Forest microclimate dynamics drive plant responses to warming

Bibtex

@misc{df4ecf24-ecc3-4591-a321-fc5d5802f58e,
title = "Forest microclimate dynamics drive plant responses to warming",
abstract = "Microclimates are key to understanding how organisms and ecosystems respond to macroclimate change, yet they are frequently neglected when studying biotic responses to global change. Zellweger et al. provide a long-term, continental-scale assessment of the effects of micro- and macroclimate on the community composition of European forests (see the Perspective by Lembrechts and Nijs). They show that changes in forest canopy cover are fundamentally important for driving community responses to climate change. Closed canopies buffer against the effects of macroclimatic change through their cooling effect, slowing shifts in community composition, whereas open canopies tend to accelerate community change through local heating effects.Science, this issue p. 772; see also p. 711Climate warming is causing a shift in biological communities in favor of warm-affinity species (i.e., thermophilization). Species responses often lag behind climate warming, but the reasons for such lags remain largely unknown. Here, we analyzed multidecadal understory microclimate dynamics in European forests and show that thermophilization and the climatic lag in forest plant communities are primarily controlled by microclimate. Increasing tree canopy cover reduces warming rates inside forests, but loss of canopy cover leads to increased local heat that exacerbates the disequilibrium between community responses and climate change. Reciprocal effects between plants and microclimates are key to understanding the response of forest biodiversity and functioning to climate and land-use changes.",
author = "Florian Zellweger and Pieter De Frenne and Jonathan Lenoir and Pieter Vangansbeke and Kris Verheyen and Markus Bernhardt-Römermann and Lander Baeten and Radim Hédl and Imre Berki and Jörg Brunet and Hans Van Calster and Markéta Chudomelová and Guillaume Decocq and Thomas Dirnböck and Tomasz Durak and Thilo Heinken and Bogdan Jaroszewicz and Martin Kopecký and Frantiv sek Máliv s and Martin Macek and Marek Malicki and Tobias Naaf and Thomas A. Nagel and Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai and Petr Petv rik and Remigiusz Pielech and Kamila Reczyska and Wolfgang Schmidt and Tibor Standovár and Krzysztof wierkosz and Balázs Teleki and Ondv rej Vild and Monika Wulf and David Anthony Coomes",
year = "2020",
month = may,
day = "15",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba6880",
language = "English",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
address = "Belgium,
type = "Other"
}

Authors

Florian Zellweger
Pieter De Frenne
Jonathan Lenoir
Pieter Vangansbeke
Kris Verheyen
Markus Bernhardt-Römermann
Lander Baeten
Radim Hédl
Imre Berki
Jörg Brunet
Hans Van Calster
Markéta Chudomelová
Guillaume Decocq
Thomas Dirnböck
Tomasz Durak
Thilo Heinken
Bogdan Jaroszewicz
Martin Kopecký
Frantiv sek Máliv s
Martin Macek
Marek Malicki
Tobias Naaf
Thomas A. Nagel
Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai
Petr Petv rik
Remigiusz Pielech
Kamila Reczyska
Wolfgang Schmidt
Tibor Standovár
Krzysztof wierkosz
Balázs Teleki
Ondv rej Vild
Monika Wulf
David Anthony Coomes