Responses of the clonal sedge, Carex bigelowii, to two seasons of simulated climate change

The effect of enhanced temperature was studied in open-top chambers on the arctic clonal sedge Carex bigelowii Torr. ex Schwein. at Latnjajaure Field Station, Swedish Lapland for two growing seasons. The flowering phenology of C. bigelowii accelerated during the first field season that the open-top chambers were erected. After the second season of perturbation the sexual reproductive investment was higher in the open-top chambers than in the controls and flowering phenology was still accelerated. Leaf phenology and the growth of vegetative tillers followed the same pattern in the open-top chambers as in the controls, but the leaves were longer in the open-top chambers from the end of June until the end of August. The results suggest that relatively late flowering clonal graminoids may be favoured by warmer climate, at least in the short term.