Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity,but they are sensitive to climate change.The loss of cushion species can have broad consequenc...Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity,but they are sensitive to climate change.The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota.The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain,however,unclear.Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient,we assessed cushion population dynamics,the underlying ecological constraints and hence associated plant community changes in alpine communities dominated by the foundational cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides.The population dynamics of Arenaria are attributed to ecological constraints at a series of life history stages.Reproductive functions are constrained by increasing associated beneficiary plants;subsequent seedling establishment is constrained by temperature,water and light availability,extreme climate events,and interspecific competition;strong competitive exclusion may accelerate mortality and degeneration of cushion populations.Along with cushion dynamics,species composition,abundance and community structure gradually change.Once cushion plants completely degenerate,previously cushion-dominated communities shift to relatively stable communities that are overwhelmingly dominated by sedges.Climate warming may accelerate the degeneration process of A.polytrichoides.Degeneration of this foundational cushion plant will possibly induce massive changes in alpine plant communities and hence ecosystem functions in alpine ecosystems.The assessment of the population dynamics of foundation species is critical for an effective conservation of alpine biodiversity.展开更多
基金supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(2019QZKK0502)the Yunnan Applied Basic Research Project(202001AT070060)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31271552)the CAS“Light of West China”Program,the Young Academic and Technical Leader Raising Foundation of Yunnan Province(202205AC160053)the Yunnan Innovation team project(202305AS350004)。
文摘Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity,but they are sensitive to climate change.The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota.The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain,however,unclear.Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient,we assessed cushion population dynamics,the underlying ecological constraints and hence associated plant community changes in alpine communities dominated by the foundational cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides.The population dynamics of Arenaria are attributed to ecological constraints at a series of life history stages.Reproductive functions are constrained by increasing associated beneficiary plants;subsequent seedling establishment is constrained by temperature,water and light availability,extreme climate events,and interspecific competition;strong competitive exclusion may accelerate mortality and degeneration of cushion populations.Along with cushion dynamics,species composition,abundance and community structure gradually change.Once cushion plants completely degenerate,previously cushion-dominated communities shift to relatively stable communities that are overwhelmingly dominated by sedges.Climate warming may accelerate the degeneration process of A.polytrichoides.Degeneration of this foundational cushion plant will possibly induce massive changes in alpine plant communities and hence ecosystem functions in alpine ecosystems.The assessment of the population dynamics of foundation species is critical for an effective conservation of alpine biodiversity.
