Concepts in Alpine Plant Ecology

Abstract

The alpine life zone is perhaps the only biome that occurs globally where mountains are high enough. At latitudinally varying elevation, the alpine belt hosts small stature plants that vary greatly in morphology, anatomy and physiology. In this contribution, I summarize a number of principles that govern life in what is often considered a cold and hostile environment. The 12 conceptual frameworks depicted include the key role of aerodynamic decoupling from free atmospheric climatic conditions, the problematic concepts of limitation and stress in an evolutionary context, and the role of developmental flexibility and functional diversity. With its topography driven habitat diversity, alpine plant diversity is buffered against environmental change, and the multitude of microclimatic gradients offers ‘experiments by nature’, the power of which awaits multidisciplinary exploration.

The first high-altitude autotetraploid haplotype-resolved genome assembled (Rhododendron nivale subsp. boreale) provides new insights into mountaintop adaptation

“…RAD23B mainly interacts withRAD4 to exercise the function of nucleotide excision repair, thereby increasing UV tolerance (Lahari et al 2018). To adapt to the special environment of high altitude, plants have adopted different morphological and physiological strategies, such as lower height, leaf size and a tight seasonal cycle of growth and senescence (Mohl et al 2022;Korner 2023). We also identified some positive selection genes related to auxin and morphogenesis.…”

Phenological responses of alpine snowbed communities to advancing snowmelt

“…( 2013 ) identified several alpine plant species whose phenology did not directly respond to temperature but was likely modulated through the regulatory role of daylength (photoperiodism). This mechanism is assumed to prevent plants from initiating vegetative development too early or too late in the phenological season (Körner, 2023 ), which could lead to freezing damage (Klein et al., 2016 ), reduced plant growth, or reduced reproductive potential for the entire vegetative cycle (Gezon et al., 2016 ; Inouye, 2008 ). Similar results were reported by Vorkauf, Kahmen, et al.…”

Understanding Arctic–Alpine Plants from Ecological and Evolutionary Perspectives

“…A publication by Körner [ 6 ] provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the complexity and specificity of high mountain plants and their communities, which are often found at the edge of their fundamental niches. This review paper presents no less than 12 concepts in alpine plant ecology, starting with life forms and aspects of the physical environment, such as topography, moving through physiology and reproductive biology, and finishing with global change drivers and their influence on plants growing in the alpine ecological zone.…”

“…This review paper presents no less than 12 concepts in alpine plant ecology, starting with life forms and aspects of the physical environment, such as topography, moving through physiology and reproductive biology, and finishing with global change drivers and their influence on plants growing in the alpine ecological zone. Despite the enormous complexity of such factors, Körner [ 6 ] states in his concluding comments that “nothing make sense in alpine plant biology unless one accounts for micro-climate”. This is further developed upon in concept 11 of his review, entitled “To be or not to be—the edge of the fundamental niche”.…”

“…Two papers published in this Special Issue explore the influence of changing climate conditions on the past and future distributions of plants growing at high latitudes and altitudes. Both studies use traditional species distribution models (SDMs) based on data extracted from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and, thus, do not use fine-grained representations of the landscape, as proposed by Körner [ 6 ]. Walas et al [ 11 ] assessed and compared the current and future potential niche areas of Kalmia procumbens ( Ericaceae ) in the Pyrenees and Carpathians.…”