Table 1.
A comparison of canopy-level air temperature (a1) and concurrent soil temperature (a2) in Quercus macranthera at the upper limit of oak woodlands, as well as soil temperatures under treeless vegetation at higher elevations (b–i) in the Central Alborz. Temperatures as means or extremes in °C (temperature differences in K)
| Site | a1 | a2 | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation (m a.s.l.) | 2406 | 2406 | 3475 | 3690 | 3693 | 3695 | 3662 | 3710 | 4212 | 4850 |
| Slope direction | SW | SW | S | – | SW | – | SW | SW | S | S |
| Slope (°) | 30 | 30 | 25 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 30 |
| Start (DD.MM.YY) | 03.06.14 | 03.06.14 | 03.09.08 | 13.08.15 | 13.08.15 | 13.08.15 | 13.08.08 | 13.08.08 | 13.08.15 | 13.08.15 |
| End (DD.MM.YY) | 02.06.15 | 02.06.15 | 02.09.11 | 12.08.16 | 12.08.16 | 12.08.16 | 12.08.11 | 12.08.11 | 12.08.16 | 12.08.16 |
| Abs. minimum | − 13.9 | − 0.9 | − 4.8 | − 0.1 | − 0.7 | − 0.1 | − 7.6 | − 13.9 | − 12.1 | − 18.3 |
| Abs. maximum | 32.4 | 17.7 | 30.7 | 22.8 | 16.8 | 24.3 | 27.7 | 27.8 | 17.1 | 13.6 |
| Amplitude (K) | 46.3 | 18.6 | 35.5 | 22.9 | 17.5 | 24.4 | 35.3 | 41.7 | 29.2 | 31.9 |
| Seasonal mean | 13.3 | 11.3 | 14.5 | 10.0 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 6.5 | 4.5 |
| Seasonal median | 13.7 | 12.2 | 15.2 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 11.1 | 6.7 | 4.7 |
| Warmest month minimum | 14.3a | 14.7a | 15.2c | 9.4a | 8.8c | 11.7c | 12.8c | 14.7c | 5.3c | 1.1c |
| Warmest month mean | 18.1a | 15.4a | 20.7c | 14.4a | 11.3c | 15.5c | 17.4c | 18.2c | 9.2c | 5.2c |
| Warmest month maximum | 23.4a | 16.4a | 27.1c | 19.9a | 14.3c | 20.1c | 23.7c | 22.2c | 13.3c | 9.2c |
| Coldest month mean | − 0.2b | − 0.1b | − 0.4d | 0.0b | 0.0b | 0.0b | − 4.5b | − 8.3b | − 7.9b | − 12.4b |
The data of sites a1 and a2 are means for two measuring locations at similar elevations each. For locations b, f and g, the data represent means for three years. For the individual years see Fig. S3. For other sites, the data are for one year. For locations see Fig. 1, and for soil temperature diagrams and photographs of vegetations types see Fig 2. The vegetation types and the dominant species of the communities: (a) upper limit of oak woodlands (Quercus macranthera); (b) subalpine scree (Prangos uloptera); (c) highalpine snowbed (Ranunculus crymophilus); (d) highalpine thorn-shrub (Astragalus jodotropis); (e) highalpine thorn-herb (Cousinia multiloba); (f) highalpine thorn-cushion (Acantholimon demawendicum); (g) highalpine ridge (Jurinella frigida); (h) thorn-cushion upper limit (Astragalus macrosemius); (i) vascular plants upper limit (Didymophysa aucheri)
aAugust; bJanuary; cJuly; dDecember