Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
Nat Commun. 2022 Dec 1;13(1):7398. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35194-5.
Alpine plants have evolved a tight seasonal cycle of growth and senescence to cope with a short growing season. The potential growing season length (GSL) is increasing because of climate warming, possibly prolonging plant growth above- and belowground. We tested whether growth dynamics in typical alpine grassland are altered when the natural GSL (2-3 months) is experimentally advanced and thus, prolonged by 2-4 months. Additional summer months did not extend the growing period, as canopy browning started 34-41 days after the start of the season, even when GSL was more than doubled. Less than 10% of roots were produced during the added months, suggesting that root growth was as conservative as leaf growth. Few species showed a weak second greening under prolonged GSL, but not the dominant sedge. A longer growing season under future climate may therefore not extend growth in this widespread alpine community, but will foster species that follow a less strict phenology.
高山植物已经进化出了严格的季节性生长和衰老周期，以适应短暂的生长季节。由于气候变暖，潜在的生长季节长度（GSL）正在增加，这可能会延长地上和地下植物的生长。我们测试了当自然 GSL（2-3 个月）通过实验提前并延长 2-4 个月时，典型高山草原的生长动态是否会发生变化。即使 GSL 增加了一倍以上，额外的夏季月份也没有延长生长周期，因为冠层变褐在季节开始后 34-41 天开始。在添加的月份中，不到 10%的根被产生，这表明根的生长与叶的生长一样保守。少数物种在延长的 GSL 下表现出微弱的二次变绿，但优势莎草属植物没有。因此，未来气候下更长的生长季节可能不会延长这个广泛分布的高山群落的生长，但会促进那些遵循不那么严格物候学的物种。
