• Energy Research
• 2016-2025close

AbstractTreelines advance due to climate warming. The impacts of this vegetation shift on plant–soil nutrient cycling are still uncertain, yet highly relevant as nutrient availability stimulates tree growth. Here, we investigated nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in plant and soil pools along two tundra–forest transects on Kola Peninsula, Russia, with a documented elevation shift of birch‐dominated treeline by 70 m during the last 50 years. Results show that although total N and P stocks in the soil–plant system did not change with elevation, their distribution was significantly altered. With the transition from high‐elevation tundra to low‐elevation forest, P stocks in stones decreased, possibly reflecting enhanced weathering. In contrast, N and P stocks in plant biomass approximately tripled and available P and N in the soil increased fivefold toward the forest. This was paralleled by decreasing carbon (C)‐to‐nutrient ratios in foliage and litter, smaller C:N:P ratios in microbial biomass, and lower enzymatic activities related to N and P acquisition in forest soils. An incubation experiment further demonstrated manifold higher N and P net mineralization rates in litter and soil in forest compared to tundra, likely due to smaller C:N:P ratios in decomposing organic matter. Overall, our results show that forest expansion increases the mobilization of available nutrients through enhanced weathering and positive plant–soil feedback, with nutrient‐rich forest litter releasing greater amounts of N and P upon decomposition. While the low N and P availability in tundra may retard treeline advances, its improvement toward the forest likely promotes tree growth and forest development.

Climate warming is shifting the elevational boundary between forests and tundra upwards, but the related belowground responses are poorly understood. In the pristine South and Polar Urals with shifts of the treeline ecotone documented by historical photographs, we investigated fine root dynamics and production of extramatrical mycorrhizal mycelia (EMM) along four elevational transects reaching from the closed forest to the treeless tundra. In addition, we analysed elevational differences in climate and vegetation structure, and excavated trees to estimate related changes in the partitioning between below- and aboveground biomass. Fine root biomass of trees (<2 mm) increased by 13-79% with elevation, paralleled by a 35-72% increase in ground vegetation fine roots from the closed forest to the tundra. During the first year of decomposition, mass loss of fine root litter from different vegetation types was greater at lower elevations in the forest-tundra ecotone. The ratio between fine roots of trees and stem biomass largely increased with elevation in both regions, but these increases were not accompanied by a distinct production of EMM. Production of EMM, however, increased with the presence of ectomycorrhizal trees at the transition from the tundra to the forest. Our results imply that the recorded upward expansion of forest into former tundra in the Ural Mountains by 4-8 m per decade is decreasing the partitioning of plant biomass to fine roots. They further suggest that climate-driven forest advances will alter EMM production rates with potential feedbacks on soil carbon and nutrient cycling in these ecosystems.

Relationships between stem diameter and phytomass of trees and their parts (single- and multistemmed growth forms) have been studied at different altitudinal levels of the present-day upper treeline ecotone on the Iremel’ Massif, the Southern Urals. The time course of changes in the structure and phytomass of birch–spruce stands during the past centuries has been reconstructed. It is shown that the expansion of forests to the mountains in this period has occurred against the background of rise in summer and winter temperatures and increase in the amount of solid precipitation in the Southern Urals.

AbstractAimIn the alpine life zone, plant diversity is strongly determined by local topography and microclimate. We assessed the extent to which aspect and its relatedness to temperature affect plant species diversity, and the colonization and disappearance of species on alpine summits on a pan‐European scale.LocationMountain summits in Europe's alpine life zone.MethodsVascular plant species and their percentage cover were recorded in permanent plots in each cardinal direction on 123 summits in 32 regions across Europe. For a subset from 17 regions, resurvey data and 6‐year soil temperature series were available. Differences in temperature sum and Shannon index as well as species richness, colonization and disappearance of species among cardinal directions were analysed using linear mixed‐effects and generalised mixed‐effects models, respectively.ResultsTemperature sums were higher in east‐ and south‐facing aspects than in the north‐facing ones, while the west‐facing ones were intermediate; differences were smallest in northern Europe. The patterns of temperature sums among aspects were consistent among years. In temperate regions, thermal differences were reflected by plant diversity, whereas this relationship was weaker or absent on Mediterranean and boreal mountains. Colonization of species was positively related to temperature on Mediterranean and temperate mountains, whereas disappearance of species was not related to temperature.Main conclusionsThermal differences caused by solar radiation determine plant species diversity on temperate mountains. Advantages for plants on eastern slopes may result from the combined effects of a longer diurnal period of radiation due to convection cloud effects in the afternoon and the sheltered position against the prevailing westerly winds. In northern Europe, long summer days and low sun angles can even out differences among aspects. On Mediterranean summits, summer drought may limit species numbers on the warmer slopes. Warmer aspects support a higher number of colonization events. Hence, aspect can be a principal determinant of the pace of climate‐induced migration processes.

1. Stand characteristics of treeline ecotone along 18 elevational gradients of the Ural mountains. 2. Extrapolated climate data at treeline using nearby meteo station (1976-2006). 3. Air and soil temperatures measured in situ at treeline in the South and Polar Urals. Soil temperature sensors were placed at 10 cm depth in open areas in between tree clusters but not under tree canopy. 4. Further plot specific information is available upon request.

Within the ecotone of the upper limit of woody vegetation on the southeastern macroslope of the Khibiny Mountain ridge (Kola Peninsula), the spatial and age structure, as well as features of the phytomass accumulation of spruce–birch stands, were studied. Analysis revealed that there was a manifold increase in the density and productivity of forest stands in the last century, and the upper border of the woodlands and dense forests has moved considerably higher into the mountains. All of this happened against the background of an increase in early summer temperatures and a longer growing season in the area in the 20th century. Our data will help simulate the response of mountain ecosystems in the region to future climate change.