Van Der Wal, René
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
As climate change is unfolding faster in the Arctic than in any other biome, thermal and hydrological changes are predicted to reshape Arctic ecosystems. Water availability is expected to affect the end of the plant growth season, a time period essential for accretion of fat stores in Arctic herbivores, influencing their survival. We experimentally tested how different levels of soil moisture influenced timing and rate of senescence of a grass (Alopecurus ovatus), forb (Bistorta vivipara) and dwarf shrub (Salix polaris), important forage plants for a keystone herbivore, Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). Moderately increased soil moisture slightly delayed the timing of senescence in the forb and shrub. However, waterlogging reduced the growing season of the forb and shrub but considerably extended that of the grass. In "saturated" (waterlogged) plots, 40 percent of initial grass biomass remained green until the end of the experiment (onset of snow and frost), compared to
Keywords
Arctic herbivores; climate change; field experiment; forage plants; Svalbard reindeer; soil moisture manipulation; waterlogging
Published in
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
2025, volume: 57, number: 1, article number: 2441002
Publisher: TAYLOR AND FRANCIS LTD
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Climate Science
Ecology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2024.2441002
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/140570