Borealisation of plant communities in the Arctic is driven by boreal-tundra species
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00646951" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00646951 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70209" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70209</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.70209" target="_blank" >10.1111/ele.70209</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Borealisation of plant communities in the Arctic is driven by boreal-tundra species
Original language description
Following rapid climate change, tundra plant communities are experiencing extensive compositional shifts. A conservation concern is the potential encroachment of boreal species into the tundra ('borealisation'). Tundra borealisation has been sporadically reported, but not systematically quantified. Here, we synthesised data from across 32 study areas, spanning 1137 plots and 287 vascular plant species, resurveyed between 1981 and 2023. We (i) quantified tundra borealisation as the colonisation and increase in abundance of Boreal and Boreal-Tundra species, (ii) assessed biogeographical, climatic and local borealisation drivers and (iii) identified species contributing to borealisation and their associated traits. Half of the plots experienced borealisation, although borealisation rates were not different to random expectation. Borealisation was greater in Eurasia, closer to the treeline, at higher elevations, in warmer and wetter regions, where climate change was limited, and where initial boreal abundance was lower. Boreal coloniser species were generally short-statured, and more often shrubs and graminoids. Boreal species colonised around three times less frequently than Boreal-Tundra species. Hence, our findings indicate that tundra borealisation is mainly driven by the spread of already established boreal-low Arctic tundra species. These plant community composition changes could have cascading impacts on land-atmosphere interactions, trophic dynamics and Indigenous and local livelihoods.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10618 - Ecology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Ecology Letters
ISSN
1461-023X
e-ISSN
1461-0248
Volume of the periodical
28
Issue of the periodical within the volume
9
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
15
Pages from-to
e70209
UT code for WoS article
001576635500001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-105016768455