Transcript Changes in Plant Community Dominance

Plants in the Arctic Region
Changes in the Landscape over time
Presented by Marie Silver
Map of Antarctica
www.map-ofantarctica.us/
Antarctica Characteristics
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Covered in ice and snow – little land for plant
colonization
“Summer growing season” (Dec. – Feb.) near freezing.
High winds all year round
A virtual desert inland, several meters of snow fall along
coast annually
No trees or shrubs, only two species flowering plants,( in
South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands and
western Antarctic Peninsula.)
Moss and lichen in wetter areas.
Greatest species diversity along western side of
Antarctic Peninsula, where climate is generally warmer
and wetter.
Plant Life in the Antarctic
Region
Antarctic Pearlwort
Colobanthus quitensis
Hairgrass Deschampsia antarctica
Tussock Grass,
Falkland Islands
Lichens, Verrucaria, Xanthoria, Turgidosculum (Mastodia),
Lecanora
Mosses, Muelleriella crassifolia
Tussock Grass Puccinellia macquariensis
Photographs by Rob Seppelt
Map of Arctic Region
The colors on the
map indicate the
differences that occur
in the general
outward appearance
of vegetation
(physiognomy). The
CAVM team grouped
more than 400
described plant
communities into 15
physiognomic units
based on plant
growth forms. An
international team of
arctic vegetation
scientists
representing the six
countries of the
Arctic—Canada,
Greenland, Iceland,
Norway, Russia, and
the United States—
prepared the map.
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
By Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Mapping
Team
Contact
Donald A. Walker
Basic Biomes
Taiga
Tundra
www.runet.edu
www.ulapland.fi/
Tundra
Tundra
www.mbgnet.net
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Tundra, from Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain
Extremely cold climate
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Winter -60 F (-51 C)
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Summer 32 F (0 C) to 50 F (10 C)
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> 55 days per year with a mean temperature higher than 32 F (0 C).
Low biotic diversity
Simple vegetation structure
Limitation of drainage
Short season of growth and reproduction – 6-10 weeks
Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
Large population oscillations
Annual precipitation > 10” year
Plants: low lying, small leaved, shallow rooted. Mosses, grasses, herbs,
lichens and small shrubs.
Tundra Landscape
Tussock Sedge, dwarf shrub, moss
Sedge grass, moss wetland
Low Shrub
Low grass, forbs, low shrub
www.arcticatlas.org
Tundra Plants
Purple Saxifrage, Saxifraga oppositifolia
Arctic Moss, Calliergon giganteum
Arctic Willow,
Salix arctica
Reindeer Lichen / Caribou Moss, Cladonia
rangiferina
www.iwebquest.com
Tundra Plant Facts
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Often reproduce by rootstocks or runner
Grow in clumps to create microclimates
May bloom from buds that are one to two
years old
Seed may germinate and grow while still
attached to parent plant
Similar to desert plants, aerial parts reduced
in favor of root mass, larger roots capable of
storing enough energy and minerals to allow
instant growth in spring
Taiga
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Found in regions of subarctic
and cold continental climate.
Long, severe winters (six
months with mean
temperatures below freezing),
short summers (50 to 100
frost-free days)
Dominant species: tamarack,
spruce, fir, mosses, ferns.
Typically needle leaf plants
adapted to cold and drought
Sparse food supply, supports
fewer animal species than a
more deciduous dominant
system (fewer than tundra
environment)
www.runet.edu
Taiga Plants
White and Black Spruce
Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana
Picea glauca, Picea mariana
Balsam Fir, Abies balsamia
www.blueplanetbiomes.org
Linking the Arctic to Your
Curriculum
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Arctic plant study, comparing biomes (e,g,
tundra to bog, arctic tundra to alpine tundra)
Antarctic plant study, cold desert versus warm
desert
Plant adaptations in general, growing seasons
Climate Change, what can plants teach us,
which plant communities most vulnerable
Suggested Disciplines for Inquiry
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Plant Adaptations – Studying plant responses to cold
temperatures, low moisture conditions, short growing
seasons.
Phenology - studying timing of recurring natural
phenomena in response to seasonal and climatic
changes to the environment.
Succession - the observed process of change in the
species structure of an ecological community over time
Lichenometry - a method of numerical dating that uses
the size of lichen colonies on a rock surface to determine
the surface's age. Lichenometry is used for rock surfaces
less than about 10,000 years old.
Dendrochronology/ Dendroclimatology - using tree
rings to analyze temporal and spatial patterns of various
processes (biological, physical, or cultural) - the study of
tree rings to infer past climatic conditions, based on
recent growth-climate relations.
Comparing Biomes
Temperate Deciduous
Tundra
Taiga
Bog
http://whrc.org/capecod
Northern Temperate
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Continental glaciers receded
10,000 - 12,000 years ago
Early climate (after glaciers) cool
and moist, followed by warmer
drier periods. Average
temperatures of 50 degrees F.
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Early plants boreal or taiga (relicts
of this remain, e.g. Tamarack,
ground pine, mosses)
Typical forest plant combinations
include mixed deciduous (maple,
oak, nut trees) and pine, flowering
shrubs and grasses (generally
shade tolerant species of all kinds)
Meadows, grasslands - soil tends
to be deep and fertile, three types
of grassland, tall, mixed grass and
short. Grasslands often managed
through fire or grazing. Largest
areas in the U.S., found in the
midwest where extreme weather
(cold winters, hot summers)
predominates.
Bog
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Open or sparsely treed wetland area poor in mineral
nutrients, water supplied exclusively by precipitation;
typically acidic.
Found in variety of successional stages including tundra,
taiga and deciduous/climax forests. Plant species and
soil composition similar to tundra.
Like arctic, unique and demanding physical and
chemical characteristics of bogs result in plant
communities with special adaptations to low nutrient
levels, waterlogged conditions, and acidic waters, e.g.
carnivorous plants.
Plants: sphagnum moss, cotton grass, cranberry,
blueberry, pine, Labrador tea, and tamarack.
Areas of Inquiry: Plant Adaptations
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Using fast plants to explore:
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How plants adapt to cold, dry conditions, sun angle,
boggy conditions, high winds, short growing season
Research “strategies” plants have developed to
succeed, dispersal mechanisms, nitrogen
utilization, faster germination, longer life cycles
Comparing and contrasting plants in temperate
areas, deserts, sub-tropical areas to Arctic and
Antarctic regions
Resources
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Research progress on climate change impacts in the Siberian Taiga
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/SiberiaBlog
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Woods Hole Research Center provides current research on critical
habitats http://whrc.org/
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Wisconsin Fastplants official website www.fastplants.org
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BluePlanet Biomes provides plant lists for tundra, taiga other
ecosystems, http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga.htm
Phenology – Background
from the Greek phainomai, "to appear"
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Historical context
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Recent Work
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Thomas Jefferson – Monticello
Early 1900’s – Dr. McKay – Thousand Eyes Project,
Smithsonian flowering study, Aldo Leopold, Japanese Cherry
Blossoms
Cornell Lilac Study and Project Budbreak, Oregon State
University Phenology Project, USA – NPN, Univ. of Wisconsin,
Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity
Student Participation Projects
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Project GLOBE, Project Budburst, PlantWatch, Earth Alive
Phenology Resources
Articles and Links
“Warming Trend Spells Early Arrival of
Spring”, Rebecca James, Syracuse
Post Standard, 12/19/04
Phenology, The Study Of Nature's Cycles
Of Life, http://www.swswis.com/lifecycles/index.html
Nat’l Sustainable Agriculture Info Service,
Phenology links,
http://www.attra.org/attrapub/phenology.html
The USA National Phenology Network
(USA-NPN) facilitates collection and
dissemination of phenological data to
support global change research.
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/
npn/
Backyard Nature: Phenology, Noting
When Things Happen,
http://www.backyardnature.net/phenol
gy.htm
"Early-blooming lilacs are a sign of spring;
and global warming", Desert News
(Salt Lake City), Dec 16, 2004 by
William Kates Associated Press
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Lilac Data Sets: Schwartz, M.D. and
J.M. Caprio, 2003,North American
First Leaf and First Bloom Lilac
Phenology Data, IGBP PAGES/World
Data Center for Paleoclimatology Data
Contribution Series # 2003078.NOAA/NGDC Paleoclimatology
Program, Boulder CO,
http://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/pale
o/phenology/north_america_lilac.txt
National Center for Atmospheric
Research, 2005,
http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/
Phenology Resources, Cont.
Student Involvement in Phenology
Project Budburst, students collect data on plant life cycle stages and participate in a
national database collection effort, www.budburst.org
The Globe Program, classes participate using established protocol, monitoring
environmental changes includes Project Budburst, Lilac Project, Hummingbird
Migration, Green up and Green down, Arctic Bird Migration, www.globe.gov
(contact Betty Connor, North Star Borough School District, Fairbanks AK,
[email protected])
Blooming Thermometers, activity demonstrating environmental affect on plant life cycles,
NCAR, Climate Discovery Teachers Guide.
Earth Alive: http://www.naturenet.com/Earthalive/choosesort.asp?ObsId=
Plantwatch: contains protocol, teacher guides and lessons
http://plantwatch.sunsite.ualberta.ca/archive/
Changes in Arctic Plant Dominance
Ecological succession" the
observed process of change in
species structure of an ecological
community over time. Within any
community some species may
become less abundant over some
time interval, or they may even
vanish from the ecosystem
altogether. Similarly, over some
time interval, other species in the
community may become more
abundant, or new species enter
the community from adjacent
ecosystems. This observed
change over time is "ecological
succession".
http://mff.dsisd.net
From Tundra to Forest
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Exploring what a warming arctic region
can mean for plant life
What kind of work has been done on this
subject (Glacier Bay, The Tundra Project)
Comparing change in the arctic region to
change closer to home
Natural History of Glacier Bay
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Bay is laboratory for study of icerecessional phenomena and postglacial biotic succession, under ice 250
years ago, recent ice retreat observed
and well documented. Except higher
elevations, retreating ice revealed
extensive land and coastal area Key
Findings: moist lowland - post-glacial
barrens succeed from tundra, through
shrub land to young forest in 250
years; Plant colonization takes only a
few years, early vegetation mat is
long-lasting with change occurring
primarily in response to physical
changes, e.g slope and drainage,
rather than biological changes, such
as competition;
Warming
increases nitrogen
mineralization (and longer growing
season) favors shrub species over
other plant forms within 200 years.
After 200 years new plant forms
predominate, often those not
normally found in the arctic
environment.
www.inforain.org/glacierbay
Recent Research on Glacial
Recession/Climate Change
• Earlier hypotheses –White Spruce trees
continue as dominant taiga species may be false
(strong adaptation to cool wet conditions)
• Tundra Biome becomes increasingly
compressed between Boreal and Arctic Ocean
• Certain species, habitats highly vulnerable to
changes in temperature/moisture/snow cover
• Invasives may complicate species adaptations
Succession Movie
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http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_freeman_bio
sci_1/7/1958/501374.cw/index.html
http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects
/489/501340/CDA50_2/CDA50_2b/CDA50
_2b.htm
Comparing Glacier Bay/Arctic to
Your Region
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How does the transition occurring in
Glacier Bay compare to transitions found
in your region such as:
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Farm meadow to forest
Lake to swamp
Swamp to meadow
What are most important factors for plant
community transitions (succession) in your
area as compared to the Arctic (fire,
climate, human intervention)
Succession Resources
Articles
Activities
Gastaldo, R.A., DiMichele, W.A.,and
Pfefferkorn, H.W. Out of the
Icehouse into the Greenhouse: A
Late Paleozoic Analogue for
Modern Global Vegetational
Tundra to Taiga Board Game: A
modification of the Floristic Relay
game, http://umassk12.net/IPY
Biological Succession in a Macro and
Microecosystem –lab exercises using
microbes http://umassk12.net/IPY
Ecosystems and Climate Activities –
using fastplants or other quick
germinating seeds to demonstrate
succession (University of Illinois)
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/ecosyst
ems/teacherguide1.html
Glaciers of Kenai Fjords, Activities
exploring relationship between
ecological and geographical chance
and glaciation, National Park Service,
Alaska,
http://www.nps.gov/akso/ParkWise/T
eachers/Nature/KEFJ_Glaciers
Change: GSA today v. 10, p. 1-7.
Climate Change and Biodiversity in
the Arctic-Nordic Perspectives,
Phillip A Wookey. Conference;
Melting Ice – A Hot Topic
Duke Forest Succession,
http://www.dukeforest.duke.edu/fo
rest/succession.htm
Succession in Michigan Forests,
http://mff.dsisd.net/Environment/S
uccession.htm
How Polar Scientists Use
Lichenometry
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Early work in Lichenometry - geologic
dating of substrates
Current: primarily used for corroboration or
for recently receding glaciers (past 500
years)
Other applications – historic sites,
biological indicators
Activities and Articles: Lichenometry
Articles
Activities
Using Lichenometry in human history
applications
http://www.primaryresearch.org/res
earch.php
“Lichens, Lichenometry and Global
Warming” by Richard Armstrong.
Microbiologist, Sept 2004
Using Lichenometric data curves in
Southern Norway to date rocks
http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/date/
web/lich.html
Dating glacial Landforms using
Lichenometry
http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2002NC/
finalprogram/abstract_32236.htm
Lichenometry: An Accessible Method
for Dating Recent History
(Geological and Manmade)
www.sciencebuddies.org/sciencefairprojects/project_ideas/Geo_p0
09.shtml?from=Home
Studying an Alaskan Glacier using
Lichenometry
http://alaskaclimate.org/Tutorial/ltp
age1.html
Other Resources
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Biomes of the World,
http://www.mbgnet.net/index.html
A Natural History of Glacier Bay,
http://www.inforain.org/glacierbay/catalog/htm/na
thist.htm
Arctic Geobotanical Atlas
http://www.arcticatlas.org/index
Antarctic Background, Activities
www.classroom.antarctica.gov.au
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk