Alpine Treeline Ecotones in the Western United States: A Multi-Scale Comparative Analysis of Environmental Factors Influencing Pattern- Process Relations

Spatial patterns of plant richness across treeline ecotones in the Pyrenees reveal different locations for richness and tree cover boundaries

Aim To forecast the responses of alpine flora to the expected upward shift of treeline ecotones due to climatic warming, we investigated species richness patterns of vascular plants at small spatial scales across elevational transects. Location Richness patterns were assessed at local scales along the elevational gradient in two undisturbed treeline ecotones and one disturbed treeline ecotone i...

ALPINE TREELINE OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA: LINKING ORGANISM-TO-LANDSCAPE DY NAMlCS

Although the ecological dynamics of the alpine treeline ecotone are influenced by climate, it is an imperfect indicator of climate change. Mechanistic processes that shape the ecotone-seed rain, seed germination, seedling establishment and subsequent tree growth form, or, conversely tree dieback-depend on microsite patterns. Growth forms affect wind and snow, and so develop positive and negativ...

Detecting Ecological Patterns Along Environmental Gradients: Alpine Treeline Ecotones

Distribution and biomass dynamics of the alpine treeline ecotone across the western United States

The alpine treeline ecotone is primarily caused by climate at continental and regional scales, but at finer scales exhibits increasing complexity and linkages with abiotic factors. In order to better understand the dynamics and geographic properties of treeline, a three-pronged study was conducted. The study’s first objective investigated what factors account for local treeline variation by com...

Limits to upward movement of subalpine forests in a warming climate.

Rapid changes to the earth’s climate are well underway, already influencing biological systems across the globe. Among the key impacts are potential shifts in the geographic range of many species or ecosystems, often predicted to move either poleward or upward in response to warmer conditions (1, 2). In mountain biomes, as upper elevations become more climatically hospitable to tree establishme...