Bátori Zoltán, Vojtkó András, Farkas Tünde, Szabó Anna, Havadtői Krisztina, Vojtkó Anna E, Tölgyesi Csaba, Cseh Viktória, Erdős László, Maák István Elek, Keppel Gunnar
Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary
Department of Botany, Eszterházy Károly University of Applied Sciences, H-3300 Eger, Leányka utca 6, Hungary.
Ann Bot. 2017 Jan;119(2):301-309. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcw233. Epub 2016 Dec 26.
Dolines are small- to large-sized bowl-shaped depressions of karst surfaces. They may constitute important microrefugia, as thermal inversion often maintains cooler conditions within them. This study aimed to identify the effects of large- (macroclimate) and small-scale (slope aspect and vegetation type) environmental factors on cool-adapted plants in karst dolines of East-Central Europe. We also evaluated the potential of these dolines to be microrefugia that mitigate the effects of climate change on cool-adapted plants in both forest and grassland ecosystems.
We compared surveys of plant species composition that were made between 2007 and 2015 in 21 dolines distributed across four mountain ranges (sites) in Hungary and Romania. We examined the effects of environmental factors on the distribution and number of cool-adapted plants on three scales: (1) regional (all sites); (2) within sites and; (3) within dolines. Generalized linear models and non-parametric tests were used for the analyses.
Macroclimate, vegetation type and aspect were all significant predictors of the diversity of cool-adapted plants. More cool-adapted plants were recorded in the coolest site, with only few found in the warmest site. At the warmest site, the distribution of cool-adapted plants was restricted to the deepest parts of dolines. Within sites of intermediate temperature and humidity, the effect of vegetation type and aspect on the diversity of cool-adapted plants was often significant, with more taxa being found in grasslands (versus forests) and on north-facing slopes (versus south-facing slopes).
There is large variation in the number and spatial distribution of cool-adapted plants in karst dolines, which is related to large- and small-scale environmental factors. Both macro- and microrefugia are therefore likely to play important roles in facilitating the persistence of cool-adapted plants under global warming.
溶斗是喀斯特地貌表面大小不一的碗状洼地。由于逆温现象通常会使溶斗内部保持较凉爽的环境，它们可能构成重要的微型避难所。本研究旨在确定大尺度（宏观气候）和小尺度（坡面朝向和植被类型）环境因素对中东欧喀斯特溶斗中适应凉爽气候植物的影响。我们还评估了这些溶斗作为微型避难所减轻气候变化对森林和草原生态系统中适应凉爽气候植物影响的潜力。
我们比较了2007年至2015年期间在匈牙利和罗马尼亚四个山脉（地点）分布的21个溶斗中进行的植物物种组成调查。我们在三个尺度上研究了环境因素对适应凉爽气候植物的分布和数量的影响：（1）区域尺度（所有地点）；（2）地点内部；（3）溶斗内部。分析采用广义线性模型和非参数检验。
宏观气候、植被类型和坡面朝向都是适应凉爽气候植物多样性的重要预测因子。在最凉爽的地点记录到更多适应凉爽气候的植物，而在最温暖的地点则很少发现。在最温暖的地点，适应凉爽气候植物的分布仅限于溶斗的最深处。在温度和湿度适中的地点，植被类型和坡面朝向对适应凉爽气候植物多样性的影响通常很显著，在草地（相对于森林）和北坡（相对于南坡）发现的分类群更多。
喀斯特溶斗中适应凉爽气候植物的数量和空间分布存在很大差异，这与大尺度和小尺度环境因素有关。因此，宏观和微型避难所在促进适应凉爽气候植物在全球变暖下的持续存在方面可能都起着重要作用。
