Vulnerability to climate change for two endemic high‐elevation, low‐dispersive Annitella species (Trichoptera) in Sierra Nevada, the southernmost high mountain in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-295
Author(s):  
Cesc Múrria ◽  
Marta Sáinz‐Bariáin ◽  
Alfried P. Vogler ◽  
Aida Viza ◽  
Marcos González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change

scholarly journals Effect of Ph and vegetation cover in soil organic matter structure at a high-mountain ecosystem (Sierra Nevada National Park, Granada, Spain)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. González-Pérez ◽  
Gael Bárcenas.Moreno ◽  
Nicasio T Jiménez-Morillo ◽  
María Colchero-Asensio ◽  
Layla M. San Emeterio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
National Park ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Analytical Pyrolysis ◽  
Organic Matter Dynamics

<p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Soil reaction, analytical pyrolysis, soil respiration, carbon stabilization</p><p>During the last decade, soil organic matter dynamics and its determining factors have received increased attention, mainly due to the evident implication of these parameters in climate change understanding, predictions and possible management. High-mountain soil could be considered as hotspot of climate change dynamic since its high carbon accumulation and low organic matter degradation rates could be seriously altered by slight changes in temperature and rainfall regimes associated to climate change effects. In the particular case of Sierra Nevada National Park, this threat could be even stronger due to its Southern character, although its elevated biodiversity could shed some light on how could we predict and manage climate change in the future.</p><p>In this study, a quantitative and qualitative organic matter characterization was performed and soil microbial activity measured to evaluate the implication of pH and vegetation in soil organic matter dynamics.</p><p>The sampling areas were selected according to vegetation and soil pH; with distinct soil pH (area A with pH<7 and area B with pH>7) and vegetation (high-mountain shrubs and pine reforested area). Soil samples were collected under the influence of several plant species representatives of each vegetation series. Six samples were finally obtained (five replicates each); three were collected in area A under<em> Juniperus communis</em> ssp. Nana (ENE), <em>Genista versicolor</em> (PIO) and <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> (PSI) and other three were collected in area B under<em> Juniperus Sabina</em> (SAB), <em>Astragalus nevadensis</em> (AST) and <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> (PCA).</p><p>Qualitative and quantitative analyses of soil organic matter were made to establish a possible relationship with microbial activity estimated by respiration rate (alkali trap) and fungi-to-bacteria ratio using a plate count method. Soil easily oxidizable organic carbon content was determined by the Walkley-Black method (SOC %) and organic matter amount was estimated by weight loss on ignition (LOI %). Analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS) was used to analyse in detail the soil organic carbon composition.</p><p>Our results showed that the microbial and therefore the dynamics of organic matter is influenced by both, soil pH and soil of organic matter. So that the pH in acidic media prevail as a determining factor of microbial growth over soil organic matter composition conditioned by vegetation.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgement</strong>: Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades (MICIU) for INTERCARBON project (CGL2016-78937-R). N.T. Jiménez-Morillo and L. San Emeterio also thanks MICIU for funding FPI research grants (BES-2013-062573 and Ref. BES-2017-07968). Mrs Desiré Monis is acknowledged for technical assistance.</p><p> </p>

Understanding the impacts of climate change on high mountain practices: the case of the Mont Blanc massif through an interdisciplinary approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Salim ◽  
Jacques Mourey ◽  
Ludovic Ravanel ◽  
Pierre-Alain Duvillard ◽  
Maëva Cathala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mont Blanc Massif

<p>The intensity of the current climate change has strong consequences on high mountain tourism activities. Winter activities are currently the most studied (ski industry). However, the consequences of environmental changes are also strong in summer, as geomorphological processes are enhanced at high elevation. The Mont Blanc Massif (Western Alps) is a particularly favourable terrain for the development of research about these processes. Emblematic high summits (28 of the 82 peaks > 4000 m of the Alps), dozens of glaciers, strongly developed tourism with summer/winter equivalence, active mountaineering practice, etc. all contribute to the interest of studying this geographical area. A lot of work has been carried out on glaciological and geomorphological issues. These studies, which deal with "physical" impacts of the climate change on the high mountains, are also supplemented by studies of their consequences on human societies, as its impacts on practices such as mountaineering or glacier tourism. Risk-related issues are also taken into account with, for example, the stability of infrastructure (huts, ski lifts) or the impact of glacial shrinkage on the formation of new and potentially hazardous lakes. Accordingly, the aims of our presentation are to show the extent of the research developed on climate change in the Mont Blanc massif and how social and environmental sciences are interlinked to provide a holistic vision of the issues of this territory. As these experiments are not exactly interdisciplinary experiments, this presentation also aims to discuss the points that need to be further developed in order to promote inter- and trans-disciplinary research.</p>

Holocene vegetation and climate change recorded in alpine bog sediments from the Borreguiles de la Virgen, Sierra Nevada, southern Spain

2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Jiménez-Moreno ◽  
R. Scott Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Magnetic Susceptibility ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Southern Spain ◽  
Pollen Record ◽  
Arboreal Pollen ◽  
Vegetation And Climate

High-resolution pollen and magnetic susceptibility (MS) analyses have been carried out on a sediment core taken from a high-elevation alpine bog area located in Sierra Nevada, southern Spain. The earliest part of the record, from 8200 to about 7000 cal yr BP, is characterized by the highest abundance of arboreal pollen andPediastrum, indicating the warmest and wettest conditions in the area at that time. The pollen record shows a progressive aridification since 7000 cal yr BP that occurred in two steps, first shown by a decrease inPinus, replaced by Poaceae from 7000 to 4600 cal yr BP and then by Cyperaceae,Artemisiaand Amaranthaceae from 4600 to 1200 cal yr BP.Pediastrumalso decreased progressively and totally disappeared at ca. 3000 yr ago. The progressive aridification is punctuated by periodically enhanced drought at ca. 6500, 5200 and 4000 cal yr BP that coincide in timing and duration with well-known dry events in the Mediterranean and other areas. Since 1200 cal yr BP, several changes are observed in the vegetation that probably indicate the high-impact of humans in the Sierra Nevada, with pasturing leading to nutrient enrichment and eutrophication of the bog,Pinusreforestation andOleacultivation at lower elevations.

scholarly journals Does the High Elevation Climate along Mt. Everest can be Represented by Lower Elevation Stations?

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
Binod Dawadi ◽  
Shankar Sharma ◽  
Kalpana Hamal ◽  
Nitesh Khadka ◽  
Yam Prasad Dhital ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Southern Slope ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Lower Elevation

Climate change studies of the high mountain areas of the central Himalayan region are mostly represented by the meteorological stations of the lower elevation. Therefore, to validate the climatic linkages, daily observational climate data from five automated weather stations (AWS) at elevations ranging from 2660 m to 5600 m on the southern slope of Mt. Everest were examined. Despite variations in the means and distribution of daily, 5-day, 10-day, and monthly temperature and precipitation between stations located at a higher elevation and their corresponding lower elevation, temperature records in the different elevations are highly correlated. In contrast, the precipitation data shows a comparatively weaker correlation. The slopes of the regression model (0.82–1.13) with (R2>0.74) for higher altitude (5050 m and 5600 m) throughout the year, 0.83–1.12 (R2>0.68) except late monsoon season for the station at 4260 m and 5050 m asl indicated the similar variability of the temperature between those stations. Similarly, Namche (3570 m) temperature changes by 0.81–1.32°C per degree change in corresponding lower elevation Lukla station (2660 m), except for monsoon season. However, inconsistent variation was observed between the station with a large altitudinal difference (2940 m) at Lukla and Kala Patthar (5600 m). In general, climate records from corresponding lower elevation can be used to quantitatively assess climatic information of the high elevation areas on the southern slope of Mt. Everest. However, corrections are necessary when absolute values of climatic factors are considered, especially in snow cover and snow-free areas. This study will be beneficial for understanding the high-altitude climate change and impact studies.

scholarly journals Asymmetric Reproductive Barriers and Gene Flow Promote the Rise of a Stable Hybrid Zone in the Mediterranean High Mountain

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdelaziz ◽  
A. Jesús Muñoz-Pajares ◽  
Modesto Berbel ◽  
Ana García-Muñoz ◽  
José M. Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Reproductive Isolation ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Hybrid Zone ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Hybrid Zones ◽  
Reproductive Barriers ◽  
Sierra Nevada Mountains

Hybrid zones have the potential to shed light on evolutionary processes driving adaptation and speciation. Secondary contact hybrid zones are particularly powerful natural systems for studying the interaction between divergent genomes to understand the mode and rate at which reproductive isolation accumulates during speciation. We have studied a total of 720 plants belonging to five populations from two Erysimum (Brassicaceae) species presenting a contact zone in the Sierra Nevada mountains (SE Spain). The plants were phenotyped in 2007 and 2017, and most of them were genotyped the first year using 10 microsatellite markers. Plants coming from natural populations were grown in a common garden to evaluate the reproductive barriers between both species by means of controlled crosses. All the plants used for the field and greenhouse study were characterized by measuring traits related to plant size and flower size. We estimated the genetic molecular variances, the genetic differentiation, and the genetic structure by means of the F-statistic and Bayesian inference. We also estimated the amount of recent gene flow between populations. We found a narrow unimodal hybrid zone where the hybrid genotypes appear to have been maintained by significant levels of a unidirectional gene flow coming from parental populations and from weak reproductive isolation between them. Hybrid plants exhibited intermediate or vigorous phenotypes depending on the analyzed trait. The phenotypic differences between the hybrid and the parental plants were highly coherent between the field and controlled cross experiments and through time. The highly coherent results obtained by combining field, experimental, and genetic data demonstrate the existence of a stable and narrow unimodal hybrid zone between Erysimum mediohispanicum and Erysimum nevadense at the high elevation of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

scholarly journals Fluctuations in annual climatic extremes are associated with reproductive variation in resident mountain chickadees

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 171604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dovid Y. Kozlovsky ◽  
Carrie L. Branch ◽  
Angela M. Pitera ◽  
Vladimir V. Pravosudov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Climatic Extremes ◽  
Extreme Climate ◽  
Mountain Chickadees

Mounting evidence suggests that we are experiencing rapidly accelerating global climate change. Understanding how climate change may affect life is critical to identifying species and populations that are vulnerable. Most current research focuses on investigating how organisms may respond to gradual warming, but another effect of climate change is extreme annual variation in precipitation associated with alternations between drought and unusually heavy precipitation, like that exhibited in the western regions of North America. Understanding climate change effects on animal reproductive behaviour is especially important, because it directly impacts population persistence. Here, we present data on reproduction in nest-box breeding, resident mountain chickadees inhabiting high and low elevations in the Sierra Nevada across 5 years. These 5 years of data represent the full range of climatic variation from the largest drought in five centuries to one of the heaviest snow years on record. There were significant differences in most reproductive characteristics associated with variation in climate. Both climate extremes were negatively associated with reproductive success at high and low elevations, but low-elevation chickadees had worse reproductive success in the largest drought year while high-elevation chickadees had worse reproductive success in the heaviest snow year. Considering that the frequency of extreme climate swings between drought and snow is predicted to increase, such swings may have negative effects on chickadee populations across the entire elevation gradient, as climatic extremes should favour different adaptations. Alternatively, it is possible that climate fluctuations might favour preserving genetic variation allowing for higher resilience. It is too early to make specific predictions regarding how increased frequency of extreme climate fluctuation may impact chickadees; however, our data suggest that even the most common species may be susceptible.

Site fidelity of the declining amphibian Rana sierrae (Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog)

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen R. Matthews ◽  
Haiganoush K. Preisler
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Potential Function ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
National Park ◽  
Site Fidelity ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Declining Species ◽  
Main Activity

From 1997 to 2006, we used mark–recapture models to estimate the site fidelity of 1250 Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs ( Rana sierrae ) in Kings Canyon National Park, California, USA, during their three main activity periods of overwintering, breeding, and feeding. To quantify site fidelity, the tendency to return to and reuse previously occupied habitats, we used multistrata models (with water bodies as the strata) and potential function analyses. The probability of returning to previously used water bodies during all activity periods was typically greater than 80% and always greater than the probability of moving to other water bodies. Site fidelity models (with lake-specific movement transitions) were favored over those models that held movement transitions equal between lakes. Potential function analyses demonstrated that frogs were most strongly attracted to their original capture lakes rather than moving to the nearest available breeding or overwintering lake. Under current disturbances in high-elevation Sierra Nevada lakes (exotic trout, climate change), site fidelity is problematic because frogs return to lakes subject to drying or those with fish rather than dispersing to other lakes. Future recovery of declining species will need to focus efforts towards restoring habitats when animals maintain strong site fidelity even when their habitats deteriorate.

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