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Treeline Responsiveness to Climate Warming: Insights from a Krummholz Treeline in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal

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Climate Change, Glacier Response, and Vegetation Dynamics in the Himalaya

Abstract

At a global scale, the elevational position of natural upper treelines is determined by low temperatures during growing season. Thus, climate warming is expected to induce treelines to advance to higher elevations. Empirical studies in diverse mountain ranges, however, give evidence of both advancing alpine treelines as well as rather insignificant responses. Himalayan treeline ecotones show considerable differences in altitudinal position as well as in physiognomy and species composition. To assess the sensitivity of a near-natural treeline to climate warming at local scale, we analysed the relations between changes of growth parameters and temperature gradients along the elevational gradient in the treeline ecotone in Rolwaling valley, Nepal, by a multispecies approach. We observed species-specific transition patterns (diameter at breast height, height, tree and recruit densities) and varying degrees of abruptness of these transitions across the treeline ecotone resulting in a complex stand structure. Soil temperatures are associated with physiognomic transitions, treeline position and spatial regeneration patterns. In conclusion, treeline tree species have the potential to migrate upslope in future. Upslope migration, however, is controlled by a dense krummholz belt of Rhododendron campanulatum. Currently, the treeline is rather stable; however we found a prolific regeneration as well as signs of stand densification. Given the spatial heterogeneity of Himalayan treeline ecotones, further studies are needed to fully understand the complex conditions for the establishment and development of tree seedlings and the responsiveness of Himalayan treeline ecotones to climate change.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ram Bahadur, Bijay Raj Subedi, Simon Drollinger, Helge Heyken, Nina Kiese, Madan K. Suwal, Hanna Wanli and Ronja Wedegärtner who helped us during field work and to Julika Hellmold for suggestions on an earlier draft. We acknowledge Chandra Subedi for great support in logistics and administrative issues. B. Bürzle was funded by Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. We are indebted to the German Research Foundation (DFG SCHI 436/14-1, SCHO 739/14-1, BO 1333/4-1), to Nepalese authorities for research permits and to the community in Rolwaling for the assistance in fieldwork, willingness to cooperate and hospitality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEN Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Niels Schwab, Udo Schickhoff, Birgit Bürzle & Jürgen Böhner

  2. Department of Geosciences, Chair of Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Michael Müller & Thomas Scholten

  3. Section Hydrology, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany

    Lars Gerlitz

  4. RECAST Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Ram Prasad Chaudhary

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  1. Niels Schwab
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  5. Birgit Bürzle
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Correspondence to Niels Schwab .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Delhi School of, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

    RB Singh

  2. CEN Center for Earth System Research and, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Udo Schickhoff

  3. Department of Geography, Shaheed Bhagat, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

    Suraj Mal

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Schwab, N. et al. (2016). Treeline Responsiveness to Climate Warming: Insights from a Krummholz Treeline in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal. In: Singh, R., Schickhoff, U., Mal, S. (eds) Climate Change, Glacier Response, and Vegetation Dynamics in the Himalaya. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28977-9_16

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