Predicted and observed impacts of warming on the composition, traits, and phenology of Arctic and alpine tundra plant communities

Arctic and alpine regions are warming much faster than the global average, potentially leading to large shifts in the characteristics and function of tundra ecosystems. We use a combination of multi-site observations, warming experiments, and long-term monitoring to understand how warming has and will alter these ecosystems, particularly focusing on the diversity, composition, and functional and phenological traits of tundra plant communities.

Microclimate and soil moisture in high-latitude ecosystems

The spatio-temporal variation of microclimate and soil moisture is evident from the boreal forests to the tundra. These patterns help us understand high-latitude ecosystems that are facing a rapid macroclimatic warming with possible feedbacks to global climate change. This highlights the role of microclimate and soil moisture in these ecosystems and also their importance beyond the scope of the high-latitudes.

In the footsteps of Humboldt: understanding the ecology of our planet through global scientific collaboration

Alexander von Humboldt developed a way of doing science based on the use of a large number of observations of human and environmental variables over space and time. I will talk about how we are following Humboldt´s steps to study the ecology of global drylands using a multidisciplinary approach and the power of international collaboration. I will also provide some recommendations for those interested in
setting up an international and inclusive network of researchers to address ecological questions and problems at the global scale.

The impacts of logging on tropical rainforest microclimates

Habitat degradation by selective logging is extensive in the tropics, yet even intensively logged forests retain much of their biodiversity. To maintain high biodiversity into the future, logged forests must be able to support species under climate change – a feat that could be compromised by the structural simplification inherent in logging. Using both thermal imaging cameras and temperature loggers, we discovered a surprising and encouraging capacity for intensively logged tropical forests to thermally recover, which gives hope that at least some species will be capable of finding local thermal microrefugia as the climate warms.

Fine-scale microclimates modulate the vulnerability of insects to warming

Insects are small creatures and as such they use fine-scale microclimates at the cm scale. How do we get to such small scales? Integrative approaches relying on biophysics and ecophysiology are powerful to quantify the vulnerability of insects in a warming world by considering the thermal experience of these species. I will exemplify these aspects based on our research on plant-insect relationships. Fine-scale microclimates can both provide thermal refuges and expose to thermal danger depending on subtle biophysical mechanisms.

Impact of the growing environment and its microclimate on coffee

Small changes of coffee quality scores are driven by the growing environment: altitude, shade and management practices induce dramatic switches in the microclimate experienced by coffee and the fraction of specialty 1 vs. specialty 2 coffee beans. This directly affects smallholders’ livelihood in Ethiopia and competitiveness in the international markets.

Non-native tree invasions as a tool to mitigate climate change: more cons than pros?

Climate change is among the most crucial problems facing humankind, and action is needed to limit the magnitude and rate of change. Non-native invasive woody plants have been proposed as a tool for climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration despite their potential negative impacts on biodiversity and human welfare. Here we describe how fires, soil carbon, water use and albedo may complicate the use of woody species in some ecosystems as a way to limit global warming. Clearly woody species can have fundamental use, but more research may be needed to do this in an effective way.

Prospects of microclimate mapping approaches for fundamental and applied ecology

The ability to map microclimates is increasingly recognised as an important step to better understand global change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. In this talk I will give an overview of the young history of microclimate mapping approaches and highlight some exciting avenues that arise from developments in remote sensing, meteorology and modelling. By incorporating detailed effects of vegetation canopies and microtopography on microclimate variation we are now able to analyse how changes in land use and macroclimate are driving the climatic landscape availalbe to organisms. This unlocks important new opportunities for fundamental and applied research in ecology and environmental sciences.

Microclimate-related topic

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