|
|
Ecology of alpine plants at their uppermost limit in the Himalayas
CHLUMSKÁ, Zuzana
This dissertation studies the key abiotic factors and plant characteristics that influence the performance of the highest growing herbaceous alpine plants in Ladakh, Western Himalayas, and examines vegetation changes likely associated with climate change. The study site, located in the Rupshu region of eastern Ladakh, hosts some of the world´s highest-growing angiosperm plant species that occur above 6000 m a.s.l. The gentle slopes characteristic for the region, resulting in long elevational gradients, are particularly suitable for studying plant adaptations to the harsh dry and cold environment typical of whole Ladakh. The study presents novel insights into the causes of plant elevation limits and the direction of the vegetation shifts related to climate change at the very edge of the existence of angiosperms.
|
|
|
Diversity of floral functional traits and its seasonal changes in alpine environment
Plachtová, Kateřina ; Sklenář, Petr (advisor) ; Janeček, Štěpán (referee)
Floral functional traits characterize flowers and mediate contact between entomogamous flowers and their pollinators. Their form depends on many biotic and abiotic factors. The floral functional traits tend to be similar in high altitudes. However, the overall diversity of the floral functional traits does not vary significantly between altitudes. On the other hand, how temporal diversity of the floral functional traits varies during the flowering season was not studied yet. And this is the focus of this thesis. The aim of this study is to examine the hypothesis, whether the diversity of the floral functional traits changes in plant communities of alpine and montane meadows during the flowering season and also between them. The alpine and montane meadows are located in the area of Luční hora in the Krkonoše National Park. Morphological and spectral characteristics of the flowers were measured on both meadows. Abundance of flowering species and their flowers were measured every three weeks during five periods of the season. Diversity of the floral functional traits was obtained, for both meadows and all the measured periods of season, by weighting the floral functional traits with the species abundances. Using multivariate analysis, differences of temporal and altitudinal diversity were studied....
|
|
|
Functional diversity of flowers in alpine plant communities
Plachtová, Kateřina ; Sklenář, Petr (advisor) ; Koupilová, Klára (referee)
Alpine environment differs from other biomes with its special abiotic conditions, which may influence local plant communities. Species composition of plant communities' changes along the altitudinal gradient. So do its vegetative and generative functional traits, as well as abundance and species composition of their pollinators. This thesis mainly examines floral functional traits (morphology, color and chemical traits of flowers) and their diversity along altitudinal gradient. It attempts to find general trends that characterize altitudinal changes of these traits. Most crucial drivers are pollinators and abiotic factors of environment. Functional traits of alpine plants change in response to variation in abundance and species composition of pollinators. Since dominant pollinators in the alpine environment are Diptera, floral functional traits of local plant communities are adjusted according to their preference. However, floral functional traits are also depending on abiotic factors, which can have an opposite effect compared to biotic factors. Considering the complexity of alpine plant communities and also the complexity of the drivers, which influence them, it's extremely difficult to find unambiguous patterns to describe these changes. Nevertheless, some trends in the altitudinal changes of...
|
|
|
Ecology of alpine plants in NW Himalaya.
DVORSKÝ, Miroslav
The westernmost spur of the Tibetan Plateau stretches to Eastern Ladakh in India. It is a region which remains poorly explored because of challenging conditions and long periods of political instability. At the same time, it is one of the highest places on earth supporting angiosperm life, which goes beyond 6000 m a.s.l. here. The whole region, due its remoteness, is practically unaffected by plant invasions and direct human activities. Thus, Ladakh represents a kind of "natural experiment", providing very long gradient of elevation suitable for comparative functional ecology as well as for testing various hypotheses concerning limitations of vascular plants. Arid climate and extreme elevations are the common factors. Our team pursued the goal of systematic botanical and ecological exploration of Ladakh, started by late Leoš Klimeš. This thesis provides insight into the main vegetation types, clonality in plants, plant-plant interactions and soil phototroph communities.
|
guest ::
