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Distance from Retreating Snowfields Influences Alpine Plant Functional Traits at Glacier National Park, Montana

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Mountain Landscapes in Transition

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development Goals Series ((SDGS))

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Abstract

The snowfields and glaciers of Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, are retreating due to climate change. This presents alpine plants with changes in habitat and hydrology as the extent of snowfield plant habitat diminishes. We established georeferenced transects at the formerly permanent snowfields of Siyeh Pass, Piegan Pass, and at the Clements Mountain Moraine in the Lewis Mountain Range of Glacier National Park for long-term monitoring of plant functional traits and species distribution. Field observations, taxonomic literature, and measurements of collected leaves provided data to calculate community weighted trait means (CWTM) of quantitative functional traits and the relative percent cover (RPC) of qualitative functional traits. The total percent cover of plants increased significantly with distance from the snow. Raunkiaer plant growth forms differed significantly as there was a greater abundance of cryptophytes with subterranean overwintering buds near the snow but a greater abundance of woody chamaephytes and phanerophytes away from the snow. The significantly lower CWTM of specific leaf area (SLA, mm2/mg dry weight) away from the water-rich snowfield edge suggests xeromorphy as a response to water limitation. Rhizomes may be an important colonizing mechanism for habitat exposed by retreating snow and ice, as the RPC of rhizomatous species was significantly greater near the snow and since rhizomes are clonal and carry vegetative and reproductive buds. The distribution of plant functional traits and species can be used to predict responses of alpine plants to the disappearance of snowfields and glaciers.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support of the Rocky Mountain-Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit, (RM-CESU), the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at Glacier National Park, Montana Technological University, and the field assistance of Nicky Ouellet, Rene Ouellet, Lindsay Carlson, James Gallagher, and Charlie Apple.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, 59701, USA

    Martha E. Apple

  2. Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071, USA

    Macy K. Ricketts

  3. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59801, USA

    Alice C. Martin

  4. Department of Mathematics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59801, USA

    Dennis J. Moritz

Authors
  1. Martha E. Apple
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  2. Macy K. Ricketts
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  3. Alice C. Martin
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  4. Dennis J. Moritz
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Correspondence to Martha E. Apple .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CEN Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Udo Schickhoff

  2. (Deceased) Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economy, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    R.B. Singh

  3. Department of Geography, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Suraj Mal

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Apple, M.E., Ricketts, M.K., Martin, A.C., Moritz, D.J. (2022). Distance from Retreating Snowfields Influences Alpine Plant Functional Traits at Glacier National Park, Montana. In: Schickhoff, U., Singh, R., Mal, S. (eds) Mountain Landscapes in Transition . Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70238-0_12

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