Book
The changing alpine treeline: the example of Glacier National Park, MT, USA
Developments in earth surface processes, 12, Elsevier
2009
Abstract
The alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) is an area of transition high on mountains where closed canopy forests from lower elevations give way to the open alpine tundra and rocky expanses above. Alpine tundra is an island biome and its ecotone with forest is subject to change, and like oceanic islands, alpine tundra is subject to invasion – or the upward advance of treeline. The invasion of tundra by trees will have consequences for the tundra biome as invasion does for other island flora and fauna. To examine the invasibility of tundra we take a plant’s-eye-view, wherein the local conditions become extremely important. Among these local conditions, we find geomorphology to be exceptionally important. We concentrate on aspects of microtopography (and microgeomorphology) and microclimate because these are the factors that matter: from the plant’s-eye-view, but we pay attention to multiple scales. At coarse scales, snow avalanches and debris flows are widespread and create “disturbance treelines” whose elevation is well below those controlled by climate. At medium scales, turf-banked terraces create tread-and-riser topography that is a difficult landscape for a tree seedling to survive upon because of exposure to wind, dryness, and impenetrable surfaces. At fine scales, turf exfoliation of the fronts of turf-banked risers, and boulders, offer microsites where tree seedlings may find shelter and are able to gain a foothold in the alpine tundra -- conversely, however, surfaces of needle-ice pans and frost heaving associated with miniature patterned ground production are associated with sites inimical to seedling establishment or survival. We explicitly consider how local scale processes propagate across scales into landscape patterns. The objective of this book is to examine the controls on change at alpine treeline. All the papers are focused on work done in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Although any one place is limiting, we are able to examine the alpine treeline here in some detail – and an advantage is that the treeline ecotone in Glacier National Park is quite variable in itself due to the underlying variability in geomorphology at multiple scales. This book will provide insights into an important ecological phenomenon with a distinctly geomorphic perspective. The editors collectively have over 100 years of experience in working in geomorphology, biogeography, and ecology. They also have each worked on research in Glacier National Park for several decades. The book will be a reference for a variety of professionals and students, both graduate and undergraduate, with interests in Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Ecology, and Environmental Science. Because of the importance of the alpine treeline ecotone for recreation and aesthetic interests in mountain environments, wildland and park managers will also use this book. * Subject matter: geomorphology at alpine treeline * Expertise of contributors: each editor brings over 25 years of experience in studies of ecotones and geomorphology, and collectively over 100 years of experience in Glacier National Park * Changing alpine treeline examines climate change.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The changing alpine treeline: the example of Glacier National Park, MT, USA
- Creators
- David R Butler (Editor) - Texas State UniversityGeorge P Malanson (Editor) - University of Iowa, Geographical and Sustainability SciencesStephen J Walsh (Editor) - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDaniel B Fagre (Editor) - United States Geological Survey
- Resource Type
- Book
- Table of contents
- Front Cover -- The Changing Alpine Treeline: The Example of Glacier National Park, MT, USA -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Editorial Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- List of Acronyms -- List of Contributors -- Chapter 1. Introduction: Understanding the Importance of Alpine Treeline Ecotones in Mountain Ecosystems -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Importance of High-Elevation Mountain Research -- 3. Recent Changes to the Alpine Areas of Glacier National Park -- 4. Factors Affecting the Alpine Treeline Ecotone -- Chapter 2. Pattern–Process Relations in the Alpine and Subalpine Environments: A Remote Sensing and GIScience Perspective -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Study Area -- 2.1. General setting -- 2.2. Geographic areas of research emphasis -- 3. Background and Context -- 3.1. Remote sensing approaches -- 3.2. Field approaches -- 3.3. GIS representation -- 4. Data and Methods -- 4.1. Medium-grained remote sensing -- 4.2. High-resolution DEM creation -- 5. Selected Applications -- 5.1. Pixel versus object classification of vegetation -- 5.2. Linear mixture modeling -- 5.3. Pattern metrics -- 6. Conclusions -- Chapter 3. Ecotone Dynamics: Invasibility of Alpine Tundra by Tree Species from the Subalpine Forest -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Plant’s eye view -- 2. Seeds to Seedlings in Open Tundra -- 2.1. Dispersal -- 2.2. Protected sites -- 2.3. Annual weather -- 3. Seedlings -- 3.1. Coarse scale climate -- 3.2. Endogenous climate modification -- 3.3. Microclimate -- 3.4. Soil -- 4. Tree or Krummholz Form -- 5. Facilitation or Inhibition? -- 5.1. Pattern and process -- 6. Conclusion -- Chapter 4. Geomorphic Patterns and Processes at Alpine Treeline -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Coarse-Scale Processes -- 2.1. Snow avalanches as treeline disturbance agents -- 2.2. Debris flows as treeline disturbance agents -- 3. Medium-Scale Processes -- 3.1. Turf-banked terraces -- 3.2. Eolian processes at treeline -- 4. Fine-Scale Processes and Landforms -- 4.1. Turf exfoliation -- 4.2. Boulders -- 4.3. Needle-ice pans -- 4.4. Frost heaving and churning -- 5. Additional Comments on the Possible Role of Animals at Treeline -- 6. Conclusions -- Chapter 5. Environmental Controls on Turf-Banked Terraces -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Background -- 3. Study Site -- 4. Methods -- 5. Results -- 6. Discussion -- 7. Conclusions -- Chapter 6. Soils and Pedogenesis at Alpine Treeline -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Background -- 2. Field Data Collection -- 2.1. Soil pit data at Lee Ridge and White Calf Mountain -- 2.2. Soil penetrability and compression on Turf-banked terrace treads and risers -- 3. Results -- 3.1. Soil pit data from tree fingers and adjacent tundra -- 3.2. Effective soil depth and soil compaction data -- 4. Discussion and Conclusions -- Chapter 7. Canopy Structure in the Krummholz and Patch Forest Zones -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Background and Context -- 2.1. Alpine treeline -- 2.2. Leaf area index -- 3. Study Area -- 3.1. Lee Ridge -- 3.2. Apikuni Cirque -- 3.3. Cataract Creek -- 3.4. Preston Park -- 3.5. Baring Basin -- 3.6. Scenic Point -- 3.7. East Flattop Mountain -- 4. Data and Methods -- 4.1. Field data collection -- 4.2. Digital elevation model and terrain analysis -- 4.3. Vector data sets -- 4.4. Data processing -- 5. Analysis -- 5.1. 3D visualization -- 5.2. Spatial analysis -- 5.3. Biophysical analysis -- 5.4. Topo-climatic variables -- 6. Results and Discussion -- 6.1. Internal canopy structure -- 6.2. Between patch structure -- 7. Conclusions -- Chapter 8. A Markov Analysis of Tree Islands at Alpine Treeline -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Methods -- 2.1. Markov chain analysis -- 2.2. Embedded Markov chains -- 2.3. First-order Markov chains -- 3. Results -- 3.1. Spatial sequence of conifer establishment -- 3.2. Stability at treeline -- 4. Discussion -- 4.1. Establishment characteristics -- 4.2. Treeline stability -- 5. Conclusions -- Chapter 9. Modeling Feedback Effects on Linear Patterns of Subalpine Forest Advancement -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1. Treeline patterns -- 1.2. Explanations of treeline pattern -- 1.3. Modeling treeline location and dynamics -- 2. Methods -- 2.1. FORSKA -- 2.2. Parameterization -- 2.3. Modifications -- 2.4. Site quality -- 2.5. Simulations -- 3. Results -- 4. Discussion -- 4.1. Gap models and treeline environments -- 4.2. Effects of light and mortality -- 5. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 10. The Future of Treeline -- References -- Index -- .
- Series
- Developments in earth surface processes; 12
- ISBN
- 9780444533647; 0444533648
- ISSN
- 0928-2025
- Publisher
- Elsevier; Amsterdam
- Number of pages
- 223 pages
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2009
- Academic Unit
- Geographical and Sustainability Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983743292702771
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