scholarly journals Ecology of the cold-adapted species Nebria germari (Coleoptera: Carabidae): the role of supraglacial stony debris as refugium during the current interglacial period

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (Suppl.) ◽  
pp. 199-220
Author(s):  
Barbara Valle ◽  
Roberto Ambrosini ◽  
Marco Caccianiga ◽  
Mauro Gobbi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
Interglacial Period ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Cold Adapted ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Micrometeorological Conditions

In the current scenario of climate change, cold-adapted insects are among the most threatened organisms in high-altitude habitats of the Alps. Upslope shifts and changes in phenology are two of the most investigated responses to climate change, but there is an increasing interest in evaluating the presence of high-altitude landforms acting as refugia. Nebria germari Heer, 1837 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a hygrophilic and cold-adapted species that still exhibits large populations on supraglacial debris of the Eastern Alps. This work aims at describing the ecology and phenology of the populations living on supraglacial debris. To this end, we analysed the populations from three Dolomitic glaciers whose surfaces are partially covered by stony debris. We found that supraglacial debris is characterised by more stable colder and wetter conditions than the surrounding debris slopes and by a shorter snow-free period. The populations found on supraglacial debris were spring breeders, differently from those documented in the 1980s on Dolomitic high alpine grasslands, which were reported as autumn breeders. Currently, Nebria germari seems, therefore, to find a suitable habitat on supraglacial debris, where micrometeorological conditions are appropriate for its life-cycle and competition and predation are reduced.

scholarly journals Environmental factors as drivers for macroinvertebrate and diatom diversity in Alpine lakes: New insights from the Stelvio National Park (Italy)

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Boggero ◽  
Silvia Zaupa ◽  
Simona Musazzi ◽  
Michela Rogora ◽  
Elzbieta Dumnicka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
National Park ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Alpine Lakes ◽  
High Altitude Lakes ◽  
The Alps

Information on the biodiversity of high altitude lakes in the Stelvio National Park was scarce and fragmentary, in most cases limited to a few studies on a single biological issue. To fill this gap, a multidisciplinary research program was established in 2011 to investigate macroinvertebrates, diatoms, and water chemistry in 8 high altitude lakes within the boundaries of the Park (Rhaetian Alps, Eastern Alps). The results of this study were compared with data on biological assemblages and chemical parameters of Alpine lakes in the Pennine-Lepontine Alps (Western Alps), to evaluate the role of local drivers with respect to regional ones. This comparison was possible thanks to the adoption of standardized sampling methodologies developed since the ’90s by the National Research Council-Water Research Institute (Verbania), in collaboration with several European Research centers. Despite located in a restricted geographical area, the lakes of the Stelvio National Park showed a high variability of chemical composition, and of sensitivity to acidification, lower than that of the Pennine-Lepontine Alpine lakes. Macroinvertebrate and diatom taxa were ubiquitous and frequent along the Alps, and mainly represented by cold-stenothermal species. Richness, Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou indices applied to phyto- and zoobenthos highlighted significantly lower values in Stelvio National Park lakes than in those of Pennine-Lepontine for macroinvertebrates, while no significant differences were found for diatoms. Two groups of lakes were identified by Cluster Analysis, mainly on the basis of major ion concentrations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that the macroinvertebrate assemblage of the lakes studied is driven mainly by altitude and lake surface, and, to a lesser extent, by nutrient content. On the contrary, pH and acid-related variables played a secondary role for diatoms, while nutrients and, more in general, ionic content had significant effects on their species composition. Overall, the results of this first investigation showed that the high elevation of these lakes affects their macroinvertebrate assemblages, while their diatom communities are comparable throughout the Alps.

Holocene reconstruction of plant communities and impacts of human activity from sedaDNA in the Austrian Alps.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scarlett Zetter ◽  
Sandra Garcés Pastor ◽  
Youri Lammers ◽  
Andreas Tribsch ◽  
Antony G. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
The Alps

<p>The Alps contain highly biodiverse ecosystems including a large number endemic flora. As a result of climate change and anthropogenic activities, such ecosystems are at risk from upward vegetation displacement and species loss. Extensive archaeological research in the Eastern Alps has documented human settlement from ~5500 years ago driven by salt and copper mining; which has caused significant impact on the ecosystems through mining, deforestation, and pastoral farming. To elucidate the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on plant biodiversity, multi-proxy reconstructions have been carried out throughout the Western Alps . Despite this research, the palaeoecological history of the Eastern Alps is relatively understudied. Consequently, we are limited in our understanding of how climate change and human impact have affected past biodiversity and the formation of the contemporary vegetation in this region. Here, we focus on the Austrian sub-alpine lake, Großer Winterleitensee located at the Easternmost margin of the Alps; only locally glaciated during the Pleistocene. We applied sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) metabarcoding to reconstruct Holocene plant community dynamics within the lake catchment. These data, in conjunction with local temperature reconstructions, sediment elemental composition, magnetic susceptibility, and loss-on-ignition analyses, allowed us to identify key intervals of plant diversity change. Two such intervals begin at samples dated ~5500 cal. yr BP and ~2200 cal. yr BP, coinciding with Neolithic and Iron Age settlement phases in the area. Palaeoecological reconstructions of plant biodiversity and their responses to climate change and anthropogenic pressures may be able to provide essential information for future conservation purposes.</p><div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <div> <div> </div> </div> </div>

scholarly journals Global warNing: what we know and what we should know about carabid beetles in high altitude habitats

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Gobbi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Cold Adapted

Models that relate species distributions and climate to predict the future geographical range of species in response to forecast climate change have shown that species living at high altitudes are expected to be particularly affected. Presently, the global trend towards a rapid climate warming represents a major concern for high-altitude carabid beetles, specifically for the populations living in glacialised mountain areas. Most of the high altitude carabid species are endemic and cold-adapted, have low dispersal abilities and present small and/or isolated populations. These threats are triggering an increase of their extinction risk. Some researchers have demonstrated both local-scale extinctions and upward shift to higher altitudes. A key point is whether the losses determined by climate change could be mitigated by species’ survival in micro-refugium areas. Traditionally, the current species distribution in climate-limited ecosystems, like those at high altitude, have been described underlining the role of cold-stage refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 22000 years BP). On the other hand, no studies addressed the question if the present-day distribution of cold-adapted mountain species is driven by climate conditions occurring during the past and/or current warm periods. More recently, the potential role of some ice-related mountain landforms as warm-stage refugia was documented. It suggests that these landforms could be able to promote the long-term survival of cold-adapted species when the surrounding habitats become climatically unfavorable, thus more effort should be done to investigate the ecology these kind of harsh habitats.

scholarly journals The Impact of Human Pressure and Climate Change on the Habitat Availability and Protection of Cypripedium (Orchidaceae) in Northeast China

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Huanchu Liu ◽  
Hans Jacquemyn ◽  
Xingyuan He ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Yanqing Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Changbai Mountains ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Human Pressure ◽  
Terrestrial Orchids ◽  
The Future ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
The Impact

Human pressure on the environment and climate change are two important factors contributing to species decline and overall loss of biodiversity. Orchids may be particularly vulnerable to human-induced losses of habitat and the pervasive impact of global climate change. In this study, we simulated the extent of the suitable habitat of three species of the terrestrial orchid genus Cypripedium in northeast China and assessed the impact of human pressure and climate change on the future distribution of these species. Cypripedium represents a genus of long-lived terrestrial orchids that contains several species with great ornamental value. Severe habitat destruction and overcollection have led to major population declines in recent decades. Our results showed that at present the most suitable habitats of the three species can be found in Da Xing’an Ling, Xiao Xing’an Ling and in the Changbai Mountains. Human activity was predicted to have the largest impact on species distributions in the Changbai Mountains. In addition, climate change was predicted to lead to a shift in distribution towards higher elevations and to an increased fragmentation of suitable habitats of the three investigated Cypripedium species in the study area. These results will be valuable for decision makers to identify areas that are likely to maintain viable Cypripedium populations in the future and to develop conservation strategies to protect the remaining populations of these enigmatic orchid species.

scholarly journals Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulalo M. Muluvhahothe ◽  
Grant S. Joseph ◽  
Colleen L. Seymour ◽  
Thinandavha C. Munyai ◽  
Stefan H. Foord
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Fine Scale

AbstractHigh-altitude-adapted ectotherms can escape competition from dominant species by tolerating low temperatures at cooler elevations, but climate change is eroding such advantages. Studies evaluating broad-scale impacts of global change for high-altitude organisms often overlook the mitigating role of biotic factors. Yet, at fine spatial-scales, vegetation-associated microclimates provide refuges from climatic extremes. Using one of the largest standardised data sets collected to date, we tested how ant species composition and functional diversity (i.e., the range and value of species traits found within assemblages) respond to large-scale abiotic factors (altitude, aspect), and fine-scale factors (vegetation, soil structure) along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa. Altitude emerged as the principal factor explaining species composition. Analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity indicated that ant assemblages are specific to each elevation, so species are not filtered out but replaced with new species as elevation increases. Similarity of assemblages over time (assessed using beta decay) did not change significantly at low and mid elevations but declined at the highest elevations. Assemblages also differed between northern and southern mountain aspects, although at highest elevations, composition was restricted to a set of species found on both aspects. Functional diversity was not explained by large scale variables like elevation, but by factors associated with elevation that operate at fine scales (i.e., temperature and habitat structure). Our findings highlight the significance of fine-scale variables in predicting organisms’ responses to changing temperature, offering management possibilities that might dilute climate change impacts, and caution when predicting assemblage responses using climate models, alone.

scholarly journals Predicting Impacts of Climate Change on Northward Range Expansion of Invasive Weeds in South Korea

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1604
Author(s):  
Sun Hee Hong ◽  
Yong Ho Lee ◽  
Gaeun Lee ◽  
Do-Hun Lee ◽  
Pradeep Adhikari
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Southern Region ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Invasive Weeds ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Suitable Habitats ◽  
Control And Management

Predicting the distribution of invasive weeds under climate change is important for the early identification of areas that are susceptible to invasion and for the adoption of the best preventive measures. Here, we predicted the habitat suitability of 16 invasive weeds in response to climate change and land cover changes in South Korea using a maximum entropy modeling approach. Based on the predictions of the model, climate change is likely to increase habitat suitability. Currently, the area of moderately suitable and highly suitable habitats is estimated to be 8877.46 km2, and 990.29 km2, respectively, and these areas are expected to increase up to 496.52% by 2050 and 1439.65% by 2070 under the representative concentration pathways 4.5 scenario across the country. Although habitat suitability was estimated to be highest in the southern regions (<36° latitude), the central and northern regions are also predicted to have substantial increases in suitable habitat areas. Our study revealed that climate change would exacerbate the threat of northward weed invasions by shifting the climatic barriers of invasive weeds from the southern region. Thus, it is essential to initiate control and management strategies in the southern region to prevent further invasions into new areas.

scholarly journals Regulation of Seed Dormancy and Germination Mechanisms in a Changing Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1357
Author(s):  
Ewelina A. Klupczyńska ◽  
Tomasz A. Pawłowski
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Dormancy ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Plant Evolution ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Adaptation Mechanism ◽  
Seed Dormancy And Germination

Environmental conditions are the basis of plant reproduction and are the critical factors controlling seed dormancy and germination. Global climate change is currently affecting environmental conditions and changing the reproduction of plants from seeds. Disturbances in germination will cause disturbances in the diversity of plant communities. Models developed for climate change scenarios show that some species will face a significant decrease in suitable habitat area. Dormancy is an adaptive mechanism that affects the probability of survival of a species. The ability of seeds of many plant species to survive until dormancy recedes and meet the requirements for germination is an adaptive strategy that can act as a buffer against the negative effects of environmental heterogeneity. The influence of temperature and humidity on seed dormancy status underlines the need to understand how changing environmental conditions will affect seed germination patterns. Knowledge of these processes is important for understanding plant evolution and adaptation to changes in the habitat. The network of genes controlling seed dormancy under the influence of environmental conditions is not fully characterized. Integrating research techniques from different disciplines of biology could aid understanding of the mechanisms of the processes controlling seed germination. Transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenetics, and other fields provide researchers with new opportunities to understand the many processes of plant life. This paper focuses on presenting the adaptation mechanism of seed dormancy and germination to the various environments, with emphasis on their prospective roles in adaptation to the changing climate.

scholarly journals Seeds and Seedlings in a Changing World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from High Altitude and High Latitude Ecosystems

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 768
Author(s):  
Jerónimo Vázquez-Ramírez ◽  
Susanna E. Venn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
Early Snowmelt

The early life-history stages of plants, such as germination and seedling establishment, depend on favorable environmental conditions. Changes in the environment at high altitude and high latitude regions, as a consequence of climate change, will significantly affect these life stages and may have profound effects on species recruitment and survival. Here, we synthesize the current knowledge of climate change effects on treeline, tundra, and alpine plants’ early life-history stages. We systematically searched the available literature on this subject up until February 2020 and recovered 835 potential articles that matched our search terms. From these, we found 39 studies that matched our selection criteria. We characterized the studies within our review and performed a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the extracted meta-data regarding the climatic effects likely to change in these regions, including projected warming, early snowmelt, changes in precipitation, nutrient availability and their effects on seed maturation, seed dormancy, germination, seedling emergence and seedling establishment. Although the studies showed high variability in their methods and studied species, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the extracted data allowed us to detect existing patterns and knowledge gaps. For example, warming temperatures seemed to favor all studied life stages except seedling establishment, a decrease in precipitation had a strong negative effect on seed stages and, surprisingly, early snowmelt had a neutral effect on seed dormancy and germination but a positive effect on seedling establishment. For some of the studied life stages, data within the literature were too limited to identify a precise effect. There is still a need for investigations that increase our understanding of the climate change impacts on high altitude and high latitude plants’ reproductive processes, as this is crucial for plant conservation and evidence-based management of these environments. Finally, we make recommendations for further research based on the identified knowledge gaps.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document