Vascular plants as bioindicators of regional warming in Antarctica

Smith, R. I. Lewis

doi:10.1007/bf00627745

Cited by 250 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Existe evidencia sustancial para sugerir que la dinámica de las comunidades vegetales antárticas están cambiando en respuesta al cambio climático global (Robinson et al 2003, Wasley et al 2006. Por ejemplo en las islas Signy, en las Orcadas del Sur, se ha demostrado un aumento en la temperatura y una reducción en la cobertura de hielo, lo que ha proporcionado a la vegetación nuevas áreas disponibles para la colonización (Smith, 1994). Esto último ha repercutido en cambios positivos en la abundancia y cobertura de C. quitensis en los últimos años (Fowbert & Lewis Smith 1994).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Plasticidad fenotípica en dos poblaciones antárticas de Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) bajo un escenario simulado de cambio global

Molina‐Montenegro

Torres-Díaz²,

Carrasco-Urra³

et al. 2012

Gayana Bot.

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Plasticidad fenotípica en dos poblaciones antárticas de RESUMENLa Antártica se caracteriza por presentar condiciones ambientales extremas, lo cual limita el establecimiento de las plantas vasculares. Dentro de dichas características ambientales están las bajas temperaturas, corta estación de crecimiento y el estrés hídrico y nutricional. La baja disponibilidad hídrica ha sido sugerida como la principal limitante para el éxito de establecimiento, debido a que afecta de manera negativa las respuestas fisiológicas y reproductivas de las plantas. Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae) es una de las dos plantas vasculares nativas que habitan la Antártica Marítima y se ha demostrado que su desempeño fisiológico y reclutamiento es afectado negativamente por el estrés hídrico del suelo. La plasticidad fenotípica y la adaptación local serían dos de las principales estrategias de C. quitensis para lidiar con las adversas condiciones ambientales que predominan en el continente antártico. Se ha documentado que, bajo un escenario futuro de cambio climático, la disponibilidad hídrica en la Antártica aumentaría entre un 30-40%, mejorando las condiciones para el establecimiento. En el presente trabajo evaluamos mediante un experimento de jardín común, realizado en cámaras de crecimiento, la plasticidad morfo-fisiológica y el esfuerzo reproductivo en individuos de C. quitensis provenientes de dos sitios en las Islas Shetland, bajo un escenario simulado de cambio climático (aumento en un 40% de la disponibilidad hídrica) y bajo la situación actual (disponibilidad hídrica registrada en los sitios de origen). En general, los individuos de C. quitensis de ambos sitios presentaron evidencia de plasticidad, aumentando su eficiencia fotoquímica, largo y ancho foliar, y esfuerzo reproductivo bajo la condición de aumento en la disponibilidad hídrica. La magnitud del aumento en la respuesta plástica fue mayor en aquellos individuos provenientes del sitio más árido en comparación a sus con-específicos del sitio más húmedo. Si los actuales patrones de cambio climático se mantienen, las condiciones abióticas podrían volverse más favorables para C. quitensis, mejorando su desempeño ecofisiológico y permitiendo la expansión de su rango de distribución sobre la Antártica.PALABRAS CLAVE: Antártica, esfuerzo reproductivo, estrés hídrico, Fv / Fm, islas Shetland. ABSTRACTAntarctica is characterized by extreme environmental conditions, which limit the establishment of vascular plants. These environmental conditions include low temperatures, short growing season and shortage of water and nutrients. Low water availability has been suggested as the main constraint to successful establishment, because it adversely affects the reproductive and physiological responses of plants. Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae) is one of the two native vascular plants that inhabit the Maritime Antarctic and its physiological performance and recruitment have been shown to be negatively affected by soil water stress in the Antarctica. ...

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Section: Discussionunclassified

Plasticidad fenotípica en dos poblaciones antárticas de Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) bajo un escenario simulado de cambio global

Molina‐Montenegro

Torres-Díaz²,

Carrasco-Urra³

et al. 2012

Gayana Bot.

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“…These methods have several weaknesses (Kennedy, 1995b, c), and the more recent studies have developed means to minimize their effects, but they have been useful for assessing the likely responses of the indigenous biota to climate change. The use of screens has led to spectacular responses in the growth of microbial groups, bryophytes and higher plants (Smith, 1990(Smith, , 1994WynnWilliams, 1993WynnWilliams, , 1996Kennedy, 1996). Fewer studies have been directed at faunal communities, but some arthropod populations have expanded rapidly (Kennedy, 1994), and trophic groups of soil nematodes have responded differently (Convey & Wynn-Williams, 2002;.…”

Section: Implications Of Climate Change (1 ) Climate Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications

Frénot

Chown

Whinam³

et al. 2005

Biol. Rev.

612

822

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Alien microbes, fungi, plants and animals occur on most of the sub-Antarctic islands and some parts of the Antarctic continent. These have arrived over approximately the last two centuries, coincident with human activity in the region. Introduction routes have varied, but are largely associated with movement of people and cargo in connection with industrial, national scientific program and tourist operations. The large majority of aliens are European in origin. They have both direct and indirect impacts on the functioning of speciespoor Antarctic ecosystems, in particular including substantial loss of local biodiversity and changes to ecosystem processes. With rapid climate change occurring in some parts of Antarctica, elevated numbers of introductions and enhanced success of colonization by aliens are likely, with consequent increases in impacts on ecosystems. Mitigation measures that will substantially reduce the risk of introductions to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic must focus on reducing propagule loads on humans, and their food, cargo, and transport vessels.

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“…To date, many terrestrial studies on Antarctic plant communities have focused on the angiosperms (e.g. Smith, 1994;Day et al, 1999Day et al, , 2008Hill et al, 2011;Torres-Mellado et al, 2011), while fewer have examined moss communities (for reviews, see Robinson et al, 2003;Bramley-Alves et al, 2014). Continuing expansion of ice-free regions in Antarctica will increase the size of habitats suitable for colonization by stresstolerant mosses (Longton, 1988;Convey and Lewis Smith, 2006;Bramley-Alves et al, 2014;Convey et al, 2014); therefore, understanding the impacts of global warming on Antarctica's moss communities will be key to making informed predictions about the future of Antarctica's terrestrial ice-free margins (Smith, 1994;Royles et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive warming reduces stress and shifts reproductive effort in the Antarctic moss,Polytrichastrum alpinum

Shortlidge

Eppley

Köhler

et al. 2016

Ann Bot

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Background and Aims The Western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, and many biotic communities inhabiting this dynamic region are responding to these well-documented climatic shifts. Yet some of the most prevalent organisms of terrestrial Antarctica, the mosses, and their responses to warming have been relatively overlooked and understudied. In this research, the impacts of 6 years of passive warming were investigated using open top chambers (OTCs), on moss communities of Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica.Methods The effects of experimental passive warming on the morphology, sexual reproductive effort and stress physiology of a common dioicous Antarctic moss, Polytrichastrum alpinum, were tested, gaining the first speciesspecific mechanistic insight into moss responses to warming in the Antarctic. Additionally community analyses were conducted examining the impact of warming on overall moss percentage cover and sporophyte production in intact Antarctic moss communities.Key Results Our results show a generally greater percentage moss cover under warming conditions as well as increased gametangia production in P. alpinum. Distinct morphological and physiological shifts in P. alpinum were found under passive warming compared with those without warming: warmed mosses reduced investment in cellular stress defences, but invested more towards primary productivity and gametangia development.Conclusions Taken together, results from this study of mosses under passive warming imply that in ice-free moss-dominated regions, continued climate warming will probably have profound impacts on moss biology and colonization along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Such findings highlight the fundamental role that mosses will play in influencing the terrestrialization of a warming Antarctica.

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Vascular plants as bioindicators of regional warming in Antarctica

Cited by 250 publications

References 20 publications

Plasticidad fenotípica en dos poblaciones antárticas de Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) bajo un escenario simulado de cambio global

Plasticidad fenotípica en dos poblaciones antárticas de Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) bajo un escenario simulado de cambio global

Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications

Passive warming reduces stress and shifts reproductive effort in the Antarctic moss,Polytrichastrum alpinum

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