COLLABORATIVE LTREB RESEARCH: Population- and community-level mechanisms of range limitation in a variable and changing environment

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Along the most critical issues in anticipating, and thus preparing for, the effects of global climate change is predicting how the abundances and geographic distributions of plants and animals will be impacted by altered weather patterns. Alpine and arctic plants are among the species believed to be most susceptible to such changes. This project will continue a long-term study of two arctic/alpine plants across their range from arctic tundra in Alaska to high alpine areas of Colorado. Data collected to date show that as their southern limits are approached, both species show declining average success in survival and reproduction and higher variability in these performance measures. The planned project will tie these ecological responses to local and regional climate patterns and then using predicted climate changes and population ecology models to predict the future range limits of these species. The proposed work would foster involvement of graduate and undergraduate students in both lab and field aspects of ecological research. Both PIs are also involved in public education programs in the states where this work will be conducted. Most importantly, this research will build capacity to anticipate climate change impacts, including the development of methodologies that can be extended to other species and ecosystems.