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The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation...
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The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation Dynamics

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2022) | Viewed by 10950

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Pavel A. Moiseev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of GIS technologies, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Marta St., 202, 620144 Ekaterinburg, Russia
Interests: climate-induced dynamics of forest-steppe and highlands vegetation

Special Issue Information

The average surface temperature of the Earth has increased appreciably in the last centuries and the most significant changes occurred in polar and mountainous regions. Because thermal gradient is short in the highlands - hundred meters vs tens kilometers on the plains, mountain ecosystems are very sensitive to temperature variation. The most noticeable objects in the mountain landscapes are treelines and their position shifted upwards significantly in many regions of the world over recent decades. It can have both negative or positive feedbacks by affecting local and regional climate, radiative balance, hydrological processes, carbon pools, mineral substance cycling, and biodiversity. Thus, the rate and pattern of treeline shifts, as well as their drivers and consequences, need to be well quantified and understood. Given the fast ongoing warming, it is expected the rate of structural changes at the upper forests limit will increase at a rapid pace, but will depend on the interplay amongst regional climate, landscape features, local site conditions and trees species composition. We encourage treeline studies from all aspects and approaches, including experiments, remote sensing, monitoring and modelling, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge and adaptation strategies for the preservation and management of mountain ecosystems in the incoming future.

Dr. Pavel Moiseev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mountain climate change
  • treeline pattern
  • trees regeneration
  • trees growth and physiology
  • carbon pools
  • nutrients cycling
  • biodiversity
  • drivers and constraints
  • treeline dynamics feedbacks
  • parametrizations and modelling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 2905 KiB  
Article
Tropical Cyclone Disturbances Induce Contrasting Impacts on Forest Structure, Plant Composition, and Soil Properties in Temperate Broadleaf and Coniferous Forests
by Tomáš Černý, Jiří Doležal, Petr Petřík, Miroslav Šrůtek, Jong-Suk Song and Jan Altman
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1033; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13071033 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
Knowledge of forest recovery processes after severe disturbances, such as tropical cyclones, is essential for understanding the mechanisms maintaining forest diversity and ecosystem functioning. However, studies examining the impact of tropical cyclones on forest dynamics are still rare, especially in Northeast Asia. Here, [...] Read more.
Knowledge of forest recovery processes after severe disturbances, such as tropical cyclones, is essential for understanding the mechanisms maintaining forest diversity and ecosystem functioning. However, studies examining the impact of tropical cyclones on forest dynamics are still rare, especially in Northeast Asia. Here, we explore the complex responses of vegetation and soil chemistry to severe tropical cyclone disturbances in Hallasan National Park in South Korea. Vegetation and soil were examined five years before and five years after passages of tropical cyclones in 2012 in natural broadleaf and coniferous forests along an elevation gradient from 950 to 1770 m a.s.l., including the largest population of endemic Abies koreana. Tropical cyclones caused abundant tree mortality, resulting in a 46% decrease in stem basal area. Tropical cyclone disturbances triggered the spread of pioneer trees and shrubs and intense clonal propagation of graminoids, including dwarf bamboo, resulting in less diverse understory vegetation, especially in coniferous forests. In contrast, broadleaf forests at lower elevations experienced only minor disturbance. Opening of canopies after tropical cyclone disturbance led to the decrease in soil cations and doubling of available soil phosphorus stock, which likely contributed to the increased coverage of clonal graminoids, especially in coniferous forests (from 36 to 66%). Hence, increased competition of graminoids and reduction in seed fall and seedling recruitment prevented A. koreana regeneration. The subalpine forest dominated by A. koreana is forecasted to gradual loss due to the fact of temperature increases, intensified tropical cyclones and, particularly, due to the altered competition between dwarf bamboo and fir seedlings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation Dynamics)
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15 pages, 2219 KiB  
Article
Predictors of the Success of Natural Regeneration in a Himalayan Treeline Ecotone
by Niels Schwab, Birgit Bürzle, Maria Bobrowski, Jürgen Böhner, Ram Prasad Chaudhary, Thomas Scholten, Johannes Weidinger and Udo Schickhoff
Forests 2022, 13(3), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13030454 - 14 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2190
Abstract
The sensitivity and response of climatic treelines in the Himalayas to climate change is still being debated. Regeneration of tree species in the treeline ecotone is considered a sensitivity indicator and thus of great scientific interest. The aim of this study is to [...] Read more.
The sensitivity and response of climatic treelines in the Himalayas to climate change is still being debated. Regeneration of tree species in the treeline ecotone is considered a sensitivity indicator and thus of great scientific interest. The aim of this study is to detect predictor variables for regeneration densities of the major tree species in central Himalayan treeline ecotones (Abies spectabilis, Betula utilis, Rhododendron campanulatum), analysing five development stages from seedling to mature tree. We applied negative binomial generalized linear models with predictors selected from a wide range of soil, topography, climate and stand characteristic variables. We found considerably varying predictors across the tree species and their stages of development. Soil conditions, topography and climate, as well as competing and facilitating tree species, had high predictive power for population densities. These predictors were clearly species- and development stage-specific. Predictors’ spatial- and development-specific heterogeneity induce a high degree of complexity and diversify any potentially linear response of tree population densities and treeline position to changing climatic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation Dynamics)
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18 pages, 5934 KiB  
Article
Dendrochronology-Based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Reconstruction in the Qinling Mountains, North-Central China
by Jin Qin, Hongying Bai, Pei Zhao, Shu Fang, Yuanlin Xiang and Xiaoyue Huang
Forests 2022, 13(3), 443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13030443 - 11 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2092
Abstract
Larix chinensis Beissn., as a native, dominant and climate-sensitive coniferous species at Mount Taibai timberline, Qinling mountains, is rarely disturbed by anthropogenic activities; thus, it is an ideal proxy for the investigation of climate change or vegetation evolution. In this study, we applied [...] Read more.
Larix chinensis Beissn., as a native, dominant and climate-sensitive coniferous species at Mount Taibai timberline, Qinling mountains, is rarely disturbed by anthropogenic activities; thus, it is an ideal proxy for the investigation of climate change or vegetation evolution. In this study, we applied dendrochronological methods to the L. chinensis tree-ring series from Mt. Taibai and investigated the relationships between tree-ring widths and NDVI/climate factors using Pearson correlation analysis. On the basis of the remarkable positive correlations (r = 0.726, p < 0.01, n = 23) between local July normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) and tree-ring width indices, the regional 146-year annual maximum vegetation density was reconstructed using a regression model. The reconstructed NDVI series tracked the observed data well, as the trans-function accounted for 52.8% of observed NDVI variance during AD 1991–2013. After applying an 11-year moving average, five dense vegetation coverage periods and six sparse vegetation coverage periods were clearly presented. At a decadal scale, this reconstruction was reasonably and negatively correlated with a nearby historical-record-based dryness/wetness index (DWI), precisely verifying that local vegetation cover was principally controlled by hydrothermal variations. Spectral analysis unveiled the existence of 2–3-year, 2–4-year, 5–7-year and 7–11-year cycles, which may potentially reflect the connection between local NDVI evolution and larger-scale circulations, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and solar activity. This study is of great significance for providing a long-term perspective on the dynamics of vegetation cover in the Qinling mountains, and could help to guide expectations of future forest variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation Dynamics)
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20 pages, 3331 KiB  
Article
Upward Treeline Shifts in Two Regions of Subarctic Russia Are Governed by Summer Thermal and Winter Snow Conditions
by Andrey A. Grigoriev, Yulia V. Shalaumova, Sergey O. Vyukhin, Dmitriy S. Balakin, Vladimir V. Kukarskikh, Arina A. Vyukhina, Jesús Julio Camarero and Pavel A. Moiseev
Forests 2022, 13(2), 174; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13020174 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3127
Abstract
Climate warming impacts on alpine treeline dynamics. However, we still lack robust assessments of the long-term impacts of climate on tree recruitment at the treeline, particularly in remote areas such as the subarctic regions of Russia subjected to different climate influences. We expected [...] Read more.
Climate warming impacts on alpine treeline dynamics. However, we still lack robust assessments of the long-term impacts of climate on tree recruitment at the treeline, particularly in remote areas such as the subarctic regions of Russia subjected to different climate influences. We expected that the treelines in two regions may have different features and dynamics patterns. We analyzed climate variables and assessed treeline dynamics by quantifying recruitment using the tree rings of ca. 7000 trees of four species (Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. tortuosa, Pinus sylvestris L., Picea abies Ledeb. ssp. obovata, Larix gmelinii Rupr.) along 14 altitudinal transects (series of study plots). We compared the Khibiny Massif (Kola Peninsula) and the western Putorana Plateau, subjected to oceanic and continental influences, respectively. In both regions, summers became warmer, and winters became snowier during the past century. At the low part of the treeline ecotone, tree recruitment has slowly increased since the mid-18th century at the Putorana Plateau and the mid-19th century at the Khibiny but accelerated in the early 20th century at both regions and reached a maximum peak in the second half of the past century. Treeline encroachment intensified in the 1930s at the Khibiny and the 1950s at the Putorana Plateau. Trees encroached in the tundra leading to upward treeline shifts in the late 20th century. The slope exposure affected the rates of treeline shift with higher upward advances on southern-oriented slopes. Tree recruitment and early-winter precipitation were positively correlated. The differences in species composition, treeline altitude and influences of slope orientation on treeline dynamics can be explained primarily by differences in the degree of continentality. The abundance of saplings in both regions allows the future encroachment of trees into tundra and further treeline upward shifts to be forecast. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Climate Change on Alpine Treelines and Vegetation Dynamics)
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