Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants

Collins, Courtney G.; Elmendorf, Sarah C.; Hollister, Robert D.; Henry, Greg H. R.; Clark, Karin; Bjorkman, Anne D.; Myers-Smith, Isla H.; Prevéy, Janet S.; Ashton, Isabel W.; Assmann, Jakob J.; Alatalo, Juha M.; Carbognani, Michele; Chisholm, Chelsea; Cooper, Elisabeth J.; Forrester, Chiara; Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg Svala; Klanderud, Kari; Kopp, Christopher W.; Livensperger, Carolyn; Mauritz, Marguerite; May, Jeremy L.; Molau, Ulf; Oberbauer, Steven F.; Ogburn, Emily; Panchen, Zoe A.; Petraglia, Alessandro; Post, Eric; Rixen, Christian; Rodenhizer, Heidi; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Semenchuk, Philipp; Smith, Jane G.; Steltzer, Heidi; Totland, Ørjan; Walker, Marilyn D.; Welker, Jeffrey M.; Suding, Katharine N.

Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants

Courtney G. Collins (), Sarah C. Elmendorf, Robert D. Hollister, Greg H. R. Henry, Karin Clark, Anne D. Bjorkman, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Janet S. Prevéy, Isabel W. Ashton, Jakob J. Assmann, Juha M. Alatalo, Michele Carbognani, Chelsea Chisholm, Elisabeth J. Cooper, Chiara Forrester, Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir, Kari Klanderud, Christopher W. Kopp, Carolyn Livensperger, Marguerite Mauritz, Jeremy L. May, Ulf Molau, Steven F. Oberbauer, Emily Ogburn, Zoe A. Panchen, Alessandro Petraglia, Eric Post, Christian Rixen, Heidi Rodenhizer, Edward A. G. Schuur, Philipp Semenchuk, Jane G. Smith, Heidi Steltzer, Ørjan Totland, Marilyn D. Walker, Jeffrey M. Welker and Katharine N. Suding
Additional contact information
Courtney G. Collins: University of Colorado Boulder
Sarah C. Elmendorf: University of Colorado Boulder
Robert D. Hollister: Grand Valley State University
Greg H. R. Henry: University of British Columbia
Karin Clark: Government of the Northwest Territories
Anne D. Bjorkman: University of Gothenburg
Isla H. Myers-Smith: The University of Edinburgh
Janet S. Prevéy: U.S. Geological Survey
Isabel W. Ashton: Inventory & Monitoring Division
Jakob J. Assmann: Aarhus University
Juha M. Alatalo: Qatar University
Michele Carbognani: University of Parma
Chelsea Chisholm: Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH
Elisabeth J. Cooper: The Arctic University of Norway UiT
Chiara Forrester: University of Colorado Boulder
Ingibjörg Svala Jónsdóttir: University of Iceland
Kari Klanderud: Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Christopher W. Kopp: University of British Columbia
Carolyn Livensperger: Capitol Reef National Park
Marguerite Mauritz: University of Texas at El Paso
Jeremy L. May: Florida International University
Ulf Molau: University of Gothenburg
Steven F. Oberbauer: Florida International University
Emily Ogburn: University of Colorado Boulder
Zoe A. Panchen: University of British Columbia
Alessandro Petraglia: University of Parma
Eric Post: University of California Davis
Christian Rixen: Snow and Landscape Research WSL
Heidi Rodenhizer: Northern Arizona University
Edward A. G. Schuur: Northern Arizona University
Philipp Semenchuk: The University of Vienna
Jane G. Smith: University of Colorado Boulder
Heidi Steltzer: Fort Lewis College
Ørjan Totland: The University of Bergen
Marilyn D. Walker: HOMER Energy by UL
Jeffrey M. Welker: The University of Alaska Anchorage
Katharine N. Suding: University of Colorado Boulder

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our knowledge of experimental warming effects on tundra plant phenology from the International Tundra Experiment. We examine the effect of warming on a suite of season-wide plant phenophases. Results challenge the expectation that all phenophases will advance in unison to warming. Instead, we find that experimental warming caused: (1) larger phenological shifts in reproductive versus vegetative phenophases and (2) advanced reproductive phenophases and green up but delayed leaf senescence which translated to a lengthening of the growing season by approximately 3%. Patterns were consistent across sites, plant species and over time. The advancement of reproductive seasons and lengthening of growing seasons may have significant consequences for trophic interactions and ecosystem function across the tundra.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23841-2

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