title: Species composition of coastal dune vegetation in Scotland has proved resistant to climate change over a third of a century.
abstract: Climate change is expected to have an impact on plant communities as increased temperatures are expected to drive individual species' distributions polewards. The results of a revisitation study after c. 34 years of 89 coastal sites in Scotland, UK, were examined to assess the degree of shifts in species composition that could be accounted for by climate change. There was little evidence for either species retreat northwards or for plots to become more dominated by species with a more southern distribution. At a few sites where significant change occurred, the changes were accounted for by the invasion, or in one instance the removal, of woody species. Also, the vegetation types that showed the most sensitivity to change were all early successional types and changes were primarily the result of succession rather than climate-driven changes. Dune vegetation appears resistant to climate change impacts on the vegetation, either as the vegetation is inherently resistant to change, management prevents increased dominance of more southerly species or because of dispersal limitation to geographically isolated sites.
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Robin J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pakeman
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beaton
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brooker
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fielding
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hewison
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Orford
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riach
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stockan
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Science, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UL, UK.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trinder
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience - Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D010944:Plants; D012606:Scotland
keywords: Scotland; machair; precipitation; sand dune; temperature; vegetation change