Understory functional groups and fire history but not experimental warming drive tree seedling performance in unmanaged boreal forests

IntroductionSurvival and growth of tree seedlings are key processes of regeneration in forest ecosystems. However, little is known about how climate warming modulates seedling performance either directly or in interaction with understory vegetation and post-fire successional stages. MethodsWe measured survival (over 3 years) and growth of seedlings of three tree species (Betula pubescens, Pinus sylvestris, and Picea abies) in a full-factorial field experiment with passive warming and removal of two plant functional groups (feather moss and/or ericaceous shrubs) along a post-fire chronosequence in an unmanaged boreal forest. ResultsWarming had no effect on seedling survival over time or on relative biomass growth. Meanwhile, moss removal greatly increased seedling survival overall, while shrub removal canceled this effect for B. pubescens seedlings. In addition, B. pubescens and P. sylvestris survival benefitted most from moss removal in old forests (>260 years since last fire disturbance). In contrast to survival, seedling growth was promoted by shrub removal for two out of three species, i.e., P. sylvestris and P. abies, meaning that seedling survival and growth are governed by different understory functional groups affecting seedling performance through different mechanism and modes of action. DiscussionOur findings highlight that understory vegetation and to a lesser extent post-fire successional stage are important drivers of seedling performance while the direct effect of climate warming is not. This suggests that tree regeneration in future forests may be more responsive to changes in understory vegetation or fire regime, e.g., indirectly caused by warming, than to direct or interactive effects of rising temperatures

Data from: Bryophyte traits explain climate-warming effects on tree seedling establishment

Above the alpine tree line, bryophytes cover much of the tundra soil surface in dense, often monospecific carpets. Therefore, when climate warming enables tree seedling establishment above the tree line, interaction with the bryophyte layer is inevitable. Bryophytes are known to modify their environment in various ways. However, little is known about to which extent and by which mechanisms bryophytes affect the response of tree seedlings to climate warming. We aimed to assess and understand the importance of bryophyte species identity and traits for tree seedling performance at tree line temperatures and their response to warmer conditions. Seedlings of two common, tree line-forming tree species (Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris) were planted into intact cushions of eight common tundra bryophyte species and bryophyte-free soil and grown for 18 weeks at current (7·0 °C) and near-future (30–50 years; 9·2 °C) tree line average growing-season temperatures. Seedling performance (biomass increase and N-uptake) was measured and related to bryophyte species identity and traits indicative of their impact on the environment. Tree seedlings performed equally well or better in the presence of bryophytes than in bryophyte-free soil, which contrasts to their usually negative effects in milder climates. In addition, seedling performance and their response to higher temperatures depended on bryophyte species and seedlings of both species grew largest in the pan-boreal and subarctic bryophyte Hylocomium splendens. However, B. pubescens seedlings showed much stronger responses to higher temperatures when grown in bryophytes than in bryophyte-free soil, while the opposite was true for P. sylvestris seedlings. For B. pubescens, but not for P. sylvestris, available organic nitrogen of the bryophyte species was the trait that best predicted seedling responses to higher temperatures, likely because these seedlings had increased N-demands. Synthesis. Climatically driven changes in bryophyte species distribution may not only have knock-on effects on vascular plant establishment, but temperature effects on seedling performance are themselves moderated by bryophytes in a species-specific way. Bryophyte traits can serve as a useful tool for understanding and predicting these complex interactions

Cerebrovascular Abnormalities in Adults Born SGA at 12 Years After Growth Hormone Cessation Compared to Controls

CONTEXT: Increased cerebrovascular morbidity was reported in adults born small for gestational age (SGA) who were treated with growth hormone (GH) during childhood compared to the general population. However, previous studies did not have an appropriate control group, which is a major limitation. OBJECTIVE: To study cerebrovascular abnormalities (aneurysms, previous intracerebral hemorrhages and microbleeds) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adults born SGA at 12 years after cessation of childhood GH treatment (SGA-GH) compared to appropriate controls. METHODS: In this single-center, prospective study, brain MRIs were performed between May 2016 and December 2020 on a 3T MRI system. MRI images were scored by 2 neuroradiologists who were blinded to patient groupings. Participants included adults born SGA previously treated with GH and 3 untreated control groups: adults born SGA with persistent short stature (SGA-S), adults born SGA with spontaneous catch-up growth to a normal height (SGA-CU) and adults born appropriate for gestational age with a normal height (AGA). The intervention was long-term GH treatment during childhood and the main outcome measure was cerebrovascular abnormalities. RESULTS: A total of 301 adults were investigated. Aneurysms were found in 6 adults: 3 (3.6%) SGA-GH, 1 (2.9%) SGA-S and 2 (2.2%) AGA adults, without differences between SGA-GH adults and the controls. Previous intracerebral hemorrhages were only found in 2 SGA-S adults (4.8%). Microbleeds were found in 17 adults: 4 (4.3%) SGA-GH, 4 (9.5%) SGA-S, 3 (4.3%) SGA-CU and 6 (6.3%) AGA adults, without differences between SGA-GH adults and the controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that SGA-GH adults at 12 years after GH cessation have no increased prevalence of cerebrovascular abnormalities compared to appropriate controls. Further research is needed to confirm our findings.</p

Data from: The role of bryophytes for tree seedling responses to winter climate change: implications for the stress gradient hypothesis

1.When tree seedlings establish beyond the current tree line due to climate warming, they encounter existing vegetation, such as bryophytes that often dominate in arctic and alpine tundra. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that plant interactions in tundra become increasingly negative as climate warms and conditions become less harsh. However, for seedlings climate warming might not result in lower winter stress, if insulating snow cover is reduced. 2.We aimed to understand to if bryophytes facilitate seedling survival in a changing winter climate and if these effects of bryophytes on tree seedlings comply with the SGH along elevational gradients under contrasting snow conditions. 3.In the Swedish subarctic, we transplanted intact bryophyte cores covered by each of three bryophyte species and bryophyte-free control soil from above the tree line to two field common-garden sites, representing current and future tree line air temperature conditions (i.e. current tree line elevation and a lower, warmer, elevation below the tree line). We planted seedlings of Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris into these cores and subjected them to experimental manipulation of snow cover during one winter. 4.In agreement with the SGH, milder conditions caused by increased snow cover enhanced the generally negative or neutral effects of bryophytes on seedlings immediately after winter. Further, survival of P. sylvestris seedlings after one full year was higher at lower elevation, especially when snow cover was thinner. However, in contrast with the SGH, impacts of bryophytes on over-winter survival of seedlings did not differ between elevations, and impacts on survival of B. pubescens seedlings after one year was more negative at lower elevation. Bryophyte species differed in their effect on seedling survival after winter, but these differences were not related to their insulating capacity. 5.Synthesis: Our study demonstrates that interactions from bryophytes can modify the impacts of winter climate change on tree seedlings, and vice versa. These responses do not always comply with SGH, but could ultimately have consequences for large-scale ecological processes such as tree-line shifts. These new insights need to be taken into account in predictions of plant species responses to climate change

The role of bryophytes for tree seedling responses to winter climate change : implications for the stress gradient hypothesis

1. When tree seedlings establish beyond the current tree line due to climate warming, they encounter existing vegetation, such as bryophytes that often dominate in arctic and alpine tundra. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts that plant interactions in tundra become increasingly negative as climate warms and conditions become less harsh. However, for seedlings, climate warming might not result in lower winter stress, if insulating snow cover is reduced. 2. We aimed to understand if bryophytes facilitate seedling survival in a changing winter climate and if these effects of bryophytes on tree seedlings comply with the SGH along elevational gradients under contrasting snow conditions. 3. In the Swedish subarctic, we transplanted intact bryophyte cores covered by each of three bryophyte species and bryophyte‐free control soil from above the tree line to two field common garden sites, representing current and future tree line air temperature conditions (i.e. current tree line elevation and a lower, warmer, elevation below the tree line). We planted seedlings of Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris into these cores and subjected them to experimental manipulation of snow cover during one winter. 4. In agreement with the SGH, milder conditions caused by increased snow cover enhanced the generally negative or neutral effects of bryophytes on seedlings immediately after winter. Furthermore, survival of P. sylvestris seedlings after one full year was higher at lower elevation, especially when snow cover was thinner. However, in contrast with the SGH, impacts of bryophytes on over‐winter survival of seedlings did not differ between elevations, and impacts on survival of B. pubescens seedlings after 1 year was more negative at lower elevation. Bryophyte species differed in their effect on seedling survival after winter, but these differences were not related to their insulating capacity. 5. Synthesis. Our study demonstrates that interactions from bryophytes can modify the impacts of winter climate change on tree seedlings, and vice versa. These responses do not always comply with SGH, but could ultimately have consequences for large‐scale ecological processes such as tree line shifts. These new insights need to be taken into account in predictions of plant species responses to climate change.Accepted versio

Tree seedling growth responses to temperature and bryophyte traits

tree seedling responses (biomass and N uptake) to growing in 8 bryophyte species at 7.2 and 9.0 °C for 4 months plus data for 6 traits of the 8 bryophyte species. Bryophyte Traits are: water holding capacity, density, height and water extractable NH4+ and dissolved organic N and total phenol

Seedling winter survival in 4 bryophyte treatment under different snow treatments and elevations

Field experimental data of winter survival of transplanted seedlings. Experiment had two elevational sites to which bryophytes cores were transplanted. These were subjected to snow treatments(addition, control, reduction). Seedling were transplanted into bryophyte cores in at the end of 2013 growing season and survival was assessed in june and august 2014. See published article for full description of the experimental detail

Understory functional groups and fire history but not experimental warming drive tree seedling performance in unmanaged boreal forests

Introduction: Survival and growth of tree seedlings are key processes of regeneration in forest ecosystems. However, little is known about how climate warming modulates seedling performance either directly or in interaction with understory vegetation and post-fire successional stages. Methods: We measured survival (over 3 years) and growth of seedlings of three tree species (Betula pubescens, Pinus sylvestris, and Picea abies) in a full-factorial field experiment with passive warming and removal of two plant functional groups (feather moss and/or ericaceous shrubs) along a post-fire chronosequence in an unmanaged boreal forest. Results: Warming had no effect on seedling survival over time or on relative biomass growth. Meanwhile, moss removal greatly increased seedling survival overall, while shrub removal canceled this effect for B. pubescens seedlings. In addition, B. pubescens and P. sylvestris survival benefitted most from moss removal in old forests (&gt;260 years since last fire disturbance). In contrast to survival, seedling growth was promoted by shrub removal for two out of three species, i.e., P. sylvestris and P. abies, meaning that seedling survival and growth are governed by different understory functional groups affecting seedling performance through different mechanism and modes of action. Discussion: Our findings highlight that understory vegetation and to a lesser extent post-fire successional stage are important drivers of seedling performance while the direct effect of climate warming is not. This suggests that tree regeneration in future forests may be more responsive to changes in understory vegetation or fire regime, e.g., indirectly caused by warming, than to direct or interactive effects of rising temperatures