Lowland plant migrations into alpine ecosystems amplify soil carbon loss under climate warming

Climate warming is releasing carbon from soils around the world1–3, constituting a positive climate feedback. Warming is also causing species to expand their ranges into new ecosystems4–9. Yet, in most ecosystems, whether range expanding species will amplify or buffer expected soil carbon loss is unknown10. Here we used alpine grasslands as a model system to determine whether the establishment of herbaceous lowland plants in alpine ecosystems influences short–term soil carbon storage under warming. We found that warming (< 1 year) led to negligible alpine soil carbon loss, but its effects became significant and 52% ± 31% (mean ± 95% CIs) larger after lowland plants were introduced at low density into the ecosystem. We present evidence that soil carbon loss likely occurred via lowland plants increasing rates of root exudation, soil microbial respiration and CO2 release. Our findings suggest that warming–induced range expansions of herbaceous plants may yield a rapid positive climate feedback in this system, and that plant range expansions among herbaceous communities may be an overlooked mediator of warming effects on carbon dynamics.

PlanetScope Imageries and LiDAR Point Clouds Processing for Automation Land Cover Mapping and Vegetation Assessment of a Reclaimed Sulfur Mine

The present research investigated the possibility of using PlanetScope imageries and LiDAR point clouds for land cover assessment, especially vegetation mapping, in degraded and reclaimed areas. Studies were carried out on the former sulfur mine of Jeziórko located in Southeast Poland. In total, more than ca. 2000 ha of this mine area were reclaimed after borehole exploitation and afforestation. We investigated a total area of 216.72 ha. Integration of PlanetScope imageries and LiDAR point clouds processing offers the ability to derive information about the LULC classes and vegetation growth in the analyzed area and indicate the forest succession progress as an effect of the reclamation treatments. In the Jeziórko area, we identified coniferous forest (90.84 ha, 41.91% of the research area), broad-leaved forest (44.02 ha, 20.31%), and transitional woodland shrub areas with herbaceous communities (77.96 ha, 35.97%). The analyses focused on the detection and monitoring of the forest succession processes and obtaining the tree canopy profiles and characteristics of vegetation, i.e., the height and cover density.

Soil depth alters the consequences of species diversity for productivity in an experimental karst herbaceous community

Aims The mechanism by which species diversity drives productivity in different ecosystems is controversial, possibly due to the confounding effects of key environmental variables. Karst ecosystems are fragile and are at great risk of species loss. In these ecosystems, soil depth is a key driver of community diversity and productivity. However, the influence of soil depth on the relationship between species diversity and productivity in karst ecosystems remains unclear.Methods We established artificial karst herbaceous communities with different soil depths and species richness levels and determined how two biodiversity effects—complementarity effect (effect of positive interactions among species) and selection effect (effect due to dominance of productive species)—contributed to productivity.Results Soil depth, species diversity, and different species combinations were significant predictors of productivity. Species diversity significantly positively affected productivity at all three soil depths, with the effect size of species diversity being the greatest in medium-depth soil. Net diversity effects were greater than 0 in all multi-species communities, indicating that complementarity and selection effects both positively influenced productivity. However, complementarity effect had a greater contribution to productivity than selection effect in all multi-species communities. Furthermore, the contribution of complementarity effect increased with increasing soil depth, while that of selection effect decreased.Conclusions Soil depth influences the relationship between species diversity and productivity in karst herbaceous communities. Furthermore, complementarity effect is the major mechanism by which diversity increases community productivity, particularly in shallow soil. Therefore, environmental variables should be seriously considered when studying the relationship between species diversity and function in other ecosystems.

Effects of pollution and climate change on the ecosystem components

The book contains the study results of the environmental and soil conditions of the transformed territories, the ecological patterns of woody plants natural communities’ formation as well as the features of the herbaceous communities’ succession in flooded areas. The current state of forest areas is highlighted, the problems of forest management and their exploitation in Ukraine are outlined. Aspects of anthropogenic impact on natural aquatic ecosystems are shown and various biotesting methods of negative effects are characterized. The relationship between the presence of exogenous biologically active chemical compounds in the environment and damage to the endocrine system of animals has been revealed. The scientific manuscript is intended for ecologists, specialists interested in environmental management and environmental protection. The book may be useful for graduate students and scientific researchers.

Geographical distribution, habitats and modern state of Carlina cirsioides (Asteraceae) populations

The study of the current state and habitats of rare and threatened species of plants is a relevant task of ecological research. The paper presents the results of the study of systematic position, habitats and modern state of populations of a rare species included in the Red DataBook of Ukraine Carlina cirsioides Klokov (=C. acaulis L.). Carlina cirsioides is well-known to European phytosozologists as an endemic and relic species of the Flora of Ukraine. At the same time, the species independence of this taxon is not recognized by the authors of monographs on the Carlina genus and by the authors of “Flora Europaea”. Comparative morphological, chorological and ecological-coenotic analyses do not give sufficient reasons to consider C. cirsioides described by Klokov as a separate species, endemic and relic species of the Flora of Ukraine. According to the morphological traits, the specimens from the lowland part of Ukraine belong to the C. acaulis caulescens subspecies, which is distributed mostly in the lowlaand regions of Europe. Ecological-coenotic conditions of habitats of C. acaulis in the plains of Ukraine are different from those in the mountain regions and are close to the plains habitats of this species in Central Europe. Steppe communities of class Festuco-Brometea, of which C. acaulis is component in the plains part of Ukraine, are close to xerothermic herbaceous communities of Central Europe; forest communities of Erico-Pinetea with C. cirsioides in Ukrainian Polissia and the North-East Poland are very сlose by floristic composition. The removal of separate species status of the plains populations of C. acaulis near the eastern border of the range does not at all downplay its sozological significance. Taking into account the low number of C. acaulis in the Volhynian-Podolian Upland and in the Polesian Lowland, all localities of this species in the lowland part of the range in Ukraine must be taken under protection in situ.

Drought tolerant forb flora of a semi-arid protected savanna in the Lowveld of South Africa

Background: Increased frequency and intensity of droughts related to climate change are predicted to induce pressure on herbaceous communities. Considering that forbs contribute significantly to savanna ecosystem resilience, we investigated forb communities of a protected semi-arid savanna during an extensive drought.Objective: We identified drought-tolerant species with their related functional traits.Results: Drought-tolerant forb flora comprised of several plant families and species with overlapping traits, of which the ability to resprout was related to perennials, whereas succulence and prostrate growth form were typical annual forb dominance traits.Conclusion: Results highlight the functional importance of forbs and their resilience to drought events in protected areas.

The impact of a recultivation layer on the restoration of plant communities

Areas of coal mining dumps naturally overgrowing with vegetation in the dry-steppe (Khakassia), forest-steppe (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Kansk-Achinsk Fuel and Energy Complex, KAFEC) and subtaiga (Kemerovo region, Kuzbass) subzones were investigated. The environmental and cenotic characteristics of herbaceous communities were studied in experimental sites following the application of a fertile soil layer and in technogenic eluviums without soil improvers. The application of a fertile soil layer was found to increase both the species abundance and the projective cover of zonal species. Thus, the presence of a humus horizon promotes the formation of herbaceous ecosystems. However, this is not an unconditional factor that these ecosystems would reach the stage of zonal formations.