Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L.
An understanding of the climate conditions governing spatial variation in the reproductive performance of plants can provide important information about the factors characterizing plant community structure, especially in the context of climate change. This study focuses on the effect of climate on t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/1/3/857 |
| _version_ | 1797708194071445504 |
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| author | Matteo Dainese |
| author_facet | Matteo Dainese |
| author_sort | Matteo Dainese |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An understanding of the climate conditions governing spatial variation in the reproductive performance of plants can provide important information about the factors characterizing plant community structure, especially in the context of climate change. This study focuses on the effect of climate on the sexual reproductive output of Dactylis glomerata L., a perennial grass species widely distributed throughout temperate regions. An indirect space-for-time substitution procedure was used. Sixty mountain populations of the same target species were surveyed along an elevation gradient, and then, a relevant climate model was used to infer a potential response to climate change over time. Within each population, information on the number of stems, seed number and seed mass were collected. Resource investment in reproduction (RIR) was quantified as seed number × seed mass. A clear variation was found in the reproductive performance of D. glomerata along the elevational gradient: RIR improved with increasing temperature. The best model included only one term: the maximum temperature of the warmest month. This study demonstrates that mountain ecosystems offer particularly good opportunities to study climate effects over relatively short distances and suggests that warming will enhance D. glomerata’s reproductive output throughout its elevational range. Furthermore, it can be hypothesized that a potential migration of D. glomerata toward higher altitudes may occur in response to accelerated climate change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:17:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-79ec6488ff864ff88c3ee2cd5503f8f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T06:17:45Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-79ec6488ff864ff88c3ee2cd5503f8f72023-09-03T02:26:10ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372012-12-011385786810.3390/biology1030857Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L.Matteo DaineseAn understanding of the climate conditions governing spatial variation in the reproductive performance of plants can provide important information about the factors characterizing plant community structure, especially in the context of climate change. This study focuses on the effect of climate on the sexual reproductive output of Dactylis glomerata L., a perennial grass species widely distributed throughout temperate regions. An indirect space-for-time substitution procedure was used. Sixty mountain populations of the same target species were surveyed along an elevation gradient, and then, a relevant climate model was used to infer a potential response to climate change over time. Within each population, information on the number of stems, seed number and seed mass were collected. Resource investment in reproduction (RIR) was quantified as seed number × seed mass. A clear variation was found in the reproductive performance of D. glomerata along the elevational gradient: RIR improved with increasing temperature. The best model included only one term: the maximum temperature of the warmest month. This study demonstrates that mountain ecosystems offer particularly good opportunities to study climate effects over relatively short distances and suggests that warming will enhance D. glomerata’s reproductive output throughout its elevational range. Furthermore, it can be hypothesized that a potential migration of D. glomerata toward higher altitudes may occur in response to accelerated climate change.http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/1/3/857elevational gradientgrasslandplant traitsprecipitationseed numberseed masstemperature |
| spellingShingle | Matteo Dainese Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. Biology elevational gradient grassland plant traits precipitation seed number seed mass temperature |
| title | Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. |
| title_full | Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. |
| title_fullStr | Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. |
| title_short | Using Natural Gradients to Infer a Potential Response to Climate Change: An Example on the Reproductive Performance of Dactylis Glomerata L. |
| title_sort | using natural gradients to infer a potential response to climate change an example on the reproductive performance of dactylis glomerata l |
| topic | elevational gradient grassland plant traits precipitation seed number seed mass temperature |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/1/3/857 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matteodainese usingnaturalgradientstoinferapotentialresponsetoclimatechangeanexampleonthereproductiveperformanceofdactylisglomeratal |