Asymmetric effects of daytime and nighttime warming on alpine treeline recruitment

Trees at their upper range limits are highly sensitive to climate change, and thus alpine treelines worldwide have changed their recruitment patterns in response to climate warming. However, previous studies focused only on daily mean temperature, neglecting the asymmetric influences of daytime and nighttime warming on recruitments in alpine treelines. Here, based on the compiled dataset of tree recruitment series from 172 alpine treelines across the Northern Hemisphere, we quantified and compared the different effects of daytime and nighttime warming on treeline recruitment using four indices of temperature sensitivity, and assessed the responses of treeline recruitment to warming-induced drought stress. Our analyses demonstrated that even in different environmental regions, both daytime and nighttime warming could significantly promote treeline recruitment, and however, treeline recruitment was much more sensitive to nighttime warming than to daytime warming, which could be attributable to the presence of drought stress. The increasing drought stress primarily driven by daytime warming rather than by nighttime warming would likely constrain the responses of treeline recruitment to daytime warming. Our findings provided compelling evidence that nighttime warming rather than daytime warming could play a primary role in promoting the recruitment in alpine treelines, which was related to the daytime warming-induced drought stress. Thus, daytime and nighttime warming should be considered separately to improve future projections of global change impacts across alpine ecosystems.     

长白山林线过渡带树岛土壤微生物群落结构和生态功能

林线过渡带是指从郁闭森林上限到树种分布上限之间的区域,过渡带内生物多样性丰富,生态系统结构、功能和生态过程在很小的海拔梯度内发生剧烈变化,因此对全球气候变化和人类活动极为敏感。树岛是在林线过渡带内出现的斑块状或条带形不连续分布的树木集群,树岛内生存的树木通常能达到与较低海拔郁闭森林同样的高度和胸径,因此揭示树岛这一特殊生境的生态特征及其形成机制,对于预测未来气候变化下林线动态具有重要意义。以长白山岳桦林线过渡带一大型树岛作为研究对象,测定了土壤理化性质和土壤酶活性,采用宏基因组测序技术分析了微生物群落结构组成和功能基因丰度,通过与同海拔的开阔区生境进行对比,揭示了树岛这一特殊生境的土壤微生物群落结构特征和潜在生态功能,从土壤养分和土壤微生物学角度,阐明树岛形成的可能驱动机制。结果表明,树岛土壤的含水量、总碳、总氮和微生物生物量显著高于同海拔开阔区（P<0.05）,与微生物r-策略相关的生理生化和遗传学指标,包括纤维素酶活性、放线菌相对丰度、与转录、防御、控制细胞周期相关的基因丰度、小分子碳降解基因丰度,均高于开阔区（P<0.05）。相反的,与微生物K-策略相关的指标,包括酸杆菌相对丰度、大分子碳降解基因相对丰度低于开阔区。揭示了树岛土壤微生物学特征,并从土壤微生物组学角度探讨了树岛形成的潜在机制,认为树岛内土壤养分增加并导致微生物群落r-策略倾向,这种变化反过来也可能促进树岛进一步扩大,进而影响林线动态。     

Expanding forests and changing growth forms of Siberian larch at the Polar Urals treeline during the 20th century

The ongoing climatic changes potentially affect plant growth and the functioning of temperature‐limited high‐altitude and high‐latitude ecosystems; the rate and magnitude of these biotic changes are, however, uncertain. The aim of this study was to reconstruct stand structure and growth forms of Larix sibirica (Ledeb.) in undisturbed forest–tundra ecotones of the remote Polar Urals on a centennial time scale. Comparisons of the current ecotone with historic photographs from the 1960s clearly document that forests have significantly expanded since then. Similarly, the analysis of forest age structure based on more than 300 trees sampled along three altitudinal gradients reaching from forests in the valleys to the tundra indicate that more than 70% of the currently upright‐growing trees are <80 years old. Because thousands of more than 500‐year‐old subfossil trees occur in the same area but tree remnants of the 15–19th century are lacking almost entirely, we conclude that the forest has been expanding upwards into the formerly tree‐free tundra during the last century by about 20–60 m in altitude. This upward shift of forests was accompanied by significant changes in tree growth forms: while 36% of the few trees that are more than 100 years old were multi‐stem tree clusters, 90% of the trees emerging after 1950 were single‐stemmed. Tree‐ring analysis of horizontal and vertical stems of multi‐stemmed larch trees showed that these trees had been growing in a creeping form since the 15th century. In the early 20th century, they started to grow upright with 5–20 stems per tree individual. The incipient vertical growth led to an abrupt tripling in radial growth and thus, in biomass production. Based on above‐ and belowground biomass measurements of 33 trees that were dug out and the mapping of tree height and diameter, we estimated that forest expansion led to a biomass increase by 40–75 t ha^?1 and a carbon accumulation of approximately 20–40 g C m^?2 yr^?1 during the last century. The forest expansion and change in growth forms coincided with significant summer warming by 0.9 °C and a doubling of winter precipitation during the 20th century. In summary, our results indicate that the ongoing climatic changes are already leaving a fingerprint on the appearance, structure, and productivity of the treeline ecotone in the Polar Urals.     

Shrubline but not treeline advance matches climate velocity in montane ecosystems of south‐central Alaska

Tall shrubs and trees are advancing into many tundra and wetland ecosystems but at a rate that often falls short of that predicted due to climate change. For forest, tall shrub, and tundra ecosystems in two pristine mountain ranges of Alaska, we apply a Bayesian, error‐propagated calculation of expected elevational rise (climate velocity), observed rise (biotic velocity), and their difference (biotic inertia). We show a sensitive dependence of climate velocity on lapse rate and derive biotic velocity as a rigid elevational shift. Ecosystem presence identified from recent and historic orthophotos ~50 years apart was regressed on elevation. Biotic velocity was estimated as the difference between critical point elevations of recent and historic logistic fits divided by time between imagery. For both mountain ranges, the 95% highest posterior density of climate velocity enclosed the posterior distributions of all biotic velocities. In the Kenai Mountains, mean tall shrub and climate velocities were both 2.8 m y^?1. In the better sampled Chugach Mountains, mean tundra retreat was 1.2 m y^?1 and climate velocity 1.3 m y^?1. In each mountain range, the posterior mode of tall woody vegetation velocity (the complement of tundra) matched climate velocity better than either forest or tall shrub alone, suggesting competitive compensation can be important. Forest velocity was consistently low at 0.1–1.1 m y^?1, indicating treeline is advancing slowly. We hypothesize that the high biotic inertia of forest ecosystems in south‐central Alaska may be due to competition with tall shrubs and/or more complex climate controls on the elevational limits of trees than tall shrubs. Among tall shrubs, those that disperse farthest had lowest inertia. Finally, the rapid upward advance of woody vegetation may be contributing to regional declines in Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli), a poorly dispersing alpine specialist herbivore with substantial biotic inertia due to dispersal reluctance.     

芦芽山林线白杄生长季径向生长动态

高山林线作为树木分布的高度上限, 是全球范围最重要的植被过渡带之一, 其树木生长显著受到外界极端环境条件的影响。利用点状树木径向变化记录仪于2009年5-9月, 对山西省芦芽山林线组成树种白杄(Picea meyeri)生长季内树木径向生长进行了持续的动态监测。结果表明: 白杄茎干日变化主要受到树木蒸腾作用日变化的影响, 茎干呈现出白天脱水收缩与夜间吸水膨胀的循环变化; 生长季白杄径向生长可划分为3个不同的生长时段: 1)茎干水分恢复时段, 2)茎干快速生长时段, 3)茎干脱水收缩时段。在茎干水分恢复时段, 白杄茎干径向累积变化主要受到土壤含水量变化的影响。土壤温度是茎干快速生长时段影响茎干径向生长的主导环境因子, 同时它也影响着白杄茎干径向生长的开始。在茎干脱水收缩时段, 土壤温度、土壤含水量是影响茎干径向累积变化的主要环境因子。白杄径向生长最大速度出现在6月末, 其主要受到光周期(即白昼长短)影响, 是对林线处极端环境的一种适应。     

贡嘎山树线过渡带土壤有机碳矿化和温度敏感性

树线过渡带作为高山地区重要的生态过渡带之一,是响应温度变化的敏感区域。树线过渡带内土壤碳储量丰富,其碳周转在全球碳循环方面扮演着重要角色。探究树线过渡带土壤有机碳矿化及其温度敏感性,对于预测气候变化背景下高山地区土壤碳循环过程具有重要的指导意义。为此以青藏高原东南部贡嘎山树线过渡带(森林、树线、灌丛)的土壤为对象,在室内开展90 d不同温度(15℃和20℃)的培养实验,测定土壤有机碳矿化速率,计算单位土壤有机碳累积矿化量、温度敏感性,并分析影响它们的相关因素。结果表明：土壤有机碳矿化速率受温度和样地类型的显著影响。升温显著增加土壤有机碳矿化速率,而不同样地类型间矿化速率差异显著,矿化速率大小表现为森林>树线>灌丛。本研究用单位土壤有机碳累积矿化量表征土壤有机碳的稳定性,经90 d的培养,15℃下树线过渡带从森林、树线到灌丛单位土壤有机碳累积矿化量分别为12.33 mg/g、12.99 mg/g和10.53 mg/g, 20℃下则分别为19.16 mg/g、21.14 mg/g和16.26 mg/g,灌丛土壤单位土壤有机碳累积矿化量显著低于森林和树线土壤,这表明灌丛土壤具备更...     

Plant response to climate change along the forest‐tundra ecotone in northeastern Siberia

Russia's boreal (taiga) biome will likely contract sharply and shift northward in response to 21st century climatic change, yet few studies have examined plant response to climatic variability along the northern margin. We quantified climate dynamics, trends in plant growth, and growth–climate relationships across the tundra shrublands and Cajander larch (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) woodlands of the Kolyma river basin (657 000 km²) in northeastern Siberia using satellite‐derived normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), tree ring‐width measurements, and climate data. Mean summer temperatures (T_s) increased 1.0 °C from 1938 to 2009, though there was no trend (P > 0.05) in growing year precipitation or climate moisture index (CMI_gy). Mean summer NDVI (NDVI_s) increased significantly from 1982 to 2010 across 20% of the watershed, primarily in cold, shrub‐dominated areas. NDVI_s positively correlated (P < 0.05) with T_s across 56% of the watershed (r = 0.52 ± 0.09, mean ± SD), principally in cold areas, and with CMI_gy across 9% of the watershed (r = 0.45 ± 0.06), largely in warm areas. Larch ring‐width measurements from nine sites revealed that year‐to‐year (i.e., high‐frequency) variation in growth positively correlated (P < 0.05) with June temperature (r = 0.40) and prior summer CMI (r = 0.40) from 1938 to 2007. An unexplained multi‐decadal (i.e., low‐frequency) decline in annual basal area increment (BAI) occurred following the mid‐20th century, but over the NDVI record there was no trend in mean BAI (P > 0.05), which significantly correlated with NDVI_s (r = 0.44, P < 0.05, 1982–2007). Both satellite and tree‐ring analyses indicated that plant growth was constrained by both low temperatures and limited moisture availability and, furthermore, that warming enhanced growth. Impacts of future climatic change on forests near treeline in Arctic Russia will likely be influenced by shifts in both temperature and moisture, which implies that projections of future forest distribution and productivity in this area should take into account the interactions of energy and moisture limitations.     

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.     

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.