球气候变暖较为敏感,可能直接影响到植物的生长和土壤碳氮过程.本研究假设气候变暖会改变高山生态系统土壤活性碳氮含量,在四川省理县米亚罗高山生态系统定位站,采用开顶式模拟增温装置(OTC)模拟增温对土壤活性碳、氮的短期影响.分别于2017年4、7和10月,采集OTC以及对照样地(CK)内土壤有机层和矿质土壤层的原状土壤,测定土壤可溶性有机碳(DOC)、土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、土壤可溶性有机氮(DON)和土壤微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量.结果表明: 模拟增温使年均气温升高0.88 ℃,土壤有机层和矿质土壤层的年均温度分别提高0.48和0.23 ℃.模拟增温没有显著改变土壤有机质和含水量,但显著提高了矿质土壤层的pH值,同时显著降低了非生长季矿质土壤层的DOC、DON含量;季节变化对两个层次的DOC、DON和MBN含量有极显著影响,而MBC没有明显的季节动态;增温和季节交互作用对矿质土壤层的DOC和DON有显著影响.土壤有机层的MBC、MBN含量显著高于矿质土壤层.土壤活性碳、氮与土壤有机质和含水量呈极显著正相关,MBC、MBN与土壤pH呈极显著正相关,MBN与土壤温度呈显著负相关.     

Responses of white spruce (Picea glauca) to experimental warming at a subarctic alpine treeline

From 2001 to 2004 we experimentally warmed 40 large, naturally established, white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] seedlings at alpine treeline in southwest Yukon, Canada, using passive open‐top chambers (OTCs) distributed equally between opposing north and south‐facing slopes. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that an increase in temperature consistent with global climate warming would elicit a positive growth response. OTCs increased growing season air temperatures by 1.8°C and annual growing degree‐days by one‐third. In response, warmed seedlings grew significantly taller and had higher photosynthetic rates compared with control seedlings. On the south aspect, soil temperatures averaged 1.0°C warmer and the snow‐free period was nearly 1 month longer. These seedlings grew longer branches and wider annual rings than seedlings on the north aspect, but had reduced Photosystem‐II efficiency and experienced higher winter needle mortality. The presence of OTCs tended to reduce winter dieback over the course of the experiment. These results indicate that climate warming will enhance vertical growth rates of young conifers, with implications for future changes to the structure and elevation of treeline contingent upon exposure‐related differences. Our results suggest that the growth of seedlings on north‐facing slopes is limited by low soil temperature in the presence of permafrost, while growth on south‐facing slopes appears limited by winter desiccation and cold‐induced photoinhibition.     

长白山群落交错带长白松和鱼鳞云杉径向生长对气候变暖的响应

长白山是典型的温性针阔叶混交林分布区,也是受全球气候变化影响最为显著的地区之一.为了解该区森林生态系统对气候变化的响应,本研究选取该区阔叶红松林与云冷杉林(又称暗针叶林)群落交错带内优势乔木树种长白松和鱼鳞云杉作为对象,获取树木年轮宽度资料建立标准年表,明确限制2个树种径向生长的关键气候因子.结果表明:长白松和鱼鳞云杉...     

Regional patterns of increasing Swiss needle cast impacts on Douglas‐fir growth with warming temperatures

The fungal pathogen, Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii, causing Swiss needle cast (SNC) occurs wherever Douglas‐fir is found but disease damage is believed to be limited in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) to the Coast Range of Oregon and Washington (Hansen et al., Plant Disease, 2000, 84, 773; Rosso & Hansen, Phytopathology, 2003, 93, 790; Shaw, et al., Journal of Forestry, 2011, 109, 109). However, knowledge remains limited on the history and spatial distribution of SNC impacts in the PNW. We reconstructed the history of SNC impacts on mature Douglas‐fir trees based on tree‐ring width chronologies from western Oregon. Our findings show that SNC impacts on growth occur wherever Douglas‐fir is found and is not limited to the coastal fog zone. The spatiotemporal patterns of growth impact from SNC disease were synchronous across the region, displayed periodicities of 12–40 years, and strongly correlated with winter and summer temperatures and summer precipitation. The primary climatic factor limiting pathogen dynamics varied spatially by location, topography, and elevation. SNC impacts were least severe in the first half of the 20th century when climatic conditions during the warm phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (1924–1945) were less conducive to pathogen development. At low‐ to mid‐elevations, SNC impacts were most severe in 1984–1986 following several decades of warmer winters and cooler, wetter summers including a high summer precipitation anomaly in 1983. At high elevations on the west slope of the Cascade Range, SNC impacts peaked several years later and were the greatest in the 1990s, a period of warmer winter temperatures. Climate change is predicted to result in warmer winters and will likely continue to increase SNC severity at higher elevations, north along the coast from northern Oregon to British Columbia, and inland where low winter temperatures currently limit growth of the pathogen. Our findings indicate that SNC may become a significant forest health problem in areas of the PNW beyond the coastal fog zone.     

森林与空旷地空气温湿度及土壤温度的长期对比研究

森林对温湿度的影响是其生态功能的基础,为了探讨森林的这种小气候效应,本文采用小气候对比观测的方法,根据2005 -2007年观测资料,对长白山阔叶红松林与附近空旷地温度、湿度等小气候要素进行了差异性研究.结果表明,林内近地表层空气温度白天低于林外空旷地,晚间高于林外空旷地,因而具有较低的日较差.非生长季二者的月平均值差异不显著,但生长季差异明显,月平均气温最高差值出现季节与森林叶面积指数最大值出现时间一致.气温年较差的平均值林内小于空旷地,差值可达6.3℃.年均森林与空旷地土壤温度全年均表现出明显差异,以0℃为界,0℃以上,林内土壤温度低于空旷地,0℃以下高于空旷地,其中2005年1月5 cm深处土壤温度差值达到了5.3℃.空气相对湿度生长季差异较大,其中以7、8月份差异最为明显,2006年7月差值最大,达7.0％.     

模拟增温对长白山北坡垂直样带森林土壤有机碳稳定碳同位素的影响

分析了长白山北坡垂直样带3种典型原始森林地表凋落物及不同粒径土壤组分中有机质的δ¹³C值,并将在岳桦林样地(EB,海拔1996 m)采集的20 cm土柱分别置换到云冷杉林(SF,海拔1350 m)和阔叶红松林(PB,海拔740 m),云冷杉林样地采集的土柱置换到阔叶红松林中,进行为期1年的野外模拟增温试验.结果表明：3种林型土壤的δ¹³C值均显著高于凋落物的δ¹³C值,凋落物和土壤有机质中的δ¹³C值由地表凋落物向土壤下层逐渐增加,而土壤粒径中有机质的δ¹³C值随粒径减小而增大.3种林型中,凋落物δ¹³C值变化趋势为云冷杉林(-28.3‰)>阔叶红松林(-29.0‰)>岳桦林(-29.6‰),而土壤有机质的δ¹³C值变化趋势为岳桦林(-25.5‰)>阔叶红松林(-25.8‰)>云冷杉林(-26.2‰).在土壤温度增加0.7 ℃～2.9 ℃条件下,土壤及其各粒级的δ¹³C值均呈下降趋势,而且<2 μm粘粒和2～63 μm粉粒δ¹³C值的降幅(0.48‰和0.47‰)高于>63 μm砂粒δ¹³C值的降幅(0.33‰).未来气候变暖可能对储藏在细小颗粒中年龄较长的有机碳带来较大的影响.     

长白山牛皮杜鹃凋落物分解及土壤动物的作用

凋落物分解是生态系统养分循环的重要环节。土壤动物对凋落物分解具有重要作用。有关高山常绿小灌木凋落物分解及土壤动物作用的研究鲜有报道。采用凋落物网袋法对长白山北坡岳桦林带(42°03'41.23″N,128°03'12.75″E,1900 m)牛皮杜鹃(Rhododendron chrysanthum)凋落物的分解过程进行了为期1a的野外观测与室内试验研究,采用4、2 mm和0.01 mm三种网孔凋落物袋来控制不同体型的土壤动物的参与,以研究凋落物的分解率、养分动态及土壤动物在凋落物分解中的作用。结果表明,4、2 mm和0.01 mm网孔凋落物分解率分别为34.19%、31.22%和25.45%。分解率表现出显著的季节差异性。从总体上来看,网袋内凋落物的总氮含量先增后减;C/N呈下降趋势。对分解起主要作用的优势类群是甲螨亚目和等节跳科。土壤动物总个体数与养分元素的释放关系显著,中小型土壤动物对有机碳的释放起到重要作用。截至2012年10月末试验结束,全部土壤动物对牛皮杜鹃凋落物分解质量损失的贡献率为25.57%,中小型土壤动物贡献率(16.88%)大型土壤动物贡献率(8.69%)。大型土壤动物和中小型土壤动物在牛皮杜鹃凋落物分解过程中所起的作用,具有不同步性。     

长白山林线主要木本植物叶片养分的季节动态及回收效率

植物叶片养分含量的季节动态和回收效率对植被生态系统的养分循环和植物生长策略具有重要意义。以长白山高山林线上分布的3种主要木本植物——岳桦(Betula ermanii),牛皮杜鹃(Rhododendron aureum)和笃斯越橘(Vaccinium uliginosum)为研究对象,通过测定叶片中N、P、K、Ca、Mg、Fe等6种养分元素含量,分析在林线处植物叶片养分含量的季节动态及其与土壤养分含量的关系。结果表明岳桦和笃斯越橘叶片中养分元素的季节动态基本一致,即:N、P、K含量在生长季内逐渐降低,而Ca的含量逐渐增加;Mg在生长季旺盛期最低,而Fe含量却最高。牛皮杜鹃作为常绿灌木,叶片养分的季节动态与其余两种植物明显不同,表现为在生长季初期6种养分元素含量最低。岳桦和笃斯越橘植物叶片中N、P、K、Fe都有一定程度的回收,但笃斯越橘叶片的养分回收率更高,反映了笃斯越橘更能适应相对贫瘠的环境。3种林线植物叶片中养分含量与土壤养分并不存在显著的相关性,说明长白山林线上土壤中养分的分布没有对林线上3种主要的木本植物的生长和分布产生直接的影响。