Impacts of early snow removal and frost on the reproductive success of <i>Delphinium nuttallianum</i>
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is causing increases in global average temperature, changes in seasonality, and altered precipitation patterns which are linked to upslope range shifts, population declines, and phenological changes. This study examines the impacts of climate induced changes in snowmelt date and episodic frost on the reproductive success of a subalpine forb species, Delphinium nuttallianum, in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado, USA. D. nuttallianum plants were exposed to early or natural snowmelt, reduced or natural frost, and natural pollination and supplemental pollen treatments and reproductive success was measured in order to explore the effects of climate change on plant reproductive fitness. While plant density within a plot and pollinator visitation rate was significantly higher in early snowmelt treatments, there was no significant difference between any of the climate change related treatments in reproductive fitness, indicating that snow melt, frost exposure, and supplemental pollination did not significantly impact the reproductive success of D. nuttallianum in 2016. However, this may partially be due to dry conditions which caused many plants to abort a substantial portion of flowers and fruits, diluting the effects of climate-related variables. These data indicate that while plants that bloom earlier might be at an advantage for attracting pollinators, further research is need to elucidate the effects of climate change on the reproductive fitness of Delphinium nuttallianum and other subalpine forbs.
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References (41)
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