Effects of heat waves on seed germination in 55 high montane plants from the Northern Apennines (Italy)

摘要

Future climatic models show an alarming increase in occurrence and severity of extreme climatic events, such as heat waves and drought (Schar et al 2004, IPCC 2007). However, studies on climate extremes are still an emerging research field in ecology(Jentsch et al 2007). Recent studies have shown that following climate change a subtle increase in seasonal temperature will alter the timing and the level of germination in alpine plants (Mondoni et al 2012), but little is known about the effects of short and extreme heat events. Here we investigated the effects of heat waves on seed germination across 55 high montane species growing in the Northern Apennines (Italy). The study was managed under SHARE - Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment - EvK2CNR project.