Effects of climate and snow depth on Bromus tectorum population dynamics at high elevation.

ABSTRACT: Invasive plants are thought to be especially capable of range shifts or expansion in response to climate change due to high dispersal and colonization abilities. Although highly invasive throughout the Intermountain West, the presence and impact of the grass Bromus tectorum has been limited at higher elevations in the eastern Sierra Nevada, potentially due to extreme wintertime conditions. However, climate models project an upward elevational shift of climate regimes in the Sierra Nevada that could favor B. tectorum expansion. This research specifically examined the effects of experimental snow depth manipulations and interannual climate variability over 5 years on B. tectorum populations at high elevation (2,175 m). Experimentally-increased snow depth had an effect on phenology and biomas

SUBMITTER: Griffith AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2955917 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature