Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier
Glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates in the alpine tropics, opening-up new areas for ecosystem assembly. However, little is known about the patterns/mechanisms of primary succession during the last stages of glacier retreat in tropical mountains. Our aim was to analyze soil development and v...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.657755/full |
| _version_ | 1818979942010978304 |
|---|---|
| author | Luis D. Llambí Alejandra Melfo Luis E. Gámez Roxibell C. Pelayo Mariana Cárdenas Mariana Cárdenas Cherry Rojas Jesús E. Torres Nerio Ramírez Bárbara Huber Bárbara Huber Jesús Hernández |
| author_facet | Luis D. Llambí Alejandra Melfo Luis E. Gámez Roxibell C. Pelayo Mariana Cárdenas Mariana Cárdenas Cherry Rojas Jesús E. Torres Nerio Ramírez Bárbara Huber Bárbara Huber Jesús Hernández |
| author_sort | Luis D. Llambí |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Glaciers are receding at unprecedented rates in the alpine tropics, opening-up new areas for ecosystem assembly. However, little is known about the patterns/mechanisms of primary succession during the last stages of glacier retreat in tropical mountains. Our aim was to analyze soil development and vegetation assembly during primary succession, and the role of changing adaptive strategies and facilitative interactions on these processes at the forefront of the last Venezuelan glacier (Humboldt Peak, 4,940 m asl). We established a chronosequence of four sites where the glacier retreated between 1910 and 2009. We compared soil organic matter (SOM), nutrients and temperatures inside vs. outside biological soil crusts (BSCs) at each site, estimated the cover of lichen, bryophyte and vascular plant species present, and analyzed changes in their growth-form abundance and species/functional turnover. We also evaluated local spatial associations between lichens/bryophytes and the dominant ruderal vascular plant (the grass Poa petrosa). We found a progressive increase in SOM during the first century of succession, while BSCs only had a positive buffering effect on superficial soil temperatures. Early seral stages were dominated by lichens and bryophytes, while vascular plant cover remained low during the first six decades, and was almost exclusively represented by wind dispersed/pollinated grasses. There was a general increase in species richness along the chronosequence, but it declined in late succession for lichens. Lichen and bryophyte communities exhibited a higher species turnover than vascular plants, resulting in the loss of some pioneer specialists as succession progressed. Lichen and bryophyte species were positively associated with safe-sites for the colonization of the dominant ruderal grass, suggesting a possible facilitation effect. Our results indicate that lichens and bryophytes play a key role as pioneers in these high tropical alpine environments. The limited initial colonization of vascular plants and the progressive accumulation of species and growth-forms (i.e., direct succession) could be linked to a combination of severe environmental filtering during early seral stages and limitations for zoochoric seed dispersal and entomophilic/ornithophilic pollination. This could potentially result in a slow successional response of these ecosystems to accelerated glacier loss and climate change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:07:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-62fb03ebf2d94878aa98b5aaf016c644 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:07:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-62fb03ebf2d94878aa98b5aaf016c6442022-12-21T19:32:14ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2021-10-01910.3389/fevo.2021.657755657755Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan GlacierLuis D. Llambí0Alejandra Melfo1Luis E. Gámez2Roxibell C. Pelayo3Mariana Cárdenas4Mariana Cárdenas5Cherry Rojas6Jesús E. Torres7Nerio Ramírez8Bárbara Huber9Bárbara Huber10Jesús Hernández11Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaCentro de Física Fundamental, Departamento de Física, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Dendrología, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, VenezuelaInstituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Protección Civil y Administración de Desastres, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaLaboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de los Andes, Mérida, VenezuelaInstituto Experimental Jardín Botánico “Dr. Tobías Lasser,” Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, VenezuelaGlaciers are receding at unprecedented rates in the alpine tropics, opening-up new areas for ecosystem assembly. However, little is known about the patterns/mechanisms of primary succession during the last stages of glacier retreat in tropical mountains. Our aim was to analyze soil development and vegetation assembly during primary succession, and the role of changing adaptive strategies and facilitative interactions on these processes at the forefront of the last Venezuelan glacier (Humboldt Peak, 4,940 m asl). We established a chronosequence of four sites where the glacier retreated between 1910 and 2009. We compared soil organic matter (SOM), nutrients and temperatures inside vs. outside biological soil crusts (BSCs) at each site, estimated the cover of lichen, bryophyte and vascular plant species present, and analyzed changes in their growth-form abundance and species/functional turnover. We also evaluated local spatial associations between lichens/bryophytes and the dominant ruderal vascular plant (the grass Poa petrosa). We found a progressive increase in SOM during the first century of succession, while BSCs only had a positive buffering effect on superficial soil temperatures. Early seral stages were dominated by lichens and bryophytes, while vascular plant cover remained low during the first six decades, and was almost exclusively represented by wind dispersed/pollinated grasses. There was a general increase in species richness along the chronosequence, but it declined in late succession for lichens. Lichen and bryophyte communities exhibited a higher species turnover than vascular plants, resulting in the loss of some pioneer specialists as succession progressed. Lichen and bryophyte species were positively associated with safe-sites for the colonization of the dominant ruderal grass, suggesting a possible facilitation effect. Our results indicate that lichens and bryophytes play a key role as pioneers in these high tropical alpine environments. The limited initial colonization of vascular plants and the progressive accumulation of species and growth-forms (i.e., direct succession) could be linked to a combination of severe environmental filtering during early seral stages and limitations for zoochoric seed dispersal and entomophilic/ornithophilic pollination. This could potentially result in a slow successional response of these ecosystems to accelerated glacier loss and climate change.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.657755/fullAndesbryophytesclimate changefacilitationlichenspollination |
| spellingShingle | Luis D. Llambí Alejandra Melfo Luis E. Gámez Roxibell C. Pelayo Mariana Cárdenas Mariana Cárdenas Cherry Rojas Jesús E. Torres Nerio Ramírez Bárbara Huber Bárbara Huber Jesús Hernández Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Andes bryophytes climate change facilitation lichens pollination |
| title | Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier |
| title_full | Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier |
| title_short | Vegetation Assembly, Adaptive Strategies and Positive Interactions During Primary Succession in the Forefield of the Last Venezuelan Glacier |
| title_sort | vegetation assembly adaptive strategies and positive interactions during primary succession in the forefield of the last venezuelan glacier |
| topic | Andes bryophytes climate change facilitation lichens pollination |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.657755/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luisdllambi vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT alejandramelfo vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT luisegamez vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT roxibellcpelayo vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT marianacardenas vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT marianacardenas vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT cherryrojas vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT jesusetorres vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT nerioramirez vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT barbarahuber vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT barbarahuber vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier AT jesushernandez vegetationassemblyadaptivestrategiesandpositiveinteractionsduringprimarysuccessionintheforefieldofthelastvenezuelanglacier |