Climate warming-induced upward shift of Moso bamboo population on Tianmu Mountain, China

Abstract

Although increasing attention has been paid to upward shift of plant species in altitude as a response to global warming, research on this phenomenon at low altitudinal and low latitudinal zones did not receive enough attention. In this study, an investigation was carried out to test the relationship between the upward spread of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) along altitudinal gradient and the increasing air temperature over the past decade within the Tianmu Mountain region, situated in southeastern China. Results showed that the peak elevation of Moso bamboo population establishment rose by an average of 9.8 m (±2.7 m) during the past decade and significant correlation existed with mean annual temperature (P < 0.0001, n = 339) but not with annual precipitation (P = 0.7, n = 339), indicating that the upward shift of Moso bamboo along altitudinal gradients was driven primarily by warming temperatures. This upward shift could potentially reduce biodiversity by altering the species composition of the ecosystem. However, there is also the potential for increased carbon sequestration capacity of local forest systems, which would produce an additional carbon sink to combat rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and future global warming.