A Directional Change in the Subalpine Forest-Heath Ecotone in Garibaldi Park, British Columbia

Brink, V. C.

doi:10.2307/1929917

Cited by 76 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Magnitude of change is proportional to symbol size, scaled to the maximum for each variable: (A, B, and D) species richness ¼ 5 species/m 2 ; and (C and E-I) cover ¼ 60%. of these and similar meadows in both montane and subalpine settings throughout western North America (Brink 1959, Taylor 1995, Miller and Halpern 1998, Rochefort et al 1994, Woodward et al 1995. It is these legacies of past changes in climate that continue to exert their influences.…”

Section: The Dynamics Of Forest-meadow Ecotonesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Landscape context and long-term tree influences shape the dynamics of forest-meadow ecotones in mountain ecosystems

2011

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Abstract. Forest-meadow ecotones are prominent and dynamic features of mountain ecosystems.Understanding how vegetation changes are shaped by long-term interactions with trees and are mediated by the physical environment is critical to predicting future trends in biological diversity across these landscapes. We examined 26 yr of vegetation change ) across 20 forest-meadow ecotones spanning a range of landforms/hydrologies and elevations (montane and subalpine) in the Three Sisters Biosphere Reserve, Oregon (USA). We quantified changes in tree structure (cover, density, and basal area) and in the abundance and diversity of ground-layer vegetation based on species' habitat associations and growth forms. To explore the contributions of tree structure, landscape context, and initial vegetation to changes in ecotonal communities, we used a combination of NMDS, PCA, and multiple regression.Despite a long history (50-100 yr) of tree invasion, ecotones were still dominated by meadow species in 1983. Ecotones exhibited significant but varying patterns of change over the study period while adjacent forest and meadow habitats remained stable. Despite a significant increase in summer temperature, we found little evidence of a direct influence of climate on ecotonal changes. Declines in total richness, and in the cover and richness of meadow species, were greater where soil moisture was seasonally limiting (montane mesic slopes and subalpine early snowmelt sites). Forest species showed much greater increases in montane than subalpine ecotones; limited colonization of the latter reflects the depauperate nature of subalpine forest understories in this region. Vegetation changes were related to initial tree structure but not to changes in structure over the study period. Past tree invasions, a legacy of both climate variation and disturbance history, continue to exert strong influences on ecotonal ground-layer communities. However, the consequences for local diversity vary across the landscape. Quantifying the nature of this variation through long-term observations is a critical step toward predicting future changes in the biological diversity of these and other mountain ecosystems.

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Section: The Dynamics Of Forest-meadow Ecotonesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Landscape context and long-term tree influences shape the dynamics of forest-meadow ecotones in mountain ecosystems

2011

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“…The Wats., perennial and herbaceous, occurs in almost pure stands as seral cover on soil frorn which snow and ice has retreated in recent decades (Brink 1959 LITERATURE CITED…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity Estimates From Alpine Tundra in British Columbia

Brink¹,

Luckhurst²,

Morrison³

1972

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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“…At these timberlines, dense heath (Phyllodoce and C088iope) hinders conifer regeneration. Whitebark pine is a minor component of the conifer invasion that does occur in timberline heathlands during especially dry summers (Brink 1959;Franklin and others 1971).…”

Section: Regional Variationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proceedings-symposium on whitebark pine ecosystems: Ecology and management of a high-mountain resource; 1989 March 29-31; Bozeman, MT

Schmidt¹,

McDonald²

1990

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A Directional Change in the Subalpine Forest-Heath Ecotone in Garibaldi Park, British Columbia

Cited by 76 publications

References 14 publications

Landscape context and long-term tree influences shape the dynamics of forest-meadow ecotones in mountain ecosystems

Landscape context and long-term tree influences shape the dynamics of forest-meadow ecotones in mountain ecosystems

Productivity Estimates From Alpine Tundra in British Columbia

Proceedings-symposium on whitebark pine ecosystems: Ecology and management of a high-mountain resource; 1989 March 29-31; Bozeman, MT

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