Leo Amrein
StudentGlobal warming affects plant communities worldwide, especially in cold environments. Using a passive warming approach, the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) examines the responses of vascular plants to climatic shifts in arctic and alpine environments. Shrub encroachment, phenological changes and plant functional trait variation are frequently observed effects in tundra ecosystems attributed to warming. In my thesis, I will assess the impact of ambient and experimental warming on phenology in an ITEX research site in the Swiss alps. I will measure plant phenology on the community-level as well as on the species-level. As warming might influence the length of the growing period and thus interferes with plant growth, I will examine size-related plant functional trait variation for a selection of species. Finally, I will assess potential interplays between phenology, plant functional traits and species abundance changes to shed light on future dynamics of alpine plant communities.