Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change

Bente J. Graae; Vigdis Vandvik; W. Scott Armbruster; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Jens-Christian Svenning; Kristoffer Hylander; Johan Ehrlén; James D. M. Speed; Kari Klanderud; Kari Anne Bråthen; Ann Milbau; Øystein H. Opedal; Inger G. Alsos; Rasmus Ejrnæs; Hans Henrik Bruun; H. John B. Birks; Kristine B. Westergaard; Hilary H. Birks; Jonathan Lenoir

doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change

Bente J. Graae^*, Vigdis Vandvik, W. Scott Armbruster, Wolf L. Eiserhardt, Jens-Christian Svenning, Kristoffer Hylander, Johan Ehrlén, James D. M. Speed, Kari Klanderud, Kari Anne Bråthen, Ann Milbau, Øystein H. Opedal, Inger G. Alsos, Rasmus Ejrnæs, Hans Henrik Bruun, H. John B. Birks, Kristine B. Westergaard, Hilary H. Birks, Jonathan Lenoir

^*Corresponding author for this work

Ecology and Evolution

61 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the face of climate change, populations have two survival options − they can remain in situ and tolerate the new climatic conditions (“stay”), or they can move to track their climatic niches (“go”). For sessile and small-stature organisms like alpine plants, staying requires broad climatic tolerances, realized niche shifts due to changing biotic interactions, acclimation through plasticity, or rapid genetic adaptation. Going, in contrast, requires good dispersal and colonization capacities. Neither the magnitude of climate change experienced locally nor the capacities required for staying/going in response to climate change are constant across landscapes, and both aspects may be strongly affected by local microclimatic variation associated with topographic complexity. We combine ideas from population and community ecology to discuss the effects of topographic complexity in the landscape on the immediate “stay” or “go” opportunities of local populations and communities, and on the selective pressures that may have shaped the stay or go capacities of the species occupying contrasting landscapes. We demonstrate, using example landscapes of different topographical complexity, how species’ thermal niches could be distributed across these landscapes, and how these, in turn, may affect many population and community ecological processes that are related to adaptation or dispersal. Focusing on treeless alpine or Arctic landscapes, where temperature is expected to be a strong determinant, our theorethical framework leads to the hypothesis that populations and communities of topographically complex (rough and patchy) landscapes should be both more resistant and more resilient to climate change than those of topographically simple (flat and homogeneous) landscapes. Our theorethical framework further points to how meta-community dynamics such as mass effects in topographically complex landscapes and extinction lags in simple landscapes, may mask and delay the long-term outcomes of these landscape differences under rapidly changing climates.

Original language	English
Journal	Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics
Volume	30
Pages (from-to)	41-50
Number of pages	10
ISSN	1433-8319
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008
Publication status	Published - Feb 2018

Keywords

Adaptation
Dispersal
Microclimate
Niche
Refugia
Resilience

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

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Graae, B. J., Vandvik, V., Armbruster, W. S., Eiserhardt, W. L., Svenning, J-C., Hylander, K., Ehrlén, J., Speed, J. D. M., Klanderud, K., Bråthen, K. A., Milbau, A., Opedal, Ø. H., Alsos, I. G., Ejrnæs, R., Bruun, H. H., Birks, H. J. B., Westergaard, K. B., Birks, H. H., & Lenoir, J. (2018). Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 30, 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

Graae, BJ, Vandvik, V, Armbruster, WS, Eiserhardt, WL, Svenning, J-C, Hylander, K, Ehrlén, J, Speed, JDM, Klanderud, K, Bråthen, KA, Milbau, A, Opedal, ØH, Alsos, IG, Ejrnæs, R, Bruun, HH, Birks, HJB, Westergaard, KB, Birks, HH & Lenoir, J 2018, 'Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change', Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, vol. 30, pp. 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

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title = "Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change",

abstract = "In the face of climate change, populations have two survival options − they can remain in situ and tolerate the new climatic conditions (“stay”), or they can move to track their climatic niches (“go”). For sessile and small-stature organisms like alpine plants, staying requires broad climatic tolerances, realized niche shifts due to changing biotic interactions, acclimation through plasticity, or rapid genetic adaptation. Going, in contrast, requires good dispersal and colonization capacities. Neither the magnitude of climate change experienced locally nor the capacities required for staying/going in response to climate change are constant across landscapes, and both aspects may be strongly affected by local microclimatic variation associated with topographic complexity. We combine ideas from population and community ecology to discuss the effects of topographic complexity in the landscape on the immediate “stay” or “go” opportunities of local populations and communities, and on the selective pressures that may have shaped the stay or go capacities of the species occupying contrasting landscapes. We demonstrate, using example landscapes of different topographical complexity, how species{\textquoteright} thermal niches could be distributed across these landscapes, and how these, in turn, may affect many population and community ecological processes that are related to adaptation or dispersal. Focusing on treeless alpine or Arctic landscapes, where temperature is expected to be a strong determinant, our theorethical framework leads to the hypothesis that populations and communities of topographically complex (rough and patchy) landscapes should be both more resistant and more resilient to climate change than those of topographically simple (flat and homogeneous) landscapes. Our theorethical framework further points to how meta-community dynamics such as mass effects in topographically complex landscapes and extinction lags in simple landscapes, may mask and delay the long-term outcomes of these landscape differences under rapidly changing climates.",

keywords = "Adaptation, Dispersal, Microclimate, Niche, Refugia, Resilience",

author = "Graae, {Bente J.} and Vigdis Vandvik and Armbruster, {W. Scott} and Eiserhardt, {Wolf L.} and Jens-Christian Svenning and Kristoffer Hylander and Johan Ehrl{\'e}n and Speed, {James D. M.} and Kari Klanderud and Br{\aa}then, {Kari Anne} and Ann Milbau and Opedal, {{\O}ystein H.} and Alsos, {Inger G.} and Rasmus Ejrn{\ae}s and Bruun, {Hans Henrik} and Birks, {H. John B.} and Westergaard, {Kristine B.} and Birks, {Hilary H.} and Jonathan Lenoir",

year = "2018",

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doi = "10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008",

language = "English",

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pages = "41--50",

journal = "Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics",

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T1 - Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change

AU - Graae, Bente J.

AU - Vandvik, Vigdis

AU - Armbruster, W. Scott

AU - Eiserhardt, Wolf L.

AU - Svenning, Jens-Christian

AU - Hylander, Kristoffer

AU - Ehrlén, Johan

AU - Speed, James D. M.

AU - Klanderud, Kari

AU - Bråthen, Kari Anne

AU - Milbau, Ann

AU - Opedal, Øystein H.

AU - Alsos, Inger G.

AU - Ejrnæs, Rasmus

AU - Bruun, Hans Henrik

AU - Birks, H. John B.

AU - Westergaard, Kristine B.

AU - Birks, Hilary H.

AU - Lenoir, Jonathan

PY - 2018/2

Y1 - 2018/2

N2 - In the face of climate change, populations have two survival options − they can remain in situ and tolerate the new climatic conditions (“stay”), or they can move to track their climatic niches (“go”). For sessile and small-stature organisms like alpine plants, staying requires broad climatic tolerances, realized niche shifts due to changing biotic interactions, acclimation through plasticity, or rapid genetic adaptation. Going, in contrast, requires good dispersal and colonization capacities. Neither the magnitude of climate change experienced locally nor the capacities required for staying/going in response to climate change are constant across landscapes, and both aspects may be strongly affected by local microclimatic variation associated with topographic complexity. We combine ideas from population and community ecology to discuss the effects of topographic complexity in the landscape on the immediate “stay” or “go” opportunities of local populations and communities, and on the selective pressures that may have shaped the stay or go capacities of the species occupying contrasting landscapes. We demonstrate, using example landscapes of different topographical complexity, how species’ thermal niches could be distributed across these landscapes, and how these, in turn, may affect many population and community ecological processes that are related to adaptation or dispersal. Focusing on treeless alpine or Arctic landscapes, where temperature is expected to be a strong determinant, our theorethical framework leads to the hypothesis that populations and communities of topographically complex (rough and patchy) landscapes should be both more resistant and more resilient to climate change than those of topographically simple (flat and homogeneous) landscapes. Our theorethical framework further points to how meta-community dynamics such as mass effects in topographically complex landscapes and extinction lags in simple landscapes, may mask and delay the long-term outcomes of these landscape differences under rapidly changing climates.

AB - In the face of climate change, populations have two survival options − they can remain in situ and tolerate the new climatic conditions (“stay”), or they can move to track their climatic niches (“go”). For sessile and small-stature organisms like alpine plants, staying requires broad climatic tolerances, realized niche shifts due to changing biotic interactions, acclimation through plasticity, or rapid genetic adaptation. Going, in contrast, requires good dispersal and colonization capacities. Neither the magnitude of climate change experienced locally nor the capacities required for staying/going in response to climate change are constant across landscapes, and both aspects may be strongly affected by local microclimatic variation associated with topographic complexity. We combine ideas from population and community ecology to discuss the effects of topographic complexity in the landscape on the immediate “stay” or “go” opportunities of local populations and communities, and on the selective pressures that may have shaped the stay or go capacities of the species occupying contrasting landscapes. We demonstrate, using example landscapes of different topographical complexity, how species’ thermal niches could be distributed across these landscapes, and how these, in turn, may affect many population and community ecological processes that are related to adaptation or dispersal. Focusing on treeless alpine or Arctic landscapes, where temperature is expected to be a strong determinant, our theorethical framework leads to the hypothesis that populations and communities of topographically complex (rough and patchy) landscapes should be both more resistant and more resilient to climate change than those of topographically simple (flat and homogeneous) landscapes. Our theorethical framework further points to how meta-community dynamics such as mass effects in topographically complex landscapes and extinction lags in simple landscapes, may mask and delay the long-term outcomes of these landscape differences under rapidly changing climates.

KW - Adaptation

KW - Dispersal

KW - Microclimate

KW - Niche

KW - Refugia

KW - Resilience

U2 - 10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

DO - 10.1016/j.ppees.2017.09.008

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85034031496

SN - 1433-8319

VL - 30

SP - 41

EP - 50

JO - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

JF - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

ER -

Stay or go - how topographic complexity influences alpine plant population and community responses to climate change

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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