Alpine Botany最新文献

{"title":"Microsite preferences of three conifers in calcareous and siliceous treeline ecotones in the French alps","authors":"Lirey A. Ramírez,&nbsp;Lukas Flinspach,&nbsp;Nada Nikolić ,&nbsp;Johanna Toivonen,&nbsp;Maaike Y. Bader","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00319-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00319-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Seedling establishment is crucial for elevational advance of tree species above the treeline ecotone, but the characteristics and availability of safe sites for tree regeneration in alpine ecosystems are not well understood. To better understand the potential of treeline ecotones to show infilling or upward shifts, we assessed microsite preferences of the conifers <i>Larix decidua</i>, <i>Pinus uncinata</i>, and <i> Pinus cembra</i> in upper treeline ecotones with different bedrock chemistry in the French Alps. At each of two sites on calcareous and two on siliceous bedrock, we compared microsites of 50 tree individuals to 50 randomly-selected reference microsites, considering substrate, ground cover, topography, and shelter proximity. In addition, we related these characteristics with the health of the individuals. We found that the three species were established in similar microsites, usually with some shelter. The occupied microsites reflected the available microsites in the area, but certain extreme microsite types remained unoccupied. Most individuals had a krummholz form or were bent, while only a small proportion presented signs of recent mechanical damage, desiccation, snow mold or herbivory, independent of microsite characteristics. Our study shows that the availability of safe sites unlikely limits the establishment of these conifers in the studied sites, suggesting that, instead, seed availability may be a major limitation for tree establishment in these alpine-treeline ecotones. Even in safe sites, the harsh alpine conditions limit the development of tree-species individuals into tree stature, but the strong recent length growth observed suggests favorable conditions for eventual tree expansion in and above current treeline ecotones.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"135 1","pages":"51 - 63"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00319-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142175481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growth dynamics and climate sensitivities in alpine cushion plants: insights from Silene acaulis in the Swiss Alps","authors":"Samresh Rai,&nbsp;Nikola Breme,&nbsp;Veronika Jandova,&nbsp;Vojtech Lanta,&nbsp;Jan Altman,&nbsp;Adam Taylor Ruka,&nbsp;Christian Rixen,&nbsp;Jiri Dolezal","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00318-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00318-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding alpine plants’ growth dynamics and responses to warming is essential for predicting climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems. Here, we examine growth determinants in the alpine cushion plant <i>Silene acaulis</i> in the Swiss Alps, exploring ontogeny, elevation, and climate influences. We collected 40 <i>Silene</i> individuals and 159 individuals from 38 co-occurring alpine species across 2200–3130 m elevations in the Swiss Alps, analyzing age and growth histories through annual growth rings. While comparing growth rates, we found that <i>Silene</i> was relatively slow-growing. However, <i>Silene</i> exhibited a dual growth strategy, initially rapid and then slowing after ~ 20 years, challenging perceptions of its longevity. Similar ontogenetic trends were observed in other alpine species, albeit with variations based on species and elevation. The consistent unimodal growth-elevation pattern in <i>Silene</i> and other alpine plants, peaking at ~ 2400 m, underscores shared environmental constraints on alpine plant growth. Additionally, cross-dating growth ring series and correlating with daily climate data enabled the precise assessment of warming impacts on growth. <i>Silene</i>’s growth is influenced by year-to-year climate variability, with warming-induced moisture stress and overheating during spring and summer adversely affecting its growth. Despite being low-statured, <i>Silene</i> is not completely decoupled from atmospheric influences. The heat-trapping function of <i>Silene</i>, effective in mature and well-formed cushions, makes it susceptible to adverse effects as temperatures rise. This sensitivity raises concerns about the potential dieback of <i>Silene</i> cushions, as witnessed during recent heatwaves, and emphasizes the broader ecological implications for alpine ecosystems, given <i>Silene</i>’s role as a crucial nurse plant.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"135 1","pages":"79 - 89"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00318-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141872592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal and spatial variation in the direct and indirect effects of climate on reproduction in alpine populations of Ranunculus acris L","authors":"Linn Vassvik,&nbsp;Vigdis Vandvik,&nbsp;Silje Andrea Hjortland Östman,&nbsp;Anders Nielsen,&nbsp;Aud H. Halbritter","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00317-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00317-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plant reproduction in alpine environments is affected by climate both directly through climate impacts on growth and phenology, and indirectly through impacts on the biotic interactions affecting pollination success. These effects can be highly variable in time and space. In this study we investigated how different abiotic and biotic factors influence reproductive investment and success in populations of <i>Ranunculus acris</i> across an alpine landscape over a two-year period. In an alpine area at Finse, southern Norway, we measured reproductive investment (total seed mass) and reproductive success (seed-set rate) in 38 sites differing in temperature (related to elevation) and length of the growing season (related to time of snowmelt). To assess biotic interactions, we measured floral density and pollinator visits and conducted a supplemental pollen experiment. Reproductive investment and success increased with temperature, but only when floral density and/or number of pollinator visits was high, and only in the warmer year (2016). Reproduction in <i>R. acris</i> was pollen-limited in both years, especially at warmer temperature and in sites with early snowmelt. Pollinator visits increased with temperature and with higher floral density, suggesting a shift in relative importance of the biotic factors (from plants to pollinators) in limiting reproduction with increasing temperature. Our study shows that reproductive investment and success in <i>R. acris</i> is affected by climate through the interactive effects of abiotic and biotic processes. These effects vary between years and across the landscape, suggesting a potential for larger-scale buffering of climate change effects in heterogeneous landscapes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 2","pages":"123 - 139"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00317-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141587144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions and its multitrophic consequences","authors":"Judith Trunschke,&nbsp;Robert R. Junker,&nbsp;Gaku Kudo,&nbsp;Jake M. Alexander,&nbsp;Sarah K. Richman,&nbsp;Irene Till-Bottraud","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00316-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00316-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>There is wide consensus that climate change will seriously impact flowering plants and their pollinators. Shifts in flowering phenology and insect emergence as well as changes in the functional traits involved can cause alterations in plant-pollinator interactions, pollination success and plant reproductive output. Effects of rising temperatures, advanced snowmelt and altered precipitation patterns are expected to be particularly severe in alpine habitats due to the constrained season and upper range margins. Yet, our understanding of the magnitude and consequences of such changes in life history events and functional diversity in high elevation environments is incomplete.</p><p>This special issue collects novel insights into the effects of climate change on plant-pollinator interactions in individual plant species and on network structure of entire plant and pollinator communities in alpine ecosystems. Using simulated changes of earlier snowmelt, natural gradients of variation in temperature, precipitation and snowmelt, or a long-term monitoring approach, these studies illustrate how plant species, plant communities, and pollinators respond to variation in environmental conditions associated with scenarios of ongoing climate change.</p><p>The collection of papers presented here clearly demonstrates how spatial or temporal variation in the environmental climatic context affects flower abundances and plant community composition, and the consequences of these changes for pollinator visitation, pollination network structure, pollen transfer dynamics, or seed production. As changes in the availability of flowers, fruits, and seeds are likely to impact on other trophic levels, the time is ripe and pressing for a holistic multitrophic view of the effects of climate change on biotic interactions in alpine ecological communities.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 2","pages":"115 - 121"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00316-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early snowmelt advances flowering phenology and disrupts the drivers of pollinator visitation in an alpine ecosystem","authors":"Annika Rose-Person,&nbsp;Marko J. Spasojevic,&nbsp;Chiara Forrester,&nbsp;William D. Bowman,&nbsp;Katharine N. Suding,&nbsp;Meagan F. Oldfather,&nbsp;Nicole E. Rafferty","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00315-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00315-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Climate change is altering interactions among plants and pollinators. In alpine ecosystems, where snowmelt timing is a key driver of phenology, earlier snowmelt may generate shifts in plant and pollinator phenology that vary across the landscape, potentially disrupting interactions. Here we ask how experimental advancement of snowmelt timing in a topographically heterogeneous alpine-subalpine landscape impacts flowering, insect pollinator visitation, and pathways connecting key predictors of plant-pollinator interaction. Snowmelt was advanced by an average of 13.5 days in three sites via the application of black sand over snow in manipulated plots, which were paired with control plots. For each forb species, we documented flowering onset and counted flowers throughout the season. We also performed pollinator observations to measure visitation rates. The majority (79.3%) of flower visits were made by dipteran insects. We found that plants flowered earlier in advanced snowmelt plots, with the largest advances in later-flowering species, but flowering duration and visitation rate did not differ between advanced snowmelt and control plots. Using piecewise structural equation models, we assessed the interactive effects of topography on snowmelt timing, flowering phenology, floral abundance, and pollinator visitation. We found that these factors interacted to predict visitation rate in control plots. However, in plots with experimentally advanced snowmelt, none of these predictors explained a significant amount of variation in visitation rate, indicating that different predictors are needed to understand the processes that directly influence pollinator visitation to flowers under future climate conditions. Our findings demonstrate that climate change-induced early snowmelt may fundamentally disrupt the predictive relationships among abiotic and biotic drivers of plant-pollinator interactions in subalpine-alpine environments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 2","pages":"141 - 150"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00315-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Key drivers of flowering phenology of alpine plant communities: exploring the contributions of climatic restriction and flower-visitor composition across geographic regions","authors":"Gaku Kudo,&nbsp;Hiroshi S. Ishii,&nbsp;Yuka Kawai,&nbsp;Tetsuo I. Kohyama","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00314-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00314-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Flowering phenology of alpine plant communities is determined by the interaction between abiotic and biological factors. Bees and flies are major pollinators in alpine ecosystems. The abundance of bumble bees consistently increases with seasonal progress reflecting the colony development cycle, while fly abundance fluctuates unpredictably. Responding to the seasonal dynamics of pollinators, flowering phenology of alpine communities is expected to vary between bee-visited and fly-visited plants within and among regions. We compared the relationship between flower-visitor composition and flowering phenology across geographic regions: fly-dominated New Zealand alpine, subtropical Taiwan alpine, mid-latitudinal alpines in central and northern Japan, and high-elevation Mongolian grassland. Thermal gradient was a fundamental factor regulating flower patterns across regions, and clear seasonality at higher latitudes created diverse flower patterns within communities. Floral abundance of fly-visited plants was less predictable with large variation, whereas that of bee-visited plants showed consistent patterns across regions reflecting the seasonality of bee activity. In New Zealand, most plants were linked to syrphid and/or non-syrphid flies. The network structures of the East Asian alpines were commonly constituted by syrphid flies, non-syrphid flies, and bumble bees, and these groups had specific niche width. In the Mongolian grassland, many insect groups formed diverse networks with small niche overlap. Overall, bumble bees are suggested to be a driver of diverse flowering phenology in alpine ecosystems. In contrast, flies may not be a powerful driver of flowering phenology. Pollination networks between bumble bees and alpine plants are expected to be sensitive to climate change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 2","pages":"151 - 169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141107865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pollen dispersal distance is determined by phenology and ancillary traits but not floral gender in an andromonoecious, fly-pollinated alpine herb","authors":"Kai-Hsiu Chen,&nbsp;John R. Pannell","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00313-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00313-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pollen-mediated gene flow and spatial genetic structure have rarely been studied in alpine plants that are pollinated by dipteran insects. In particular, it is not clear how different floral traits, such as floral gender, phenology, and ancillary traits, may affect pollen dispersal distance within alpine plant populations. In this study, we conducted a paternity analysis to track pollen flow in a population of <i>Pulsatilla alpina</i>, an andromonoecious alpine herb producing male and bisexual flowers. We found that the pollen was dispersed over short distances (mean = 3.16 m), with a dispersal kernel following a Weibull distribution. Nonetheless, spatial genetic structure was weak in the population (<i>Sp</i> statistic = 0.013), pointing to effective seed dispersal and/or high inbreeding depression. The pollen dispersal distance was independent of the gender of the flower of origin but depended positively on floral stalk height and negatively on flowering date and tepal length. Although male siring success did not correlate with pollen dispersal distance, selection may favour traits that increase the pollen dispersal distance as a result of reduced bi-parental inbreeding. Our study not only provides new insights into the nature of pollen dispersal of alpine plants, but also reveals the effects of floral traits on a component of male reproductive success.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 1","pages":"69 - 79"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00313-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141118859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental grazer exclusion increases pollination reliability and influences pollinator-mediated plant-plant interactions in tibetan alpine meadows","authors":"Cheng Bi,&nbsp;Øystein H. Opedal,&nbsp;Ting Yang,&nbsp;Lili Yang,&nbsp;Erliang Gao,&nbsp;Meng Hou,&nbsp;Zhigang Zhao","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00311-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00311-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>1. Co-flowering plant species often interact through shared pollinators, with effects ranging from positive (facilitation) to negative (competition). It remains unclear how this variation relates to variation in floral density, floral trait distinctiveness, and local environmental conditions. We studied the effect of grazer exclusion, a proposed local management strategy, on pollinator-mediated plant-plant interactions in heavily degraded alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.</p><p>2. We studied the effect of experimental grazer exclusion on plant reproduction and pollinator-mediated reproductive interactions quantified through pollen transfer networks. We also explored potential mechanisms of pollinator-mediated interspecific pollen transfer and its effect on plant reproductive fitness, including local floral abundance and floral trait distinctiveness among co-flowering species.</p><p>3. Grazer exclusion led to greater pollen deposition onto stigmas. The overall quantitative effects of pollinator-mediated interspecific interactions on the receptor species were mainly positive (facilitative) or neutral (with no detectable effect). The frequency of positive relative to negative quantitative effects for pairwise donor-receptor pairs tended to increase after grazer exclusion. Plants with floral traits similar to those of local ‘hub species’ appeared to benefit from pollinator-mediated interactions.</p><p>4. Our results suggest an overall positive effect of excluding grazers during the plant growing season on plant reproduction. Facilitative species interactions predominate in harsh environments such as the alpine, and the benefits of pollinator-mediated interactions among plants seemed to exceed the cost of conspecific pollen loss associated with pollinator sharing. This suggest that species invasions into alpine plant communities, an expected consequence of climate change, may not necessarily have negative effects on the reproduction of resident plant species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 1","pages":"51 - 67"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140934689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High mountains of central Europe as a refuge of surprising cytotype diversity of Huperzia selago (Lycopodiaceae)","authors":"Kateřina Vejvodová,&nbsp;Joel Krejčí,&nbsp;Petr Koutecký,&nbsp;Magdalena Lučanová,&nbsp;Ondřej Hornych,&nbsp;Libor Ekrt","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00312-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00312-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyploidization is pivotal in plant speciation, affecting adaptability, ecological tolerance and specific geographical distribution patterns. While cytotype diversity has been extensively studied in angiosperms and ferns, knowledge in homosporous lycophytes remains very limited. Our study addresses this gap, focusing on the homosporous lycophyte <i>Huperzia selago</i> in Central Europe. The genome size of 1330 individuals from 208 populations were assessed via flow cytometry, revealing five distinct cytotypes (2<i>x</i>, 3<i>x</i>, 4<i>x</i>, 5<i>x</i>, 6<i>x</i>). Challenging chromosome counting using gemmae roots yielded average counts of 140 (2<i>x</i>), 204 (3<i>x</i>), and 262 (4<i>x</i>) chromosomes. The hexaploid genome size (29 pg) approached the upper limits reported for lycophytes. Tetraploids were the most abundant (72.7%), while triploids (21.3%) were less common, while the remaining cytotypes comprised less than 5% of the dataset. Geographical separation of cytotypes was not observed. However, uncommon cytotypes were associated with the Alps and triploids also occured in the highest parts of Western Carpathians. Around 27.3% of populations exhibited multiple cytotypes. Except for atypical diploids, spore abortion differed between even (21.8%) and odd ploidies (65.2%). Microcharacter (stoma, spore) proportions did not linearly correspond with increasing ploidy levels. The high ploidy-level diversity and cytotype coexistence in Central European <i>H. selago</i> match the well documented patterns in ferns and angiosperms. These findings provide valuable insights into lycophyte polyploidy, underscoring the necessity for broader geographical sampling and application of molecular studies to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic classifications within the genus <i>Huperzia</i>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 1","pages":"87 - 100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00312-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140934386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Glacier retreat triggers changes in biodiversity and plant–pollinator interaction diversity","authors":"Bao Ngan Tu,&nbsp;Nora Khelidj,&nbsp;Pierfilippo Cerretti,&nbsp;Natasha de Vere,&nbsp;Andrea Ferrari,&nbsp;Francesco Paone,&nbsp;Carlo Polidori,&nbsp;Jürg Schmid,&nbsp;Daniele Sommaggio,&nbsp;Gianalberto Losapio","doi":"10.1007/s00035-024-00309-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00035-024-00309-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to global warming, the worldwide retreat of glaciers is causing changes in species diversity, community composition, and species interactions. However, the impact of glacier retreat on interaction diversity and ecological networks remains poorly understood. An integrative understanding of network dynamics may inform conservation actions that support biodiversity and ecosystem functioning after glacier extinction. Here, we address how glacier retreat affects the frequency, diversity, and complexity of plant–pollinator interactions, both directly and indirectly through biodiversity change. We surveyed flower visitors (pollinators) and analyzed pollination networks across a gradient of 170 years of glacier retreat (Mont Miné glacier, Valais, Switzerland) which ranges from patchy grasslands to closed forests. We reported a strong impact of glacier retreat on both plant and pollinator communities. Notably, the diversity of plant–pollinator interactions was sharply affected by glacier retreat: interaction diversity increased few years after glacier retreat, but it ultimately decreased in late stages dominated by forests. In contrast, we found that plant–pollinator network complexity did not change with glacier retreat. Our results indicate that the development of plant–pollinator networks is a two-phases process. In the first phase, glacier retreat makes space to plant colonization. This initial increase in plant diversity drives the increase in pollinator and interaction diversity. The second phase is characterized by turnover as woody species encroaches and dominates the community, decreasing the diversity of plant species in ultimate instance. The local decrease of plant diversity leads to a local decrease in pollinator and interaction diversity. Slowing down woody encroachment and enhancing flower diversity, which is initially supported by the glacial landscape, may be key strategies for halting the erosion of ecological networks while increasing biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Our research thus can help resolve the overarching question of how to conserve ecosystems once glaciers are extinct, pointing toward a composite role of both habitat structure and biological functions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51238,"journal":{"name":"Alpine Botany","volume":"134 2","pages":"171 - 182"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00035-024-00309-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140565822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}