College - Author 1
College of Science and Mathematics
Department - Author 1
Biological Sciences Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Biological Sciences
Date
1-2024
Primary Advisor
Dena Grossenbacher, College of Science and Math, Biological Sciences Department
Abstract/Summary
Alpine species are a useful tool for predicting the effects of climate change on lowland species. A growing body of research has begun assessing the question of how alpine species will change in response to changing climate. In the study of alpine plant species, some researchers have begun exploring the idea that functional traits could be predictive of turnover in alpine plant communities. In this study, I used a species’-level approach to assess the ability of six functional traits (vegetative height, generative height, leaf thickness, leaf area, leaf dry weight, specific leaf area) to predict species turnover in alpine plants within Yosemite National Park. I found weak evidence that a species’ leaf thickness and leaf area may be predictive of their likelihood of colonizing in the alpine over the last 30 years, such that species with thinner, smaller leaves had more colonizations. Given the lack of significant trends for vegetative and generative height and specific leaf area, the contradictory results for leaf dry weight (lower leaf weight predicted more colonizations and more extinctions) and the lack of significant trends between any of the sixth functional traits and turnover, I concluded that that these six functional traits may be weak or ineffective predictors of turnover for alpine plant species in Yosemite National Park.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/biosp/49
Functional Trait Data (Raw)
wallasch_alpine_average_functional_trait_data.csv (4 kB)
Functional Trait Data (Averages)