population dynamics and low resistance, but a greater chance of recovery.
Processes like demographic buffering (temporal stability) and demographic compensation (spatial compensation) may buffer local alpine populations against trends
in environmental conditions (such as climate warming) (Villellas et al. 2015),
although such compensatory responses may not last indefinitely (Doak and Morris
2010).
11.6.4 Future Research
In spite of widespread evidence of adaptations to climate in the past, there is a need
to assess whether these changes will occur as readily during the present period of
climate change since the range shifts documented in the past are below the rates
required to track climate in the future (Davis and Shaw 2001). More experiments
coupled with quantitative genetics are required to appreciate the magnitude of
genetic constraints and genetic variation for traits critical to survival and reproduction, as well as molecular and demographic studies assessing the potential for
dispersal and gene flow.
This overview highlights the scarcity of information and the gaps in our
knowledge about life-history variation along elevation gradients. There is a need to
expand the taxonomic focus because there has been a disproportionate effort on
northern-latitude cold environments (such as the Arctic) compared to mountain and
alpine systems in many groups. Life-history knowledge should also be improved:
reproductive variables such as seed, clutch or litter size or number have been a
favourite target of research, but lifespan and age at first reproduction are virtually
unknown for the majority of alpine species. Ultimately, processes within and
among species should be integrated, such that their changes can be linked to
community-wide processes. This integration will improve our capability for predicting the response of alpine flora and fauna to the combinations of current, novel
environmental drivers.
References
Aarssen LW, Clauss MJ (1992) Genotypic variation in fecundity allocation in Arabidopsis
thaliana. J Ecol 80:109–114
Abbate JL, Antonovics J (2014) Elevational disease distribution in a natural plant–pathogen
system: insights from changes across host populations and climate. Oikos 123:1126–1136
Adolph SC, Porter WP (1993) Temperature, activity, and lizard life histories. Am Nat
142:273–295
Aguado S, Braña F (2014) Thermoregulation in a cold-adapted species (Cyren’s Rock Lizard,
Iberolacerta cyreni): influence of thermal environment and associated costs. Can J Zool
92:955–964
274
P. Laiolo and J.R. Obeso
Processes like demographic buffering (temporal stability) and demographic compensation (spatial compensation) may buffer local alpine populations against trends
in environmental conditions (such as climate warming) (Villellas et al. 2015),
although such compensatory responses may not last indefinitely (Doak and Morris
2010).
11.6.4 Future Research
In spite of widespread evidence of adaptations to climate in the past, there is a need
to assess whether these changes will occur as readily during the present period of
climate change since the range shifts documented in the past are below the rates
required to track climate in the future (Davis and Shaw 2001). More experiments
coupled with quantitative genetics are required to appreciate the magnitude of
genetic constraints and genetic variation for traits critical to survival and reproduction, as well as molecular and demographic studies assessing the potential for
dispersal and gene flow.
This overview highlights the scarcity of information and the gaps in our
knowledge about life-history variation along elevation gradients. There is a need to
expand the taxonomic focus because there has been a disproportionate effort on
northern-latitude cold environments (such as the Arctic) compared to mountain and
alpine systems in many groups. Life-history knowledge should also be improved:
reproductive variables such as seed, clutch or litter size or number have been a
favourite target of research, but lifespan and age at first reproduction are virtually
unknown for the majority of alpine species. Ultimately, processes within and
among species should be integrated, such that their changes can be linked to
community-wide processes. This integration will improve our capability for predicting the response of alpine flora and fauna to the combinations of current, novel
environmental drivers.
References
Aarssen LW, Clauss MJ (1992) Genotypic variation in fecundity allocation in Arabidopsis
thaliana. J Ecol 80:109–114
Abbate JL, Antonovics J (2014) Elevational disease distribution in a natural plant–pathogen
system: insights from changes across host populations and climate. Oikos 123:1126–1136
Adolph SC, Porter WP (1993) Temperature, activity, and lizard life histories. Am Nat
142:273–295
Aguado S, Braña F (2014) Thermoregulation in a cold-adapted species (Cyren’s Rock Lizard,
Iberolacerta cyreni): influence of thermal environment and associated costs. Can J Zool
92:955–964
274
P. Laiolo and J.R. Obeso