News from IAB

The mission of the International Association of Bryologists (IAB), as a society, is to strengthen bryology by encouraging interactions among all persons interested in byophytes.

Monday, November 9, 2009

BRYONET: Paper on climate change tundra bryophytes

BRYONET

Hi all,
I noticed emails about climate change papers some time ago.
Please contact me if you want a pdf copy of the following paper:
"Plant community responses to 5 years of simulated climate change in
meadow and heath ecosystems at a subarctic-alpine site", by: Annika K.
Jägerbrand, Juha M. Alatalo, Dillon Chrimes & Ulf Molau, 2009. Oecologia
161: 601-610.
Bryophytes are included as a group but also on species level.

Abstract:
Climate change was simulated by increasing temperature and nutrient
availability in an alpine landscape. We conducted a Weld experiment of
BACI-design (before/after control/impact) running for five seasons in
two alpine communities (heath and meadow) with the factors temperature
(increase of ca. 1.5-3.0°C) and nutrients (5 g N, 5 g P per m2) in a
fully factorial design in northern Swedish Lapland. The response
variables were abundances of plant species and functional types. Plant
community responses to the experimental perturbations were investigated,
and the responses of plant functional types were examined in comparison
to responses at the species level. Nutrient addition, exclusively and in
combination with enhanced temperature
increase, exerted the most pronounced responses at the species-specific
and community levels. The main responses to
nutrient addition were increases in graminoids and forbs, whereas
deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, bryophytes,
and lichens decreased. The two plant communities of heath or meadow
showed diVerent vegetation responses to the
environmental treatments despite the fact that both communities were
located on the same subarctic-alpine site. Furthermore,
we showed that the abundance of forbs increased in response to the
combined treatment of temperature and nutrient addition in the meadow
plant community. Within a single-plant functional type, most species
responded similarly to the enhanced treatments although there were
exceptions, particularly in the moss and lichen functional types. Plant
community structure showed BACI responses in that vegetation dominance
relationships in the existing plant functional types changed to varying
degrees in all plots, including control plots. Betula nana and lichens
increased in the temperature-increased enhancements and in control plots
in the heath plant community during the treatment period. The increases
in control plots were probably a
response to the observed warming during the treatment period in the region.

Keywords: Nutrient addition · Warming ·Plant functional types ·
Bryophytes · Lichens

/Annika

vti
Annika Jägerbrand, Fil.Dr. / Ph.D.
Miljöforskare / Environmental Researcher
Miljö och trafikanalys / Environment and traffic analysis
Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut
Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute
VTI / Olaus Magnus väg 35 / SE-581 95 Linköping / Sweden
Tel: +46-13-20 4219, Mobile: +46-709-430492 Fax: +46-13-14 1436

VTI is an independent, internationally established research institute
which is engaged in the transport sector. Our core competence is in the
fields of safety, economy, environment, traffic and transport analysis,
public transport, behaviour and the man-vehicle-transport system
interaction, and in road design, operation and maintenance. VTI is a
world leader in several areas, for instance in simulator technology.

www.vti.se<http://www.vti.se>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryonet is a service of the International Association of Bryologists (IAB)
and is administered by Janice Glime <jmglime@mtu.edu>
through Michigan Technological University
IAB Officers:
President Jeff Duckett <j.g.duckett@qmul.ac.uk>
Secretary-Treasurer Jim Shevock <JShevock@calacademy.org>
First VP: Masanobu Higuchi, Second VP: Jiri Vana
To join IAB ($11 per year), contact Jim Shevock <JShevock@calacademy.org>
IAB website: http://www.bryology.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

No comments:

Post a Comment