Introducing the concepts of range‐pinning and Allee effects to explain reduced temperature sensitivity of global treeline dynamics

Ulf Büntgen; Audrey Palosse; Jiri Dolezal; Andrew M. Liebhold

doi:10.1111/gcb.17288

Treesearch

Introducing the concepts of range‐pinning and Allee effects to explain reduced temperature sensitivity of global treeline dynamics

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Ulf Büntgen, Audrey Palosse, Jiri Dolezal, Andrew M. Liebhold

Year:

2024

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17288

Source:

Global Change Biology

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Download (PDF 1.37 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/67769.pdf

Abstract

Treeline studies are often motivated by the general assumption that cold distribution limits of the lifeform tree represent a universal biogeographic margin that is particularly sensitive to recent global warming. But the existing body of scientific literature is less consistent and raises more questions than it provides answers. Not only is the rate of treeline advancement in response to rising temperatures poorly understood, but interactions between biotic and abiotic drivers of treeline dynamics, as well as ecological mechanisms behind surprisingly stable treeline positions also remain unclear

Keywords

biogeography, climate sensitivity, density dependence, global warming, plant growth, population ecology, treeline

Citation

Büntgen, Ulf; Palosse, Audrey; Dolezal, Jiri; Liebhold, Andrew. 2024. Introducing the concepts of range‐pinning and Allee effects to explain reduced temperature sensitivity of global treeline dynamics. Global Change Biology. 30(4): e17288. 4 p. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17288.