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Environmental drivers of subalpine and alpine fen vegetation in the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA

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Abstract

Fens are widely distributed wetlands worldwide and provide vital habitat for plant and animal species in mountainous regions. Alpine fens are rare in the Rocky Mountains and concentrated in the San Juan Mountains where broad regions at high elevation have relatively level topography and suitable climate to favor peat accumulation. Studies of montane and boreal peatlands have identified water chemistry as a main driver of vegetation composition. This study investigated whether similar drivers of vegetation composition are important for alpine and subalpine fens in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA. Water chemistry variables were most important in structuring subalpine and alpine fen vegetation. However, these variables explained considerably less variation in alpine than subalpine fen vegetation. In addition, lower variance of water chemistry in alpine fens did not lead to lower beta diversity of vegetation in alpine than in subalpine fens. Although alpine and subalpine fen vegetation supports similar beta diversity, key differences occur in the environmental drivers of their vegetation composition.

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Acknowledgements

This research was made possible through funding provided by the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Gunnison, Colorado field office. Andrew Breibart and Gay Austin of the BLM stimulated this study and facilitated all aspects of this work. Kelsey Johnson was vital in assisting with field work. Thanks to Kate Dwire and David Steingraeber for their feedback on study design and to Kristen Kazynscki, Ed Gage, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on drafts of this manuscript.

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  1. Betsy L. Harbert

    Present address: South Yuba River Citizens League, 313 Railroad Ave Suite 101, Nevada City, CA, 95959, USA

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  1. Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Betsy L. Harbert & David J. Cooper

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  1. Betsy L. Harbert
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Correspondence to Betsy L. Harbert.

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Communicated by Raymond Froend.

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Harbert, B.L., Cooper, D.J. Environmental drivers of subalpine and alpine fen vegetation in the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. Plant Ecol 218, 885–898 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-017-0737-7

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