The present study was carried out in Tungnath alpine meadows of Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary, Western Himalaya from subalpine to upper alpine zone. A total of four summits were selected along an altitudinal gradient ...The present study was carried out in Tungnath alpine meadows of Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary, Western Himalaya from subalpine to upper alpine zone. A total of four summits were selected along an altitudinal gradient and sampled for detailed vegetation analysis using multi summit approach as per Global observation research initiative in alpine environments(GLORIA). Species richness, diversity, and evenness among four summits as well as the interaction between environmental variables with plant communities were assessed. Monthly mean soil temperature was calculated using data retrieved from geo-precision temperature logger in order to identify the trend of soil temperature among different season and altitudinal gradient and its implications to plant communities. Soil samples were analyzed fromeach summit by collecting randomized composite soil samples. The indirect non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS) and direct canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) tools of ordination techniques to determine the linkage between plant species from various sample summits and biotic/abiotic environmental gradients were used in the present study. The results of the study demonstrated increase in species richness as soil temperature increases, the ecotone representing summits were found most warm summits followed by highest species richness. Annual soil temperature increased by 1.43°C at timberline ecotone. Whereas, at upper alpine zone the soil temperature increased by 0.810 C from year 2015 to 2016. S?rensen's similarity index was found to be increased between subalpine and upper alpine zone with increase in the presence of subalpine plant species at upper alpine zone. Both the ordination tools separate the subalpine summit and their respective vegetation from summits representingtimberline ecotone and upper alpine zone. Soil p H, altitude, soil cation exchange capacity were found as the key abiotic drivers for distribution of plant species.展开更多
The phenologies of plants and animals in snow-covered landscapes are expected to accelerate with global warming.However,there are few studies that have examined a range of unrelated taxa in alpine environments to dete...The phenologies of plants and animals in snow-covered landscapes are expected to accelerate with global warming.However,there are few studies that have examined a range of unrelated taxa in alpine environments to determine whether there is commonality in the proximate causes,synchrony in timing,or the direction of any changes.Records for five alpine animal species and two alpine plant species,chosen primarily for their visibility,were examined to determine their temporal response to regional climate warming.Over the 30-year period studied,they showed an array of different phenological responses.Plant flowering appeared linked to date of snow melt,whereas animal responses varied.Although having accelerated phenologies,two migratory bird species exhibited contrary changes;one to low-altitude warming regardless of snow conditions in the alpine zone (flame robin) and the other to state of the snowpack regardless of low-altitude temperatures (Richard's pipit).By contrast,the migratory bogong moth arrived significantly later over the years with no apparent explanatory climatic cause.Although bogong moths are not responding to earlier snow melt,insectivorous predators on the ground are.This could lead to a serious mismatch in timing at different trophic levels,putting pressure on endangered vertebrates.Emergence of locally wintering insect species,March flies and Macleay's swallowtails,were not significantly related to measured climatic parameters over the study period.A consequence of the disparate responses to climate warming recorded here is the questionable value of 'indicator species' to examine the impact of climate warming on alpine ecosystems.展开更多
基金conducted as a part of the project Alpine Ecosystem Dynamicssupported by SAC,ISRO,Ahmedabad,India(EPSA/ABHG/ALPINE/PRACRITI-II 01/13)
文摘The present study was carried out in Tungnath alpine meadows of Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary, Western Himalaya from subalpine to upper alpine zone. A total of four summits were selected along an altitudinal gradient and sampled for detailed vegetation analysis using multi summit approach as per Global observation research initiative in alpine environments(GLORIA). Species richness, diversity, and evenness among four summits as well as the interaction between environmental variables with plant communities were assessed. Monthly mean soil temperature was calculated using data retrieved from geo-precision temperature logger in order to identify the trend of soil temperature among different season and altitudinal gradient and its implications to plant communities. Soil samples were analyzed fromeach summit by collecting randomized composite soil samples. The indirect non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS) and direct canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) tools of ordination techniques to determine the linkage between plant species from various sample summits and biotic/abiotic environmental gradients were used in the present study. The results of the study demonstrated increase in species richness as soil temperature increases, the ecotone representing summits were found most warm summits followed by highest species richness. Annual soil temperature increased by 1.43°C at timberline ecotone. Whereas, at upper alpine zone the soil temperature increased by 0.810 C from year 2015 to 2016. S?rensen's similarity index was found to be increased between subalpine and upper alpine zone with increase in the presence of subalpine plant species at upper alpine zone. Both the ordination tools separate the subalpine summit and their respective vegetation from summits representingtimberline ecotone and upper alpine zone. Soil p H, altitude, soil cation exchange capacity were found as the key abiotic drivers for distribution of plant species.
文摘The phenologies of plants and animals in snow-covered landscapes are expected to accelerate with global warming.However,there are few studies that have examined a range of unrelated taxa in alpine environments to determine whether there is commonality in the proximate causes,synchrony in timing,or the direction of any changes.Records for five alpine animal species and two alpine plant species,chosen primarily for their visibility,were examined to determine their temporal response to regional climate warming.Over the 30-year period studied,they showed an array of different phenological responses.Plant flowering appeared linked to date of snow melt,whereas animal responses varied.Although having accelerated phenologies,two migratory bird species exhibited contrary changes;one to low-altitude warming regardless of snow conditions in the alpine zone (flame robin) and the other to state of the snowpack regardless of low-altitude temperatures (Richard's pipit).By contrast,the migratory bogong moth arrived significantly later over the years with no apparent explanatory climatic cause.Although bogong moths are not responding to earlier snow melt,insectivorous predators on the ground are.This could lead to a serious mismatch in timing at different trophic levels,putting pressure on endangered vertebrates.Emergence of locally wintering insect species,March flies and Macleay's swallowtails,were not significantly related to measured climatic parameters over the study period.A consequence of the disparate responses to climate warming recorded here is the questionable value of 'indicator species' to examine the impact of climate warming on alpine ecosystems.
