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dc.contributor.authorGonzalez, Victoria
dc.contributor.authorMoriana Armendariz, Mikel
dc.contributor.authorHagen, Snorre
dc.contributor.authorLindgård, Bente
dc.contributor.authorReiersen, Rigmor
dc.contributor.authorBråthen, Kari Anne
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-03T10:23:33Z
dc.date.available2020-01-03T10:23:33Z
dc.date.issued2019-06-05
dc.description.abstractClimate change is modifying temperature and precipitation regimes across all seasons in northern ecosystems. Summer temperatures are higher, growing seasons extend into spring and fall and snow cover conditions are more variable during winter. The resistance of dominant tundra species to these season-specific changes, with each season potentially having contrasting effects on their growth and survival, can determine the future of tundra plant communities under climate change. In our study, we evaluated the effects of several spring/summer and winter climatic variables (i.e., summer temperature, growing season length, growing degree days, and number of winter freezing days) on the resistance of the dwarf shrub <i>Empetrum nigrum.</i> We measured over six years the ability of <i>E. nigrum</i> to keep a stable shoot growth, berry production, and vegetative cover in five <i>E. nigrum</i> dominated tundra heathlands, in a total of 144 plots covering a 200-km gradient from oceanic to continental climate. Overall, <i>E. nigrum</i> displayed high resistance to climatic variation along the gradient, with positive growth and reproductive output during all years and sites. Climatic conditions varied sharply among sites, especially during the winter months, finding that exposure to freezing temperatures during winter was correlated with reduced shoot length and berry production. These negative effects however, could be compensated if the following growing season was warm and long. Our study demonstrates that <i>E. nigrum</i> is a species resistant to fluctuating climatic conditions during the growing season and winter months in both oceanic and continental areas. Overall, <i>E. nigrum</i> appeared frost hardy and its resistance was determined by interactions among different season-specific climatic conditions with contrasting effects.en_US
dc.identifier.citationGonzalez V, Moriana Armendariz M, Hagen SB, Lindgård B, Reiersen R, Bråthen KA. High resistance to climatic variability in a dominant tundra shrub species. PeerJ. 2019;7en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 1757756
dc.identifier.doi10.7717/peerj.6967
dc.identifier.issn2167-8359
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/17013
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherPeerJen_US
dc.relation.journalPeerJ
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2019 The Author(s)en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Geosciences: 450en_US
dc.subjectVDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Geofag: 450en_US
dc.titleHigh resistance to climatic variability in a dominant tundra shrub speciesen_US
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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