Are Temperate Alpine Plants With Distinct Phenology More Vulnerable to Extraordinary Climate Events Than Their Continuously Flowering Relatives in Tropical Mountains?

Alpine plants are perceived as some of the most vulnerable to extinction due to the global climate change. We expected that their life history strategies depend, among others, on the latitude they live in: those growing in temperate regions are likely to have a distinct phenology with short seasonal peaks, while tropical alpine plants can potentially exploit favorable year-round growing conditions and different individuals within a population may flower at different times of the year. In species, whose flowering is synchronized into short seasonal peaks, extraordinary climate events, which may become stronger and more frequent with climate change, can potentially destroy reproductive organs of all synchronized individuals. This may result in reducing fitness or even extinction of such species. We studied field populations of five groups of closely related Andean alpine plant species to test our expectations on their latitude-dependent synchronization of flowering. Our results confirmed these expectations: (i) Tropical alpine species were least synchronized and flowering peaks of different individuals in their populations were distributed across many months. Thus, in tropical alpine species, if an extraordinary event happens, only some individuals are affected and other members of the population successfully reproduce in other parts of the long season. (ii) Higher synchronicity in flowering of temperate and subtropical alpine plants resulted even in some of these species using only a part of the short growing season to reproduce, which increases their vulnerability to extraordinary climatic events. However, we did not find any unique pattern valid for all species, groups and regions. The diversity in flowering phenology (i.e., different levels of seasonality and synchronicity) that we found increases the likelihood of plants successfully coping with climate change.

New data on morphology and distribution of Alona werestschagini Sinev, 1999—the only Arcto-Alpine species of Chydoridae (Cladocera: Anomopoda) known to date

Detailed study of morphology of Alona werestschagini Sinev, 1999 (Crustacea: Cladocera) confirms its affinities with Alona guttata Sars, 1862. A. werestschagini is the only Arcto-Alpine species among the family Chydoridae, distributed along Arctic coast of Eurasia and in mountains of Central Asia, newer recorded in temperate lowlands of the continent. In our opinion, the species evolved in mountainous regions of Central Asia, while its spreading to Arctic regions took place in Pleistocene.

Distribution of alpine endemic plants of northern Asia: a dataset

We describe a dataset providing information on the geographic distribution of northern Asian endemic alpine plants. It was obtained by digitising maps from the atlas “Endemic alpine plants of Northern Asia”. Northern Asia includes numerous mountain ranges which may have served as refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages, but there have been no studies that analysed this question. We suggest that this dataset can be applied for better understanding of the alpine endemism in northern Asia. The dataset includes 13709 species distribution records, representing 211 species from 31 families and 106 genera. Each record provides data regarding the distribution of an individual species. These data provide a foundation for studying northern Asia's endemic alpine species and conducting research on the factors concerning their distribution.

Campanula oreodoxa (Campanulaceae), a new critically endangered species from the Aladagh Mountains, NE Iran

Campanula oreodoxa (Campanulaceae) is described and illustrated as a new sub-alpine species from North Khorassan province, Iran. The new species belongs to C. sect. Oreocodon based on dehiscence of the capsules with three middle pores at the base and absence of appendages between the calyx lobes. It is compared morphologically with the closely related species including C. hystricula and C. lourica. The micromorphological characters of seed coat and pollen grains of the new species are presented and compared with the chasmophytic allies in the area. Notes on distribution, habitat characterization, and the associated flora are provided. The new species is assessed as critically endangered (CR) and the conservation value of the habitats in the area is discussed.

Transcriptomes of Saussurea (Asteraceae) Provide Insights into High-Altitude Adaptation

Understanding how species adapt to extreme environments is an extension of the main goals of evolutionary biology. While alpine plants are an ideal system for investigating the genetic basis of high-altitude adaptation, genomic resources in these species are still limited. In the present study, we generated reference-level transcriptomic data of five Saussurea species through high-throughput sequencing and de novo assembly. Three of them are located in the highland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), and the other two are close relatives distributed in the lowland. A series of comparative and evolutionary genomics analyses were conducted to explore the genetic signatures of adaptive evolution to high-altitude environments. Estimation of divergence time using single-copy orthologs revealed that Saussurea species diversified during the Miocene, a period with extensive tectonic movement and climatic fluctuation on the QTP. We characterized gene families specific to the alpine species, including genes involved in oxidoreductase activity, pectin catabolic process, lipid transport, and polysaccharide metabolic process, which may play important roles in defense of hypoxia and freezing temperatures of the QTP. Furthermore, in a phylogenetic context with the branch model, we identified hundreds of genes with signatures of positive selection. These genes are involved in DNA repair, membrane transport, response to UV-B and hypoxia, and reproductive processes, as well as some metabolic processes associated with nutrient intake, potentially responsible for Saussurea adaptation to the harsh environments of high altitude. Overall, our study provides valuable genomic resources for alpine species and gained helpful insights into the genomic basis of plants adapting to extreme environments.

Sibbaldia procumbens: An icon redrawn

A new cover has been created for Sibbaldia the International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture to commemorate the 350 Anniversary of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) in 2020. The Sibbald Trust, which supports the work of the Garden, agreed to fund the commissioning of a botanical drawing of the alpine species Sibbaldia procumbens L. to be used as the cover image for volume 20 and subsequent volumes. The drawing and accompanying colour wash overlay will become part of the RBGE Florilegium - a collection of botanical drawings that form a visual record of the Living Collection and a reflection of the scientific and horticultural interests of the institute. This article describes the process of creating a painting of a small plant with minute details. Colour images of the plant and the drawings are also reproduced.

Endemics determine bioregionalization in the alpine zone of the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot (South-West Asia)

Alpine habitats are characterized by a high rate of range restricted species compared to those of lower elevations. This is also the case for the Irano-Anatolian global biodiversity hotspot in South-West Asia, which is a mountainous area harbouring a high amount of endemic species. Using two quantitative approaches, Endemicity Analysis and Network-Clustering, we want to identify areas of concordant species distribution patterns in the alpine zone of this region as well as to test the hypothesis that, given the high proportion of endemics among alpine species, delimitation of these areas is determined mainly by endemic alpine species, i.e., areas of concordant species distribution patterns are congruent with areas of endemism. Endemicity Analysis identified six areas of concordant species distribution patterns irrespective of dataset (total alpine species versus endemic alpine species), whereas the Network-Clustering approach identified five and four Bioregions from total alpine species and endemic alpine species, respectively. Most of these areas have been previously identified using the endemic flora of different elevational zones. The identified units using both methods and both datasets are strongly congruent, proposing that they reveal meaningful distribution patterns. Bioregionalization in the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot appears to be strongly influenced by the endemic alpine species, a pattern likely to hold in alpine regions outside the Irano-Anatolian hotspot.

Alpine, but not montane, seed plants constitute a biogeographically and climatically distinct species pool across the Americas.

Aim Higher elevation habitats contribute substantially to global biodiversity. Nevertheless, we know comparatively little about how diversity patterns differ among alpine and montane communities across different mountain ranges. Here, we characterized the realized niche space of American seed plants to ask whether or not montane or alpine community compositions define climatically distinct species pools at this regional scale. Location Americas. Time Period Contemporary. Major taxa studied Seed plants. Methods We assembled a niche model dataset of 72,372 American seed plants based on digitized and georeferenced specimen records. We used this dataset to quantify occupied abiotic niche space with regards to temperature, precipitation, and elevation. This approach further permitted differentiation of higher-elevation specialists (i.e., ranges centered at high elevations) from generalists (i.e., ranges centered at lower elevations but extending into mountain areas). Results Montane communities did not differ from the regional species pool in terms of richness patterns, occupied climatic niche space, or niche breadth. In contrast, alpine communities were characterized by a bimodal latitudinal diversity gradient, drastically reduced climatic niche space, and broader temperature but narrower precipitation niche breadth. Alpine generalists further showed statistically significant differences in temperature, but not precipitation, niche breadth from both alpine specialists and lowland taxa. We also highlight non-alpine species whose climatic niche space otherwise overlapped with that of alpine plants. These species were geographically concentrated in the southern US and Mexico, tended to have a greater fraction of their ranges in frost-exposed mountain foothills, and less of their range in lowland, frost-free, areas, compared to other non-alpine species. Main conclusions These results suggest that ecological and physiological barriers, rather than dispersal limitation might better explain alpine community assembly and that alpine, but not montane, communities form a climatically distinct species pool in the Americas.

Ecotypic differentiation of a circumpolar Arctic-alpine species at mid-latitudes: variations in the ploidy level and reproductive system of Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Although plant species originated from Arctic regions commonly grow in alpine habitats at mid-latitudes, some populations of these species exist also in some specific habitats below the treeline. Local populations at lower elevations may have different origins, ploidy levels, mating systems and/or morphological traits from alpine populations, but comparative studies between alpine and low-elevation populations are scarce. We aimed to reveal the ecological and genetic differentiations between higher and lower populations of Vaccinium vitis-idaea in Hokkaido, northern Japan by comparing 22 populations growing in diverse environments.We analyzed the ploidy level of individual populations using flow-cytometry. Genetic differentiation among populations, and genetic diversity within populations were calculated using microsatellite markers. Fruit and seed production were recorded under natural conditions, and a pollination experiment was conducted to reveal the variations in mating system across populations. Furthermore, we compared shoot growth and leaf characteristics among populations.Most of the low-elevation populations were tetraploid, whereas all but one of the alpine populations were diploid. Tetraploid populations were clearly differentiated from diploid populations. Some tetraploid populations formed huge clonal patches but genetic diversity was higher in tetraploids than diploids. Alpine diploids were self-incompatible and produced more seeds per fruit than tetraploid populations. In contrast, tetraploids showed high self-compatibility. Leaf size and foliar production were greater in tetraploid populations.Our results indicate that the genetic compositions of low-elevation tetraploid populations are different from those of alpine diploid populations. Most populations at lower elevations contained unique ecotypes suited to persistence in isolated situations. Local, low-elevation populations of typical alpine species maintain ecologically and genetically specific characteristics and could be valuable in terms of evolutionary and conservation biology. The present study demonstrates the biological importance of small and isolated populations at the edges of species distribution.