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Microtopographic heterogeneity constrains alpine plant diversity, Glacier National Park, MT

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Abstract

Theoretical and empirical evidence exists for a positive relationship between environmental heterogeneity and species diversity. Alpine plant communities can exhibit exceptional diversity at a fine scale, which niche theory would suggest is the result of fine scale spatial heterogeneity of the environment. To test if species diversity of alpine plants is driven by environmental heterogeneity, we sampled vascular plant species composition, microtopography, and ground cover within 1 m2 plots with and without solifluction forms in Glacier National Park, MT. We analyzed the relationship between microtopographic heterogeneity and species richness at the plot and sub-plot scale with linear and quantile regression, respectively. Species richness does not differ between the plots varying in cover type. Species richness is negatively related to the fractal dimension (D) of the ground surface and non-vegetated ground cover within 1 m2 plots. At a finer scale, the standard deviation of elevation and slope appear to impose a limit on species richness such that more variable sub-plots have lower species richness. Contrary to our expectations, microtopographic heterogeneity does not promote the diversity of alpine plants. The negative relationship between topographic heterogeneity and species richness is contrary to the theoretical prediction that environmental heterogeneity generally results in greater species diversity. It is possible that microtopographic variability represents a measure of soil disturbance, which would be expected to have a negative effect on species diversity in alpine tundra due to its low productivity.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Melissa Hornbein and Darren Grafius for assistance in fieldwork and Dan Fagre of the USGS for help with logistics. Marc Linderman and Steve Hendrix provided helpful critiques to the manuscript. This study was supported by the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa. This is a contribution from the Mountain GeoDynamics Research Group.

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  1. Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Jonathan P. Rose

  2. Department of Geography, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    George P. Malanson

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  1. Jonathan P. Rose
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Correspondence to George P. Malanson.

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Rose, J.P., Malanson, G.P. Microtopographic heterogeneity constrains alpine plant diversity, Glacier National Park, MT. Plant Ecol 213, 955–965 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0056-y

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