The cold dry weather is continuing and I’ve been taking the opportunity for some ice skating, but it turns out that the drought brings new research opportunities as well! Recently one discussion in the lunch room about the best places to skate in Bergen quickly turned to the ecological effects of the cold, dry conditions on the surrounding vegetation.
One interesting aspect of cold, dry winters in Bergen are the effects of drought on the heather (Calluna vulgaris), a dominant shrub in the coastal heathland and mountain ecosystems. Calluna vulgaris is susceptible to winter drought, as the frozen soils and dry conditions make it difficult for the plants to replace water loss from transpiration. This effect has been used to explain widespread ‘browning’ and Arctic dieback.
The coastal heathlands are a social-ecological system with many management challenges, where drought events like this, might add to the pile of factors working against being able to maintain them (hence them being a threatened nature type). Interactive effects of drought with other factors, including burning and grazing regimes, nitrogen pollution, and insect outbreaks can complicate the response of the vegetation to such events. Understanding where and why Calluna vulgaris is most vulnerable to browning events, and how quickly the vegetation recovers, are important management questions locally, and also reflect larger-scale challenges in relation to ecological forecasting, extreme climate events, and ecological resilience.
Our idea is to use this current extreme drought event as a case study to test some models we have been developing about mapping ecosystem vulnerability and the potential for state shifts. It’s great that a short, throwaway discussion at lunch has transformed to a full-on scramble to put together an application. Let’s see if we can get it submitted in the next few weeks/months!
Alistair Seddon
Head of Faggruppe økologi og evolusjon [Ecology and evolution group]