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Evaluating the definition and distribution of spring ephemeral wildflowers in eastern North America
Ist Teil von
American journal of botany, 2024-05, Vol.111 (5), p.e16323-n/a
Ort / Verlag
United States: Botanical Society of America, Inc
Erscheinungsjahr
2024
Quelle
Wiley Online Library Journals Frontfile Complete
Beschreibungen/Notizen
Premise
The herbaceous layer accounts for the majority of plant biodiversity in eastern North American forests, encompassing substantial variation in life history strategy and function. One group of early‐season herbaceous understory species, colloquially referred to as spring ephemeral wildflowers, are ecologically and culturally important, but little is known about the prevalence and biogeographic patterns of the spring ephemeral strategy.
Methods
We used observations collected by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) to quantify the ephemerality of 559 understory forb species across eastern North America and classify them according to a continuous ephemerality index (ranging from 0 = never ephemeral to 1 = always ephemeral). We then used this information to model where ephemeral forbs were most common across the landscape with the goal of identifying geographic and environmental drivers important to their distributions and ranges.
Results
Only 3.4% of all understory wildflower species were spring ephemerals in all parts of their range, and 18.4% (103 species) were ephemeral in at least part of their range. Spring ephemerals peaked in absolute species richness and relative proportion at mid latitudes.
Conclusions
Spring ephemeral phenology is an important shade‐avoidance strategy for a large segment of the total understory species in temperate deciduous forests. In North America, the strategy is relatively most important for forest understories at mid latitudes. The definitions of spring ephemerality we provide here serve as an important ecological context for conservation priorities and to evaluate responses of this biodiverse group to future environmental change.