Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species
Mountainous areas and their endemic plant diversity are threatened by global climate change and invasive species. Mountain plant invasions have historically been minimal, however, climate change and increased anthropogenic activity (e.g. roads and vehicles) are amplifying invasion pressure. We asses...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | NeoBiota |
| Online Access: | https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/61673/download/pdf/ |
| _version_ | 1818380335068479488 |
|---|---|
| author | Christian D. Larson Fredric W. Pollnac Kaylee Schmitz Lisa J. Rew |
| author_facet | Christian D. Larson Fredric W. Pollnac Kaylee Schmitz Lisa J. Rew |
| author_sort | Christian D. Larson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mountainous areas and their endemic plant diversity are threatened by global climate change and invasive species. Mountain plant invasions have historically been minimal, however, climate change and increased anthropogenic activity (e.g. roads and vehicles) are amplifying invasion pressure. We assessed plant performance (stem density and fruit production) of the invasive non-native forb Linaria dalmatica along three mountain roads, over an eight-year period (2008–2015) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), USA. We evaluated how L. dalmatica performed in response to elevation, changed over time, responded to climate and how the climate of our sites has changed, and compared elevation, climate, micro-topography (slope aspect and angle), and fruit production among sites with differing temporal trends. Linaria dalmatica stem density and fruit production increased with elevation and demonstrated two temporal groups, those populations where stem densities shrank and those that remained stable or grew over time. Stem density demonstrated a hump-shaped response to summer mean temperature, while fruit production decreased with summer mean maximum temperature and showed a hump-shaped response to winter precipitation. Analysis of both short and long-term climate data from our sites, demonstrated that summer temperatures have been increasing and winters getting wetter. The shrinking population group had a lower mean elevation, hotter summer temperatures, drier winters, had plots that differed in slope aspect and angle from the stable/growing group, and produced less fruit. Regional climate projections predict that the observed climate trends will continue, which will likely benefit L. dalmatica populations at higher elevations. We conclude that L. dalmatica may persist at lower elevations where it poses little invasive threat, and its invasion into the mountains will continue along roadways, expanding into higher elevations of the GYE. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:17:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57cc6d338c9b4f0ba8105c4d41862720 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1314-2488 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T02:17:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeoBiota |
| spelling | doaj.art-57cc6d338c9b4f0ba8105c4d418627202022-12-21T23:20:36ZengPensoft PublishersNeoBiota1314-24882021-05-0165234510.3897/neobiota.65.6167361673Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant speciesChristian D. Larson0Fredric W. Pollnac1Kaylee Schmitz2Lisa J. Rew3Montana State UniversityMontana State UniversityMontana State UniversityMontana State UniversityMountainous areas and their endemic plant diversity are threatened by global climate change and invasive species. Mountain plant invasions have historically been minimal, however, climate change and increased anthropogenic activity (e.g. roads and vehicles) are amplifying invasion pressure. We assessed plant performance (stem density and fruit production) of the invasive non-native forb Linaria dalmatica along three mountain roads, over an eight-year period (2008–2015) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), USA. We evaluated how L. dalmatica performed in response to elevation, changed over time, responded to climate and how the climate of our sites has changed, and compared elevation, climate, micro-topography (slope aspect and angle), and fruit production among sites with differing temporal trends. Linaria dalmatica stem density and fruit production increased with elevation and demonstrated two temporal groups, those populations where stem densities shrank and those that remained stable or grew over time. Stem density demonstrated a hump-shaped response to summer mean temperature, while fruit production decreased with summer mean maximum temperature and showed a hump-shaped response to winter precipitation. Analysis of both short and long-term climate data from our sites, demonstrated that summer temperatures have been increasing and winters getting wetter. The shrinking population group had a lower mean elevation, hotter summer temperatures, drier winters, had plots that differed in slope aspect and angle from the stable/growing group, and produced less fruit. Regional climate projections predict that the observed climate trends will continue, which will likely benefit L. dalmatica populations at higher elevations. We conclude that L. dalmatica may persist at lower elevations where it poses little invasive threat, and its invasion into the mountains will continue along roadways, expanding into higher elevations of the GYE.https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/61673/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Christian D. Larson Fredric W. Pollnac Kaylee Schmitz Lisa J. Rew Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species NeoBiota |
| title | Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species |
| title_full | Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species |
| title_fullStr | Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species |
| title_short | Climate change and micro-topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non-native perennial plant species |
| title_sort | climate change and micro topography are facilitating the mountain invasion by a non native perennial plant species |
| url | https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/61673/download/pdf/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christiandlarson climatechangeandmicrotopographyarefacilitatingthemountaininvasionbyanonnativeperennialplantspecies AT fredricwpollnac climatechangeandmicrotopographyarefacilitatingthemountaininvasionbyanonnativeperennialplantspecies AT kayleeschmitz climatechangeandmicrotopographyarefacilitatingthemountaininvasionbyanonnativeperennialplantspecies AT lisajrew climatechangeandmicrotopographyarefacilitatingthemountaininvasionbyanonnativeperennialplantspecies |