Search

The Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains (HDM) are recognized as two global biodiversity hotspots, harboring the world's richest alpine flora. However, to what extent the distribution of alpine plants here is affected by climate change remains largely unknown. Bergenia (Saxifragaceae) are perennial medicinal herbs mainly distributed in the Himalaya-HDM region. In this study, we used bioclimatic data for current and future climate scenarios to assess the impact of climate change on the potential distribution of three Bergenia (Saxifragaceae) species. Our results revealed that the geographical distribution of the studied Bergenia species is primarily influenced by precipitation and elevation. By 2090, the three Bergenia species are expected to show contrasting range changes. The western Himalayan alpine species Bergenia stracheyi is expected to expand its range with 21.93 and 17.36% under the optimistic (SSP1-2.6) and moderate (SSP2-4.5) climate change scenario, respectively, while its distribution will shrink by 5.26% under the pessimistic scenario (SSP5-8.5). The Himalayan mid-elevation species B. ciliata is expected to expand its range from 142.42 to 157.14%. In contrast, the distribution range of the east Himalaya-HDM alpine species B. purpurascens is expected to shrink with 34.88 to 47.24%, with most of the habitats in the southeast chains of the HDM at lower elevation summits being lost. In addition, all three Bergenia species are projected to shift their ranges to higher elevations in response to temperature increases. Overall, we conclude that alpine plants may be more vulnerable to climate change than their congeners at lower elevations, supporting the "nowhere to go" hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexander von Humboldt's depictions of mountain vegetation are among the most iconic nineteenth century illustrations in the biological sciences. Here we analyse the contemporary context and empirical data for all these depictions, namely the Tableau physique des Andes (1803, 1807), the Geographiae plantarum lineamenta (1815), the Tableau physique des Îles Canaries (1817), and the Esquisse de la Géographie des plantes dans les Andes de Quito (1824/1825). We show that the Tableau physique des Andes does not reflect Humboldt and Bonpland's field data and presents a flawed depiction of plant occurrences and vertical succession of vegetation belts, arising from Humboldt's misreading of La Condamine's description (1751). Humboldt's 1815 depiction, by contrast, shows a distribution of high-vegetation belts that is consistent with La Condamine's description, while the 1824 depiction drops innovations made in 1815 and returns to simply showing numerous species' names, thus not applying Humboldt's own earlier zonation framework. Our analysis of contemporary reactions to Humboldt's TPA includes Francis Hall's posthumously published 1834 illustration of Andean plant zonation near Quito and Humboldt's reaction to Hall's critique. Throughout his work on plant geography, Humboldt disregarded some of his own observations, or confused them. At stake was his reputation as an innovator in the field of plant geography and a discoverer of the sequence of high-elevation vegetation belts on the world's mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed the floristic subdivisions of Albania by hierarchical clustering of all the vascular plant species of Albania over a grid of 25 km cells, adapting data from the Vascular Species Distribution Atlas in Albania of (Barina Z (ed.) (2017) Distribution atlas of vascular plants in Albania. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest). We identified the principal axes of variation of the flora and the bioclimatic variables that explain it. We also analysed the bioclimate of Albania by means of a self-organizing map (SOM) of the main climatic variables and the application of the global bioclimatic model of Rivas-Martínez. We compared the analysis based on the flora with that based on the bioclimate. The results divided Albania into eight floristic units corresponding to the main vegetation types (Carpinus orientalis woodlands, Quercus cerris woodlands, Quercus petraea and Fagus sylvatica woodlands, Quercus coccifera woodlands, Quercus coccifera and Quercus ithaburensis woodlands, Pinus heldreichii woodlands, alpine vegetation of North Albania, and alpine vegetation of eastern Albania). Two main trends of variation can be recognized: four elevational belts, strongly correlated with average July temperature, and a north–south subdivision, weakly correlated with annual rainfall and thermal excursion. The bioclimatic analysis (SOM and Rivas-Martínez model) resolves and adds detail to the axis of the elevational belts but cannot discern the north–south subdivision apart from the high mountains. We obtained a division into eight floristic units ordered according to two gradients: four elevational belts, each in turn subdivided into a north-central and a southern province. These two gradients seem to have a broader meaning in Southern Europe, particularly the north–south subdivision at about 30° latitude. The partial mismatch between the bioclimate and the flora indicates that bioclimatic models of Europe are in need of a revision and suggests that the history, in addition to the present-day climate (for instance, the vegetation of the last glacial maximum), can play a role in shaping the biogeography of Southern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate is one of the most important elements affecting the distribution of species, and it is expected that the distribution of species will be widely influenced by climate change. In plants, edaphic factors also play a special role along with climate in determining the distribution range. The current study aimed to predict the future distribution of the Persian manna (Astragalus adscendens), an endemic perennial shrub in Zagros Mountains of Western Iran. For this purpose, two sets of static (i.e. edaphic and physiographic) and dynamic (i.e. climatic) data and an ensemble approach were used to develop two edaphic-physiographic and climatic models. Current and future suitability maps are representative of the climatic and the edaphic-physiographic niches of A. Adscendens that were obtained based on climatic suitable areas filtered by edaphic-physiographic model. The filtered map has less suitable habitats compared to the climatic model. Three dynamic variables (mean temperature of wettest quarter, temperature seasonality, temperature annual range) and two static variables (altitude and volumetric fraction of coarse fragments) were identified as the most important factors in determining the habitat of A. Adscendens. The importance of altitude was greater than latitude in maintaining or losing suitable habitats under different climate change scenarios, suggesting that the species will not have range expansion or northward shift due to no significant shift in latitude and longitude. Results revealed a sharp decline in the suitable habitats in such that 67% and 91% of the current habitat may be lost by the year 2050 and 2070, respectively. Area reduction was more extreme in future scenarios with the higher level of CO2 emission. Range contraction of A. Adscendens will increases the risk of extinction. This study provides insights into the response of mountain plants, especially range restricted species, to climate change, revealing major dimensions of plant niche. Therefore, developing habitat management and conservation plans to preserve the predicted habitats of such species are required to preserve the predicted sustainable habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Rumex alpinus is a native plant in the mountains of Europe whose distribution has partly been affected by its utilization as a vegetable and medicinal herb. The distribution of micro and risk elements in its organs is not well-known. The study examined the safety of consuming R. alpinus from the Krkonoše Mountains, the Czech Republic, and the Alps (Austria and Italy). Methods: We determined the total and plant-available content of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Al, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil and the total content in organs of R. alpinus. Results: The uptake and distribution of elements by plants were characterized by bioaccumulation (BF) and translocation (TF) factors. The level of elements accumulation by R. alpinus is considerably different, depending on local geological substrates and environmental conditions. Rumex alpinus has considerable tolerance to Zn, Cu, As, Cr, Ni, with an easy accumulation strategy. High Al and Cd content in belowground biomass (rhizome) indicate a defensive mechanism for them. Although the aboveground biomass (emerging, senescent, mature leaves, petiole) has some degree of accumulation of risk elements, the results showed that R. alpinus is an excluder. Conclusion: Rumex alpinus does not accumulate risk elements in organs (leaf and petiole) that are consumed based on the permissible limit according to World Health Organization (2001) and can therefore be used without concern. Caution must, therefore, be taken when consuming these plant parts in heavily contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Ellenberg's indicator values were estimated in order to soil nitrogen (N), pH (R) and soil moisture (M) in different subalpine grassland communities of the Giresun Mountains (Turkey). All the EIVs were significantly different in the studied plant communities. The differences among the plant communities can be explained by the differences in species diversity and evenness, slope aspect and disturbance factors. EIVR and EIVM were significant ecological parameters on the distribution of the plant communities in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of climate change on keystone subalpine conifers, Tsuga diversifolia and Abies veitchii, incorporating the uncertainties of general circulation models (GCMs) for spatial conservation planning in Japan. Potential habitats for T. diversifolia and A. veitchii under current and 20 GCMs in 2080-2100 were predicted using generalized additive models. We counted the number of GCMs under which current potential habitat was predicted to lose by a spatial unit and used them as indices of vulnerability and prediction uncertainty. Gaps between protected areas and potential habitats under the future climates were identified. Reasonably accurate models revealed that T. diversifolia and A. veitchii require cool and wet summers with low winter precipitation. Only less than 1 % of current potential habitats for the species were predicted to be sustainable with low GCMs-related uncertainties. Most of these certainly sustainable habitats were designated as protected areas. Of current potential habitats for T. diversifolia and A. veitchii, 88 and 97 % were predicted to be non-habitats under future climates with low GCMs-related uncertainties. These certainly vulnerable habitats included the southern and low elevated northern range limits of the species, of which 70 % were designated as protected areas. These results suggest that subalpine conifers are vulnerable to the climate change irrespective of GCMs variation. Strengthening of monitoring may be necessary, especially at unprotected and certainly vulnerable habitats in lower subalpine areas where influences of the climate change will appear first. Active management including assisted regeneration may be necessary for preserving the vulnerable and genetically endemic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boreo-montane species have been neglected for a long time by south European botanists. However, the interest in this group is re-emerging, especially as regards relic species, refugia and southern distribution limits. This paper reviews the distribution and diversity centres of 63 boreo-montane species in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula and the southern part of the Pannonian Plain. An ordination analysis was used to differentiate geographic regions according to their floristic similarities with respect to the target species group. A comparison of floristic richness and distribution of the boreo-montane flora in relation to the geographic position, altitude and geological substrate was made. The alpine-high-nordic mountain groups of the Dinaric Alps (Durmitor and Prokletije) stand out as centres of diversity of this flora in the study area, which indicates that mountain groups with a relatively high mean annual precipitation sum and without summer droughts provide optimal conditions for survival of boreo-montane species in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. Most boreo-montane species were recorded on limestone and silicate in the altitudinal range of 1,250-1,500 m. The results of our vegetational analysis show that the vegetation classes Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae, Querco-Fagetea and Vaccinio-Piceetea are the richest in boreo-montane species. Given the fact that the habitats of boreo-montane species are recognized as very endangered, an overview of the status of the species' rarity, vulnerability, and protection in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula and the southern part of the Pannonian Plain is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]