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Winter warming pulses differently affect plant performance in temperate heathland and grassland communities

Title data

Schürings, Jan ; Jentsch, Anke ; Walter, Julia ; Kreyling, Jürgen:
Winter warming pulses differently affect plant performance in temperate heathland and grassland communities.
In: Ecological Research. Vol. 29 (2014) Issue 4 . - pp. 561-570.
ISSN 1440-1703
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-014-1174-x

Abstract in another language

Winter air temperature variability is projected to increase in the temperate zone whereas snow cover is projected to decrease, leading to more variable soil temperatures. In a field experiment winter warming pulses were applied and aboveground biomass and root length of four plant species were quantified over two subsequent growing seasons in monocultures and mixtures of two species. The experiment was replicated at two sites, a colder upland site with more snow and a warmer, dryer lowland site. Aboveground biomass of Holcus lanatus declined (-29 %) in the growing season after the warming pulse treatment. Its competitor in the grassland mixture, Plantago lanceolata, profited from this decline by increased biomass production (+18 %). These effects disappeared in the second year. There was a strong decline in biomass for P. lanceolata at thelowland site in the second year. These two species also showed a decline in leaf carbohydrate content during the manipulation. Aboveground productivity and carbohydrate content of the heathland species was not affectedby the treatment. The aboveground effects of the treatment did not differ significantly between the two sites, thereby implying some generality for different temperate ecosystems with little and significant amount of snowfall. Root length increased directly after the treatment for H. lanatus and for Calluna vulgaris with a peak at the end of the first growing season. The observed species-specific effects emphasize the ecological importance of winter temperature variability in the temperate zone and appear important for potential shifts in community composition and ecosystem productivity.

Further data

Item Type: Article in a journal
Refereed: Yes
Additional notes: BAYCEER123801
Institutions of the University: Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Chair Biogeography
Research Institutions > Research Centres > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Professor Disturbance Ecology
Faculties
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences
Research Institutions
Research Institutions > Research Centres
Result of work at the UBT: Yes
DDC Subjects: 500 Science
Date Deposited: 24 Apr 2015 11:56
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2015 11:56
URI: https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/11368