Habitat-based biodiversity responses to macroclimate and edaphic factors in European fen ecosystems

0582366 - BÚ 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Jiménez-Alfaro, B. - Aunina, L. - Carbognani, M. - Dítě, D. - Fernández-Pascual, E. - Garbolino, E. - Hájek, O. - Hájková, Petra - Ivchenko, T. G. - Jandt, U. - Jansen, F. - Kolari, T.H.M. - Pawlikowski, P. - Pérez-Haase, A. - Peterka, T. - Petraglia, A. - Plesková, Z. - Tahvanainen, T. - Tomaselli, M. - Hájek, M.
Habitat-based biodiversity responses to macroclimate and edaphic factors in European fen ecosystems.
Global Change Biology. Roč. 29, č. 23 (2023), s. 6756-6771. ISSN 1354-1013. E-ISSN 1365-2486
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : climate change * edaphic factors * fens * habitat types * peatlands
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 11.6, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16965

Understanding large-scale drivers of biodiversity in palustrine wetlands is challenging due to the combined effects of macroclimate and local edaphic conditions. In boreal and temperate fen ecosystems, the influence of macroclimate on biodiversity is modulated by hydrological settings across habitats, making it difficult to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Here, we investigate the influence of macroclimate and edaphic factors on three Essential Biodiversity Variables across eight ecologically defined habitats that align with ecosystem classifications and red lists. We used 27,555 vegetation plot samples from European fens to assess the influence of macroclimate and groundwater pH predictors on the geographic distribution of each habitat type. Additionally, we modeled the relative influence of macroclimate, water pH, and water table depth on community species richness and composition, focusing on 309 plant specialists. Our models reveal strong effects of mean annual temperature, diurnal thermal range, and summer temperature on biodiversity variables, with contrasting differences among habitats. While macroclimatic factors primarily shape geographic distributions and species richness, edaphic factors emerge as the primary drivers of composition for vascular plants and bryophytes. Annual precipitation exhibits nonlinear effects on fen biodiversity, with varying impact across habitats with different hydrological characteristics, suggesting a minimum requirement of 600 mm of annual precipitation for the occurrence of fen ecosystems. Our results anticipate potential impacts of climate warming on European fens, with predictable changes among habitat types and geographic regions.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0351356