Success of Transplanted Alpine Tundra Plants on Niwot Ridge, Colorado

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Abstract
Six native alpine tundra plant species (2 dicotyledons [Acomastylis rossii and Sibbaldia procumbens] and 4 monocotyledons [Deschampsia caespitosa, Carex rupestris, Kobresia myosuroides and C. pyrenaica]) were transplanted (n = 1190) within and among 6 alpine microenvironments to study the success of transplanting. The 6 microenvironments are described according to gravimetric soil moisture, mean annual snow depth, length of growing season, above-ground and below-ground temperatures, and frequency and abundance of plant species. Transplant success ranged from 98% (n = 280) for D. caespitosa to 17% (n = 140) for C. rupestris. Precise determinants of transplant success are unknown, but the data suggest the following relations. Root form strongly influences success with species having fibrous roots without rhizomes or other rootstocks and/or well-developed secondary roots being most resilient to transplanting. Ecological tolerance of species was not a strong determinant of transplant success. Lastly, greater success cannot be assured by transplanting species into their natural microenvironment. The fellfield microenvironment inhibited transplant success. The relevance of the data to rehabilitation of disturbed alpine tundra is discussed.