Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Human disturbance and upward expansion of plants in a warming climate

Nature Climate Change volume 7, pages 577–580 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Climate change is expected to trigger an upward expansion of plants in mountain regions1,2 and, although there is strong evidence that many native species have already shifted their distributions to higher elevations1,3,4,5,6, little is known regarding how fast non-native species might respond to climate change. By analysing 131,394 occurrence records of 1,334 plant species collected over 20 years in the European Alps, we found that non-natives are spreading upwards approximately twice as fast as natives. Whereas the spread of natives was enhanced by traits favouring longer dispersal distances, this was not the case for non-natives. This was due to the non-native species pool already being strongly biased towards species that had traits facilitating spread. A large proportion of native and non-native species seemed to be able to spread upwards faster than the current velocity of climate change. In particular, long-distance dispersal events and proximity to roads proved to be key drivers for the observed rapid spread. Our findings highlight that invasions by non-native species into native alpine communities are a potentially significant additional pressure on these vulnerable ecosystems that are already likely to suffer dramatic vegetation changes with ongoing warming and increasing human activity in mountain regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Frequency distribution of mean elevation, elevation range, and vertical spread rates for natives and non-natives.
Figure 2: Vertical spread rates and proximity to roads of native and non-native plant species along the elevational gradient.
Figure 3: Relationship between vertical spread rates and distance to roads for all plant species.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Grabherr, G., Gottfried, M. & Pauli, H. Climate effects on mountain plants. Nature 369, 448 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Walther, G. et al. Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature 416, 389–395 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lenoir, J., Gégout, J. C., Marquet, P. A., de Ruffray, P. & Brisse, H. A significant upward shift in plant species optimum elevation during the 20th century. Science 320, 1768–1771 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chen, I., Hill, J. K., Ohlemüller, R., Roy, D. B. & Thomas, C. D. Rapid range shifts of species associated with high levels of climate warming. Science 333, 1024–1026 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gottfried, M. et al. Continent-wide response of mountain vegetation to climate change. Nat. Clim. Change 2, 111–115 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Morueta-Holme, N. et al. Strong upslope shifts in Chimborazo’s vegetation over two centuries since Humboldt. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 112, 1274–12745 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Pauchard, A. et al. Ain’t no mountain high enough: plant invasions reaching new elevations. Front. Ecol. Environ. 7, 479–486 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Alexander, J. M. et al. Assembly of nonnative floras along elevational gradients explained by directional ecological filtering. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 656–661 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pyšek, P., Jarošík, V., Pergl, J. & Wild, J. Colonization of high altitudes by alien plants over the last two centuries. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 439–440 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. van Kleunen, M. et al. Global exchange and accumulation of non-native plants. Nature 525, 100–103 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Marini, L. et al. β-diversity patterns elucidate mechanisms of alien plant invasion in mountains. Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. 22, 450–460 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Corlett, R. T. & Westcott, D. Will plant movements keep up with climate change? Trends Ecol. Evol. 28, 482–488 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hulme, P. E. Alien plants confront expectations of climate change impacts. Trends Plant Sci. 19, 547–549 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Liu, Y. et al. Do invasive alien plants benefit more from global environmental change than native plants? Glob. Change Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13579 (2017).

  15. van Kleunen, M., Weber, E. & Fischer, M. A meta-analysis of trait differences between invasive and non-invasive plant species. Ecol. Lett. 13, 235–245 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Alexander, J. M., Naylor, B., Poll, M., Edwards, P. J. & Dietz, H. Plant invasions along mountain roads: the altitudinal amplitude of alien Asteraceae forbs in their native and introduced ranges. Ecography 32, 334–344 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Sorte, C. J. B. et al. Poised to prosper? A cross-system comparison of climate change effects on native and non-native species performance. Ecol. Lett. 16, 261–270 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Prosser, F., Bertolli, A. & Festi, F. Flora Illustrata del Monte Baldo (Edizioni Osiride, 2009).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Aikio, S., Duncan, R. P. & Hulme, P. E. Herbarium records identify the role of long-distance spread in the spatial distribution of alien plants in New Zealand. J. Biogeogr. 37, 1740–1751 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kelly, A. E. & Goulden, M. L. Rapid shifts in plant distribution with recent climate change. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 11823–11826 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lenoir, J. et al. Going against the flow: potential mechanisms for unexpected downslope range shifts in a warming climate. Ecography 33, 295–303 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Dullinger, S. et al. Extinction debt of high-mountain plants under twenty-first-century climate change. Nat. Clim. Change 2, 619–622 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lembrechts, J. J. et al. Mountain roads shift native and non-native plant species ranges. Ecography 40, 353–364 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lembrechts, J. J. et al. Disturbance is the key to plant invasions in cold environments. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 14061–14066 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Pyšek, P. & Hulme, P. E. Spatio-temporal dynamics of plant invasions: linking pattern to process. Ecoscience 12, 302–315 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hulme, P. E. Climate change and biological invasions: evidence, expectations, and response options. Biol. Rev. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.12282 (2016).

  27. Pergl, J., Müllerová, J., Perglová, I., Herben, T. & Pyšek, P. The role of long-distance seed dispersal in the local population dynamics of an invasive plant species. Divers. Distrib. 17, 725–738 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kaarlejärvi, E., Eskelinen, A. & Olofsson, J. Herbivory prevents positive responses of lowland plants to warmer and more fertile conditions at high altitudes. Funct. Ecol. 27, 1244–1253 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Milbau, A., Shevtsova, A., Osler, N., Mooshammer, M. & Graae, B. J. Plant community type and small-scale disturbances, but not altitude, influence the invasibility in subarctic ecosystems. New Phytol. 197, 1002–1011 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Cavieres, L. A., Quiroz, C. L., Molina-Montenegro, M. A., Muñoz, A. A. & Pauchard, A. Nurse effect of the native cushion plant Azorella monantha on the invasive non-native Taraxacum officinale in the high-Andes of central Chile. Perspect. Plant Ecol. Evol. Syst. 7, 217–226 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Marini, L. et al. Alien and native plant life-forms respond differently to human and climate pressures. Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. 21, 534–544 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Richardson, D. M. et al. Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions. Divers. Distrib. 6, 93–107 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Auer, I. et al. HISTALP—Historical instrumental climatological surface time series of the Greater Alpine Region. Int. J. Climatol. 27, 17–46 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Gobiet, A. et al. 21st century climate change in the European Alps-a review. Sci. Total Environ. 493, 1138–1151 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kotlarski, S., Bosshard, T., Lüthi, D., Pall, P. & Schär, C. Elevation gradients of European climate change in the regional climate model COSMO-CLM. Clim. Change 112, 189–215 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. GeoFabrik OpenStreetMap Data Extracts (2016); http://download.geofabrik.de

  37. Thomson, F. J., Moles, A. T., Auld, T. D. & Kingsford, R. T. Seed dispersal distance is more strongly correlated with plant height than with seed mass. J. Ecol. 99, 1299–1307 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. De Frenne, P. et al. Microclimate moderates plant responses to macroclimate warming. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110, 18561–18565 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Landolt, E. et al. Flora indicativa: Ökologische Zeigerwerte und biologische Kennzeichen zur Flora der Schweiz und der Alpen (Verlag Haupt, 2010).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Barrett, S. C. H., Colautti, R. I. & Eckert, C. G. Plant reproductive systems and evolution during biological invasion. Mol. Ecol. 17, 373–383 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Vittoz, P. & Engler, R. Seed dispersal distances: a typology based on dispersal modes and plant traits. Bot. Helv. 117, 109–124 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wilson, J. R. U., Dormontt, E. E., Prentis, P. J., Lowe, A. J. & Richardson, D. M. Something in the way you move: dispersal pathways affect invasion success. Trends Ecol. Evol. 24, 136–144 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Penone, C. et al. Imputation of missing data in life-history trait datasets: which approach performs the best? Methods Ecol. Evol. 5, 961–970 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Durka, W. & Michalski, S. G. Daphne: a dated phylogeny of a large European flora for phylogenetically informed ecological analyses. Ecology 93, 2297 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Stekhoven, D. J. & Bühlmann, P. Missforest-Non-parametric missing value imputation for mixed-type data. Bioinformatics 28, 112–118 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. R Development Core Team R R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, 2011); https://www.r-project.org

  47. Gelman, A. Scaling regression inputs by dividing by two standard deviations. Stat. Med. 27, 2865–2873 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The work of L.M., A.B. and F.P. were partly funded by the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy) within the ACE-SAP project (University and Scientific Research Service regulation number 23, June 12, 2008). S.A. was funded by the Kone Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DAFNAE, University of Padova, viale dell’Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Padova, Italy

    Matteo Dainese & Lorenzo Marini

  2. Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Matteo Dainese

  3. University of Helsinki, Finnish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 7, FIN-00014, Finland

    Sami Aikio

  4. Bio-Protection Research Centre, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, 7647, New Zealand

    Philip E. Hulme

  5. Museo Civico di Rovereto, Borgo Santa Caterina 41, 38068, Rovereto, Trento, Italy

    Alessio Bertolli & Filippo Prosser

Authors
  1. Matteo Dainese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sami Aikio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Philip E. Hulme
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alessio Bertolli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Filippo Prosser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lorenzo Marini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

L.M. conceived and designed the research; A.B. and F.P. collected and compiled the distribution data; M.D., S.A. and L.M. analysed data; M.D., P.E.H. and L.M. wrote the paper.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Matteo Dainese or Lorenzo Marini.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information (XLSX 210 kb)

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information (PDF 1012 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dainese, M., Aikio, S., Hulme, P. et al. Human disturbance and upward expansion of plants in a warming climate. Nature Clim Change 7, 577–580 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3337

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3337

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing