Dataset Information

Unprecedented heat wave in December 2015 and potential for winter glacier ablation in the eastern Alps.

ABSTRACT: We document the occurrence in December 2015 of unprecedented high monthly mean temperatures in the observational record of mountain sites in the eastern Alps. For the first time in the last 150 years mean December temperature exceeded 0?°C at elevations between 2100 and 2500?m, with December mean anomalies exceeding 6.5?°C with respect to the 1971-2000 mean. Along with the absence of snow cover, such temperatures might have lead to unprecedented winter ablation of glaciers in this elevation range. Smaller temperature anomalies occurred in surrounding low elevation sites, highlighting the key role of topography in this event. Specifically, strong inversions associated with the very stable synoptic conditions during the month amplified the anomalies at the high elevations of the mountain glacier sites. We analyze the processes underlying this exceptional event and place this anomaly within the context of future warming scenarios over the region.

SUBMITTER: Colucci RR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5541132 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Unprecedented heat wave in December 2015 and potential for winter glacier ablation in the eastern Alps.

Colucci Renato R RR Giorgi Filippo F Torma Csaba C

Scientific reports 20170802 1

We document the occurrence in December 2015 of unprecedented high monthly mean temperatures in the observational record of mountain sites in the eastern Alps. For the first time in the last 150 years mean December temperature exceeded 0 °C at elevations between 2100 and 2500 m, with December mean anomalies exceeding 6.5 °C with respect to the 1971-2000 mean. Along with the absence of snow cover, such temperatures might have lead to unprecedented winter ablation of glaciers in this elevation rang ...[more]

PMID: 28769092

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Project description:To assess the spatial-temporal dynamics of primary succession following deglaciation in soil-dwelling lichen communities.European Alps (Austria, Switzerland and Italy).Five glacier forelands subjected to relevant glacier retreat during the last century were investigated. In each glacier foreland, three successional stages were selected at increasing distance from the glacier, corresponding to a gradient of time since deglaciation between 25 and 160 years. In each successional stage, soil-dwelling lichens were surveyed within five 1 × 1 m plots. In addition to a classical ecological framework, based on species richness and composition, we applied a functional approach to better elucidate community assembly mechanisms.A positive relationship was found between species richness and time since deglaciation indicating that richer lichen communities can be found at increasing terrain ageing. This pattern was associated with compositional shifts, suggesting that different community assemblages can be found along the successional stages. The analysis of ?-diversity revealed a significant nested pattern of species assemblages along the gradient (i.e. earlier successional stages hosted a subset of the species already established in older successional stages), while the turnover component was less relevant. Considering functional groups, we found contrasting patterns in relation to time since deglaciation: the incidence of species with a cyanobacterial photobiont and those reproducing by spores decreased, while that of species reproducing by vegetative propagules increased.This study reveals that community assembly patterns of soil-dwelling lichens in alpine glacier forelands are ruled by mechanisms of directional species accumulation and trait selection that involve a trade-off between different functional strategies. Functional traits that reflect the dispersal and adaptation capability of the species underpin the colonization success of soil-dwelling lichens in glacier forelands.

Dataset Information

Unprecedented heat wave in December 2015 and potential for winter glacier ablation in the eastern Alps.

Publications

Unprecedented heat wave in December 2015 and potential for winter glacier ablation in the eastern Alps.

Similar Datasets

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