{"title":"Hydrological heterogeneity and the plant colonization of recently deglaciated terrain","authors":"Lila Siegfried, Pascal Vittoz, Stuart N. Lane","doi":"10.1080/15230430.2023.2259677","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Climate change accelerates glacier retreat, leading to extensive exposure of sediment to light and ecological succession. Succession has traditionally been studied as a chronosequence, where vegetation development is directly correlated with time since glacier retreat or distance from the retreating glacier margin. More recent work has challenged this model, arguing that succession seems to be mainly influenced by heterogeneous conditions at the local scale. The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing the local-scale establishment of plant communities following glacier recession. Vascular plants and their cover were inventoried in 100 plots (1 m2) for a thirty-year-old alluvial plain in front of the Otemma glacier (Swiss Alps). Depth to water table, distance to the glacial main river and to the nearest channel, sediment size, moss, lichen, and biological soil crust cover were measured. Results showed that proglacial margins develop hydrological heterogeneity over a small scale, reflected in the four observed plant communities. These range from the dry Sempervivum-dominated community, on gravel-rich sediments with a deep water table, to the Trifolium-dominated community, close to secondary channels, with the highest plant cover and species richness and incorporating grassland species. Heterogeneity in water availability exerted a critical control on vegetation development.","PeriodicalId":8391,"journal":{"name":"Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research","volume":"172 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2259677","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Climate change accelerates glacier retreat, leading to extensive exposure of sediment to light and ecological succession. Succession has traditionally been studied as a chronosequence, where vegetation development is directly correlated with time since glacier retreat or distance from the retreating glacier margin. More recent work has challenged this model, arguing that succession seems to be mainly influenced by heterogeneous conditions at the local scale. The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing the local-scale establishment of plant communities following glacier recession. Vascular plants and their cover were inventoried in 100 plots (1 m2) for a thirty-year-old alluvial plain in front of the Otemma glacier (Swiss Alps). Depth to water table, distance to the glacial main river and to the nearest channel, sediment size, moss, lichen, and biological soil crust cover were measured. Results showed that proglacial margins develop hydrological heterogeneity over a small scale, reflected in the four observed plant communities. These range from the dry Sempervivum-dominated community, on gravel-rich sediments with a deep water table, to the Trifolium-dominated community, close to secondary channels, with the highest plant cover and species richness and incorporating grassland species. Heterogeneity in water availability exerted a critical control on vegetation development.
期刊介绍:
The mission of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (AAAR) is to advance understanding of cold region environments by publishing original scientific research from past, present and future high-latitude and mountain regions. Rapid environmental change occurring in cold regions today highlights the global importance of this research. AAAR publishes peer-reviewed interdisciplinary papers including original research papers, short communications and review articles. Many of these papers synthesize a variety of disciplines including ecology, climatology, geomorphology, glaciology, hydrology, paleoceanography, biogeochemistry, and social science. Papers may be uni- or multidisciplinary but should have interdisciplinary appeal. Special thematic issues and proceedings are encouraged. The journal receives contributions from a diverse group of international authors from academia, government agencies, and land managers. In addition the journal publishes opinion pieces, book reviews and in memoria. AAAR is associated with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) the oldest active research institute at the University of Colorado Boulder.