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Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants

Author

Listed:
  • Courtney G. Collins

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

  • Sarah C. Elmendorf

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

  • Robert D. Hollister

    (Grand Valley State University)

  • Greg H. R. Henry

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Karin Clark

    (Government of the Northwest Territories)

  • Anne D. Bjorkman

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Isla H. Myers-Smith

    (The University of Edinburgh)

  • Janet S. Prevéy

    (U.S. Geological Survey)

  • Isabel W. Ashton

    (Inventory & Monitoring Division)

  • Jakob J. Assmann

    (Aarhus University)

  • Juha M. Alatalo

    (Qatar University)

  • Michele Carbognani

    (University of Parma)

  • Chelsea Chisholm

    (Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH)

  • Elisabeth J. Cooper

    (The Arctic University of Norway UiT)

  • Chiara Forrester

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

  • Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir

    (University of Iceland
    The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS))

  • Kari Klanderud

    (Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

  • Christopher W. Kopp

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Carolyn Livensperger

    (Capitol Reef National Park)

  • Marguerite Mauritz

    (University of Texas at El Paso)

  • Jeremy L. May

    (Florida International University)

  • Ulf Molau

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Steven F. Oberbauer

    (Florida International University)

  • Emily Ogburn

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

  • Zoe A. Panchen

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Alessandro Petraglia

    (University of Parma)

  • Eric Post

    (University of California Davis)

  • Christian Rixen

    (Snow and Landscape Research WSL)

  • Heidi Rodenhizer

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Edward A. G. Schuur

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Philipp Semenchuk

    (The University of Vienna)

  • Jane G. Smith

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

  • Heidi Steltzer

    (Fort Lewis College)

  • Ørjan Totland

    (The University of Bergen)

  • Marilyn D. Walker

    (HOMER Energy by UL)

  • Jeffrey M. Welker

    (The University of Alaska Anchorage
    The University of Oulu)

  • Katharine N. Suding

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

Abstract

Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. We examine the effect of warming on a suite of season-wide plant phenophases. Results challenge the expectation that all phenophases will advance in unison to warming. Instead, we find that experimental warming caused: (1) larger phenological shifts in reproductive versus vegetative phenophases and (2) advanced reproductive phenophases and green up but delayed leaf senescence which translated to a lengthening of the growing season by approximately 3%. Patterns were consistent across sites, plant species and over time. The advancement of reproductive seasons and lengthening of growing seasons may have significant consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem function across the tundra.

Suggested Citation

  • Courtney G. Collins & Sarah C. Elmendorf & Robert D. Hollister & Greg H. R. Henry & Karin Clark & Anne D. Bjorkman & Isla H. Myers-Smith & Janet S. Prevéy & Isabel W. Ashton & Jakob J. Assmann & Juha , 2021. "Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-23841-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23841-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Möhl & Raphael S. Büren & Erika Hiltbrunner, 2022. "Growth of alpine grassland will start and stop earlier under climate warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Rui Yin & Wenkuan Qin & Xudong Wang & Dong Xie & Hao Wang & Hongyang Zhao & Zhenhua Zhang & Jin-Sheng He & Martin Schädler & Paul Kardol & Nico Eisenhauer & Biao Zhu, 2023. "Experimental warming causes mismatches in alpine plant-microbe-fauna phenology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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