Abstract
When investigating relationships between species’ niches and distributions, niches can be divided demographically, resulting in unique niches for different life stages. This approach can identify changing substrate requirements throughout a species’ life cycle. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling, we quantified microsite conditions associated with successful recruitment in the tundra landscape and successful seed production amongst adult trees of black spruce (Picea mariana) at subarctic treeline in Yukon, Canada to assess how life stage-specific requirements may impact the distribution of this widespread boreal tree species. Treeline ecotones in this region showed high heterogeneity in tundra microsites available for establishment. Black spruce exhibited changing microsite associations from germination to reproductive maturity, which were mainly driven by changes in plant community and soil moisture. These associations limit the microsites where individuals can establish and reproduce to a subset available within the heterogeneous landscape. Overall, we suggest that (1) substrates suitable for early recruitment are limited at the range edge; and (2) reproductive adults have a narrow niche, limiting successful seed production in adults and forming sink populations where suitable conditions are limited. Our multivariate assessment of microsite suitability can provide valuable insights into the spatial distribution of a species throughout its life cycle and identify life stage-specific constraints to range expansion.
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Data availability
Data are archived on dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.573n5tbbc.
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Code will be available upon request.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation for permission to conduct this research on their lands. We are grateful to L. Brehaut and K. Reid for data collection and field logistics; L. Rees, G. Riefesel and B. Ronayne for laboratory assistance; and A. Hargreaves, Y. Wiersma, J. Williams, P. Marino, K. Reid, L. Walker, L. Brehaut, H. Baehre, J. Sullivan and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on previous versions of this manuscript.
Funding
This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Northern Scientific Training Program, the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Research, the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
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KG. and CB. conceived the ideas, designed methodology, and collected the data; KG. analyzed the data and led the writing of the manuscript; CB. contributed critically to data analysis and drafts of the manuscript. Both authors gave final approval for publication.
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Communicated by Melinda D. Smith.
Our multivariate approach enables us to quantify how microsites species occupy change across their life cycle, informing our understanding of species’ spatial distributions and life stage-specific hurdles to range expansion. We apply this method at northern black spruce range edges and identify strict environmental characteristics associated with successful recruitment and seed production. Suitable substrates for these two demographic transitions are limited at the range edge, explaining in part their lack of range expansion under ongoing climate change.
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Goodwin, K.J.A., Brown, C.D. Integrating demographic niches and black spruce range expansion at subarctic treelines. Oecologia 201, 19–29 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-022-05293-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-022-05293-7