v a n d e r Veld e n , N a o m i, B r o w n , L e e , C a r rivic k, Jo n a t h a n a n d
Dic k s o n , N eil ( 2 0 0 9 ) S p a ti al p a t t e r n s in al pi n e flo r a
c o m m u n i ti e s in r e s p o n s e t o v a ri a tio n i n g l a ci al m e l t-w a t e r flow.
I n: B ri ti s h E c olo gi c al S o ci e ty An n u a l M e e ti n g 2 0 0 9 , 7-1 0
S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 , U niv e r si ty of H e r tf o r d s hi r e . ( U n p u bli s h e d )
Do w n l o a d e d fr o m : h t t p ://i n si g h t . c u m b r i a . a c . u k /i d/ e p ri n t/ 2 2 1 9 /
U s a g e o f a n y i t e m s f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f C u m b r i a’ s i n s t i t u t i o n a l r e p o s i t o r y ‘I n s i g h t ’ m u s t c o n f o r m t o t h e f o l l o w i n g f a i r u s a g e g u i d e l i n e s .
Any it e m a n d it s a s s o ci a t e d m e t a d a t a h el d i n t h e U niv e r si ty of C u m b r i a ’s in s ti t u ti o n al r e p o si t o r y I n si g h t ( u nl e s s s t a t e d o t h e r wi s e o n t h e m e t a d a t a r e c o r d ) m a y b e c o pi e d , di s pl ay e d o r p e rf o r m e d , a n d s t o r e d i n li n e wi t h t h e JIS C f ai r d e a li n g g ui d eli n e s ( av ail a bl e
h e r e) fo r e d u c a t i o n al a n d n o t-fo r-p r ofi t a c tiviti e s
p r o v i d e d t h a t
• t h e a u t h o r s , ti tl e a n d full bi blio g r a p h i c d e t ail s of t h e it e m a r e ci t e d cl e a rly w h e n a n y p a r t
of t h e w o r k is r ef e r r e d t o v e r b a lly o r i n t h e w ri t t e n fo r m
• a h y p e rli n k/ U RL t o t h e o ri gi n al I n si g h t r e c o r d of t h a t it e m is i n cl u d e d i n a n y ci t a ti o n s of t h e w o r k
• t h e c o n t e n t is n o t c h a n g e d i n a n y w a y
• all fil e s r e q ui r e d fo r u s a g e of t h e it e m a r e k e p t t o g e t h e r wi t h t h e m a i n it e m fil e.
Yo u m a y n o t
• s ell a n y p a r t of a n it e m
• r e f e r t o a n y p a r t of a n it e m wi t h o u t ci t a ti o n
• a m e n d a n y it e m o r c o n t e x t u ali s e it i n a w a y t h a t will i m p u g n t h e c r e a t o r ’s r e p u t a t i o n
• r e m ov e o r a l t e r t h e c o py ri g h t s t a t e m e n t o n a n it e m . T h e full p oli cy c a n b e fo u n d h e r e.
Alt e r n a t iv ely c o n t a c t t h e U niv e r si t y of C u m b ri a R e p o si t o ry E di t o r b y e m a ili n g
Spatial patterns in alpine flora communities in
response to variation in glacial melt-water flow
Submitted abstract
Alpine glacial retreat alters melt-water flow and impacts
streamside flora. We assess spatial patterns in plant
communities’ composition and diversity across a glacial
Outline
Introduction, issues and current research
Aims of this project
The study area
Method
(chronosequence and braidplain)
Results
(flora community)
Introduction
Mountain flora are highly sensitive to climate change
(Thuiller
et al
.
2005
PNAS
102
(23) 8245-8250)
Glacial retreat and snow pack melt will change regimes of melt
water runoff
(Barnett
et al
., 2005
Nature
438
303–309)
Flora associated with melt water streams particularly vulnerable
•
rapid changes in melt water flow (seasonal & diurnal)
•
subject to extremes of inundation, sedimentation and
desiccation
Issues and research
Impacts of melt-water flow on river system under investigation
(Dickson, Brown, Carrivick)
Water quality and flow
Invertebrate communities
Relationship between river channel stability and vegetation may
be important
River threatens plants
Plants stabilize river
19 July 2008
Single
channel
30 July 2008
Aims and objectives
We aim to investigate (inter)relationship
between vegetation and river channel stability
Use vegetation community composition to
Study area
Hohe Tauern National Park,
Austria
Ödenwinkelkees glacial valley
Study area
Chronosequence
Glacial retreat documented in valley from 1850 to 1990
Opportunity to create chronosequence of vegetation
succession and thus age vegetation communities
Braidplain
Braidplain located between 1850 and 1890 moraines
Examine vegetation communities in relation to
age-known communities
Methods - chronosequence
1 - Chronosequence of flora near and between
dated moraines
0 m 0 200 m
400 m 0
300 m
100m
Sediment
•
% cover by size class
Vegetation
•
height (x 5)
•
% cover by species
Analysis and Results
108 species (or groups)
65 quadrats in chronosequence
(18 to 158 years)
92 quadrats across braidplain (83 vegetation)
Multivariate ordination (Non-metric
Results - community
nms1
nms2
nms3
vegetation height
0.727***
0.240***
0.132
age
0.591***
-0.303*
0.551***
elevation
-0.468***
0.222***
0.230***
slope
-0.071
0.071
0.006
aspect
-0.008
-0.123
0.040
% fine sediment
-0.005
-0.148
-0.360***
% sediment <1cm
-0.205*
-0.239***
-0.404***
% sediment 1-5cm
-0.429***
-0.164*
-0.371***
% sed 5-10cm
-0.386***
-0.305***
-0.272***
% sed 50-150cm
0.181*
-0.005
0.056
% sed >150cm
0.111
-0.065
-0.021
Aconitum
napellus
tauricum
Campanula
scheuchzeri
Gentiana nivalis
Oxyria digyna
Rhododendron ferrugineum
Saxifraga aizoides
Saxifraga bryoides
Linaria alpina
Silene
vulgaris
Results
Effective use of temporal data to explain spatial patterns
Suggests similar change in community composition on
the braidplain as along the chronosequence
Surprisingly, the full range of communities found:
Ages “18” to “158”
The 158-year pattern of succession is represented in a
much smaller space on the braidplain
Results - biodiversity
NMS axis 1 less closely correlated with biodiversity
that NMS axis 2 and NMS axis 3
Pearson correlation * P <0.05
** p< 0.001
*** p<0.0005
NMS axis 3 used for following visualisation
NMS1
NMS2
NMS3
alpha diversity
0.181*
0.351***
0.473***
Berger-Parker 1-d
-0.173*
-0.275***
-0.322***
Shannon-Weiner H’
0.203*
0.317***
0.440***
Species richness categories
Species richness categories
Conclusions and future
Disturbance at a small scale can mimic patterns of a longer
temporal scale and may be important in maintaining
populations of early successional species
As the glacier is exhausted, glacial melt-water flow will decrease:
•
Less disturbance to vegetation on the braidplain
•
Community successional development unrestricted
•
Likely to see larger, late-successional species develop across
the whole area
•
Changes to river channel stability, water flow and chemistry
•
Consequences for in-stream invertebrates, algaes, and other
Thanks to:
Dr Andy Evans
&
River Basins Research Cluster
School of Geography, University of Leeds
Geum reptans
Achillea moschata
Aconitum napellus tauricum
Adenostyles alliariae
Campanula scheuchzeri
Cerastium uniflorum
Doronicum
poss
clusii
Gentiana
Oxyria digyna
Phyteuma
hemisphaericum
Rhododendron ferrugineum
Saxifraga aizoides
Saxifraga bryoides
Homogyne alpina
Linaria alpina
Silene acaulis