Contrasting survival and physiological responses of sub-Arctic plant types to extreme winter warming and nitrogen.

ABSTRACT:

Main conclusion

Evergreen plants are more vulnerable than grasses and birch to snow and temperature variability in the sub-Arctic. Most Arctic climate impact studies focus on single factors, such as summer warming, while ecosystems are exposed to changes in all seasons. Through a combination of field and laboratory manipulations, we compared physiological and growth responses of dominant sub-Arctic plant types to midwinter warming events (6 °C for 7 days) in combination with freezing, simulated snow thaw and nitrogen additions. We aimed to identify if different plant types showed consistent physiological, cellular, growth and mortality responses to these abiotic stressors. Evergreen dwarf shrubs and tree seedlings showed higher mortality (40-100%) following extreme winter warming e

SUBMITTER: Bokhorst S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5809542 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature