Warming acts through earlier snowmelt to advance but not extend alpine community flowering

Jabis, Meredith D.; Winkler, Daniel E.; Kueppers, Lara M.

doi:10.1002/ecy.3108

Cited by 27 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Although this study shows that the phenological response to warming is species-specific, most of the species in this study advanced but not delayed their flowering, a phenomenology that is similar to the findings of other experimental warming studies performed in steppes, prairies, and alpine meadows (Arft et al, 1999;Sherry et al, 2007;Post et al, 2008;Dorji et al, 2013;Jabis et al, 2020). Moreover, other experimental warming studies in the northeast of Tibetan Plateau (Haibei Alpine Meadow) have shown an advance in the onset time of flowering.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Numerous studies have shown that climate warming affects almost all aspects of biological systems. One of the most extensive studied aspect is plant phenology ( Arft et al, 1999 ; Dunne et al, 2003 ; Sherry et al, 2007 ; Post et al, 2008 ; Dorji et al, 2013 ; Meng et al, 2019 ; Jabis et al, 2020 ), since warming-induced changes in plant phenology may affect species interactions, ecosystem nutrient cycling, and energy flow ( CaraDonna et al, 2014 ). Climate warming is often simulated by manipulative experiments using open top chambers or infrared heaters in different terrestrial biomes ( Marion et al, 1997 ; Arft et al, 1999 ; Sherry et al, 2007 ; Post et al, 2008 ; Dorji et al, 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of Plant Reproductive Phenology to Winter-Biased Warming in an Alpine Meadow

Zhou

Sun

2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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Climate warming is often seasonally asymmetric with a higher temperature increase toward winters than summers. However, the effect of winter-biased warming on plant reproductive phenology has been seldom investigated under natural field conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of winter-biased warming on plant reproductive phenologies. In an alpine meadow of Tibetan Plateau, we deployed six large (15 m × 15 m × 2.5 m height) open top chambers (three warmed chambers and three non-warmed chambers) to achieve winter-biased warming (i.e., a small increase in annual mean temperature with a greater increase towards winter than summer). We investigated three phenophases (onset and offset times and duration) for both the flowering and fruiting phenologies of 11 common species in 2017 and 8 species in 2018. According to the vernalization theory, we hypothesized that mild winter-biased warming would delay flowering and fruiting phenologies. The data indicated that the phenological responses to warming were species-specific (including positive, neutral, and negative responses), and the number of plant species advancing flowering (by averagely 4.5 days) and fruiting onset times (by averagely 3.6 days) was higher than those delaying the times. These changes were inconsistent with the vernalization hypothesis (i.e. plants need to achieve a threshold of chilling before flowering) alone, but can be partly explained by the accumulated temperature hypothesis (i.e. plants need to achieve a threshold of accumulative temperature before flowering) and/or the overtopping hypothesis (i.e. plants need to reach community canopy layer before flowering). The interspecific difference in the response of reproductive phenology could be attributed to the variation in plant traits including plant height growth, the biomass ratio of root to shoot, and seed mass. These results indicate that a mild winter-biased warming may trigger significant change in plant reproductive phenology in an alpine meadow.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of Plant Reproductive Phenology to Winter-Biased Warming in an Alpine Meadow

Zhou

Sun

2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…Alpine habitats are highly seasonal and are characterised by a relatively short reproductive period compared to the lowlands at similar latitudes (Nagy and Grabherr, 2009;Lisovski et al, 2017). However, the onset of the reproductive season depends on the timing of snow melt that can be highly variable between years, requiring a level of phenotypic flexibility in organisms to respond accordingly (Martin and Wiebe, 2004;Jabis et al, 2020). Timely arrival at the breeding site is crucial (Møller et al, 2010), and the entire annual schedule of migrants is meticulously tuned and adapted to spring phenology (La Sorte and Graham, 2020), in particular resource availability during offspring rearing (Doiron et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Breeding Conditions Followed by Reduced Breeding Success Despite Timely Arrival in an Alpine Migratory Songbird

et al. 2021

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Timing reproduction to coincide with optimal environmental conditions is key for many organisms living in seasonal habitats. Advance in the onset of spring is a particular challenge to migratory birds that must time their arrival without knowing the conditions on the breeding grounds. This is amplified at high elevations where resource availability, which is linked to snowmelt and vegetation development, shows much annual variation. With the aim of exploring the effects of variability in the onset of local resource availability on reproduction, we compared key life history events in an Alpine population of the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) between years of contrasting timing of snowmelt. Based on remote sensed images, we identified 2020 as an exceptionally early snowmelt and green-up year compared to the preceding year and the long-term average. Individuals tracked with light-level geolocators arrived well before the snowmelt in 2020 and clutch initiation dates across the population were earlier in 2020 compared to 2019. However, observations from a citizen science database and nest monitoring data showed that the arrival-breeding interval was shorter in 2020, thus the advance in timing lagged behind the environmental conditions. While hatching success was similar in both years, fledging success was significantly reduced in 2020. A trophic mismatch in early 2020 could be a possible explanation for the reduced reproductive success, but alternative explanations cannot be excluded. Our results show that, despite the timely arrival at the breeding grounds and a contraction of the arrival-breeding interval, Wheatears were not able to advance breeding activities in synchrony with environmental conditions in 2020. Earlier reproductive seasons are expected to become more frequent in the future. We show that the negative effects of changing seasons in Alpine migratory birds might be similar to birds breeding at high latitudes, despite their shorter migratory distance.

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“…Temperature and snow melt timing are important phenological cues in high‐elevation and high‐latitude plant communities, where climate change is occurring rapidly (Dunne et al, 2003; Høye et al, 2007; Inouye & Wielgolaski, 2013; Jabis et al, 2020; Price & Waser, 1998; Quaglia et al, 2020; Saavedra et al, 2003; Wielgolaski & Inouye, 2013; Wipf & Rixen, 2010; Ziello et al, 2009). Rising temperatures due to climate change are strongly associated with earlier phenology (Forrest & Miller‐Rushing, 2010; Parmesan, 2006; Parmesan & Yohe, 2003; Thackeray et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow melt timing acts independently and in conjunction with temperature accumulation to drive subalpine plant phenology

Jerome

Petry

Mooney

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

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Organisms use environmental cues to align their phenology-the timing of life events-with sets of abiotic and biotic conditions that favor the successful completion of their life cycle. Climate change has altered the environmental cues organisms use to track climate, leading to shifts in phenology with the potential to affect a variety of ecological processes. Understanding the drivers of phenological shifts is critical to predicting future responses, but disentangling the effects of temperature from precipitation on phenology is often challenging because they tend to covary. We addressed this knowledge gap in a high-elevation environment where phenological shifts are associated with both the timing of spring snow melt and temperature. We factorially crossed early snow melt and passive warming treatments to (1) disentangle the effects of snow melt timing and warming on the phenology of flowering and fruiting and reproductive success in three subalpine plant species (Delphinium nuttallianum, Valeriana edulis, and Potentilla pulcherrima); and (2) assess whether snow melt acts via temperature accumulation or some other aspect of the environment (e.g., soil moisture) to affect phenological events. Both the timing and duration of flowering and fruiting responded to the climate treatments, but the effect of snow melt timing and warming varied among species and phenological stages. The combined effects of the treatments on phenology were always additive, and the snow melt treatment often affected phenology even when the warming treatment did not. Despite marked responses of phenology to climate manipulations, the species showed little change in reproductive success, with only one species producing fewer seeds in response to warming (Delphinium, −56%). We also found that snow melt timing can act both through temperature accumulation and as a distinct cue for phenology, and these effects are not mutually exclusive. Our results show that one environmental cue, here snow melt timing, may act through multiple mechanisms to shift phenology. K E Y W O R D S climate change, flower duration, flower timing, fruit duration, fruit timing, growing degree days, passive warming, subalpine plant community | 5055 EROME Et al.

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Warming acts through earlier snowmelt to advance but not extend alpine community flowering

Cited by 27 publications

References 83 publications

Responses of Plant Reproductive Phenology to Winter-Biased Warming in an Alpine Meadow

Responses of Plant Reproductive Phenology to Winter-Biased Warming in an Alpine Meadow

Early Breeding Conditions Followed by Reduced Breeding Success Despite Timely Arrival in an Alpine Migratory Songbird

Snow melt timing acts independently and in conjunction with temperature accumulation to drive subalpine plant phenology

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