Patterns Of Alpine Plant Species
Diversity Across Elevational
Gradients At Four Sites In
California:
Implications For Persistence Under
Future Climate Change Projections
Ramona J. Butz, PhD
Sierra Nevada Research Institute
University of California, Merced
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
The Common & The Rare
• Elymus elymoides
was the only
species on all 14
summits
• Almost half of all
species occurred on
only a single summit
Oxyria digyna
Indicator Species Analysis by
Range
CAT
Eriogonum ovalifolium (100)
Pinus albicaulis (100)
Cryptantha flavoculata (81)
Draba densifolia (100)
Selaginella watsonii (95)
Arabis platysperma (100)
Chaenactis douglasii (100)
Elymus elymoides (100)
Eriogonum rosense (100)
Ipomopsis congesta (100)
Penstemon newberryi (100)
SND
Arabis platysperma (100)
Arenaria kingii (46)
Astragalus purshii (100)
Chaenactis douglasii (100)
Erigeron compositus (79)
Leptodactylon pungens (50)
Packera cana (100)
Ericameria parryi (100)
WDS
Draba oligosperma (57)
Poa glauca (52)
Astragalus kentrophyta (71)
Carex rossii (99)
Castilleja nana (65)
Erigeron pygmaeus (68)
Koeleria macrantha (73)
Packera werneriifolia (97)
Phlox condensata (62)
Poa cusickii spp. epilis (100)
Potentilla pseudosericea (100)
Eriogonum gracilipes (71)
Pyrrocoma apargioides (100)
Androsace septentrionalis (100)
Artemisia dracunculus (100)
Oxytropis parryi (100)
Poa sp. (100)
WIM
Calamagrostis purpurascens (85)
Ribes cereum (85)
Achnatherum hymenoides (100)
Astragalus platytropis (100)
Chamaebatiaria millefolium (100)
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (100)
Descurainia californica (100)
Polemonium chartaceum (100)
Trifolium andersonii (100)
Carex duriuscula (100)
Poa cusickii ssp. cusickii (100)
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
Presence of solid
rock and % cover of
lichens are
correlated
332 3322m
GRL 3341m
357 3570m
374 3749m
Trisetum spicatum
only occurs on
highest summit
Litter is higher
at lower
elevations
90.7%
Low
High
Elevation
High litter occurs
on western slopes
FSW 3170m
FES 3246m
FPK 3317m
High % scree
occur mainly on
two upper
summits
88.1%
High
Low
Elevation
Polemonium chartaceum Occur only on White
Mtn. on otherwise
predominantly bare
ground
Carex phaeocephala
Sage Hen Flat &
RNA Summit are
characterized by
higher solid rock
In general, bare ground
and % scree cover
increase and solid rock
decreases with
increasing elevation
SHF 3258m
RNA 3722m
BAR 3975m
WMT 4285m
83.8%
Carex rossii, Oxytropis parryi,
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Poa
cusickii, Potentilla pseudosericea, &
Androsace septentrionalis all associated
with the north slope of Sheep Mtn
PGS 3490m
CWS 3612m
SME 3734m
Cottonwood S Summit
plots all tightly
clustered around litter
content
Packera wernerifolia, Astragalus kentrophyta,
Castilleja nana, & Koeleria macrantha all occur
on sparsely-vegetated east-facing slopes on
Patriarch Grove South
94.6%
SND
CAT
WIM
WDS
Elevation
Elevation
Elevation
Elevation
Aspect
Aspect
Aspect
Aspect
% Rock
% Rock
% Rock
% Rock
% Scree
% Scree
% Scree
% Scree
Lichens on soil
Lichens on soil
Lichens on soil
Lichens on soil
Bryophytes on
soil
Bryophytes on
soil
Bryophytes on
soil
Bryophytes on
soil
Bare ground
Bare ground
Bare ground
Bare ground
% Litter
% Litter
% Litter
% Litter
Cryptogams
Cryptogams
Cryptogams
Cryptogams
Lichens on rock Lichens on rock Lichens on rock Lichens on rock
Lichens on
scree
Lichens on
scree
Lichens on
scree
Lichens on
scree
Bryophytes on
rock
Bryophytes on
rock
Bryophytes on
rock
Bryophytes on
rock
Bryophytes on
scree
Bryophytes on
scree
Bryophytes on
scree
Bryophytes on
scree
WDS
WIM
Carson Range rogues
with high litter cover
CAT
SND
Lowest elevation
summit at WIM
Sierra Nevada - Dunderberg
White Mountains (siliceous)
White Mountain Summit
Snowmelt
Big Picture Questions
1.
What are the current patterns of alpine species
diversity in California?
2.
What are the environmental factors responsible for
these patterns?
3.
How can we use GLORIA to explore whether alpine
plants will be impaired in their existing range as a
result of climate change?
GLORIA Monitoring
• Simple & relatively
inexpensive
• Standardized
protocols
• Worldwide interest &
large #s of sites
• Visibility & potential
for community
involvement
• Data gives
“snapshot” in time
• Soil temperature is
only climate variable
collected
• 5-year sampling
interval
Future Directions
• Use existing and future resurvey data to
identify possible indicator species
• Find sources of local climate data to
support plant data
• Use GLORIA data to inform and refine
regional climate models
Acknowledgements
•
•
•
•
•
•
Connie Millar
Ann Dennis
Bob Westfall
Jim Bishop
GLORIA participants
CEREC