Effects of Sand Dune Stabilization on the Spatial Pattern of Artemisia ordosica Population in Mu Us Desert,Northwest China

Vegetation patterns are strongly influenced by sand mobility in desert ecosystems. However, little is known about the spatial patterns of Artemisia ordosica, a dominant shrub in the Mu Us desert of Northwest China, in relation to sand fixation. The aim of this study was to investigate and contrast the effects of sand dune stabilization on the population and spatial distribution of this desert shrub. Spatial autocorrelation, semi-variance analysis, and point-pattern analysis were used jointly in this study to investigate the spatial patterns of A. ordosica populations on dunes in Yanchi County of Ningxia, China. The results showed that the spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity declined gradually, and the distance between the clustered individuals shortened following sand dune fixation. Seedlings were more aggregated than adults in all stage of dune stabilization, and both were more aggregated on shifting sand dunes separately. Spatial associations of the seedlings with the adults were mostly positive at distances of 0–5 m in shifting sand dunes, and the spatial association changed from positive to neutral in semi-fixed sand dunes. The seedlings were spaced in an almost random pattern around the adults, and their distances from the adults did not seem to affect their locations in semi-fixed sand dunes. Furthermore, spatial associations of the seedlings with the adults were negative in the fixed sand dune. These findings demonstrate that sand stabilization is an important factor affecting the spatial patterns of A. ordosica populations in the Mu Us desert. These findings suggest that, strong association between individuals may be the mechanism to explain the spatial pattern formation at preliminary stage of dune fixation. Sand dune stabilization can change the spatial pattern of shrub population by weakening the spatial association between native shrub individuals, which may affect the development direction of desert shrubs.     

Remnant shrubs in Mediterranean semi-arid steppes: effects of shrub size, abiotic factors and species identity on understorey richness and occurrence

Isolated shrub patches are a key element for community structure and dynamics in semi-arid ecosystems, and may act as “hot spots” of understorey species diversity. Despite its importance, the relationships between shrub patch characteristics and understorey species richness, and the relative importance of these characteristics against other factors driving understorey species richness, are still poorly understood. We studied perennial species richness under the canopy of late-successional shrubs in semi-arid Stipa tenacissima steppes of SE Spain. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between shrub size and understorey richness, and to test if this relationship is modified by species identity. We also aimed to know the relative importance of shrub patch characteristics and abiotic factors as predictors of the distribution of understorey species under shrub canopies. Altitude and geographical co-ordinates were able to significantly explain the patterns of shrub occurrence and abundance in the study area. Understorey species richness was significantly related to the size of individual shrubs according to a simple power relationship for all evaluated species. Slope values of linear regressions with log-transformed data, ranging between 0.22 and 0.37, did not differ between species. Site characteristics, patch characteristics and patch species identity significantly explained the occurrence of species on patches. However, the relative importance of site characteristics was higher than that of patch characteristics and species identity in explaining these patterns. Our results agree with the general expectations of the theory of island biogeography and complement previous studies that emphasise the importance of late-successional shrubs in semi-arid Stipa steppes. Environmental management activities within these steppes should promote the conservation of remnant shrubs, as well as its introduction with restoration activities.     

Impact of shrub canopies on understorey vegetation in western Eurasian tundra

Question: How does the composition and species richness of understorey vegetation associate with changing abundance of deciduous shrub canopies? What are the species‐specific associations between shrubs and understorey plants? Location: Tundra habitats along an over 1000‐km long range, spanning from NW Fennoscandia to the Yamal Peninsula in northwest Russia. Methods: The data from 758 vegetation sample plots from 12 sites comprised cover estimates of all plant species, including bryophytes and lichens, and canopy height of deciduous shrubs. The relationships between shrub volume and cover of plant groups and species richness of vegetation were investigated. In addition, species‐specific associations between understorey species and shrub volume were analysed. Results: Shrub abundance was shown to be associated with the composition of understorey vegetation, and the association patterns were consistent across the study sites. Increased forb cover was positively associated with shrub volume, whereas bryophyte, lichen, dwarf shrub and graminoid cover decreased in association with increasing volume of deciduous shrubs. The total species richness of vegetation declined with increasing shrub volume. Conclusions: The results suggest that an increase of shrubs – due to climatic warming or a decrease in grazing pressure – is likely to have strong effects on plant–plant interactions and lead to a decrease in the diversity of understorey vegetation.     

Positive effects of shrubs on plant species diversity do not change along a gradient in grazing pressure in an arid shrubland

Facilitative or positive interactions among species are driven mainly by the environmental amelioration or protection from grazing provided by nurse plants. Some studies have suggested that protection from grazing is inconsequential in water-limited environments because of low herbivore densities and their grazing effects. Others, however, argue that herbivores have a major effect on semi-arid plant communities, and that protection from grazing is a significant factor driving positive plant–plant interactions in such environments. We identified a gradient in grazing pressure in a semi-arid shrubland in south-eastern Australia along which we compared soil condition, incident radiation and plant composition beneath two nurse shrub species with open (shrub-free) interspaces. Our aim was to assess the degree of microclimatic amelioration provided by both shrubs, and changes in the interactions (intensity, importance and frequency) between both nurse shrubs and their understorey species, and their effects on species richness at the community level. Both the relative interaction intensity (RII) and interaction importance (I_imp) indices of plant–plant interactions were generally positive and independent of grazing pressure. Soil beneath both nurse plants had significantly greater indices of nutrient cycling and infiltration, and contained more C and N than soil in the open. Almost twice as many species occurred under the canopies of both shrubs (44 species) than in the open (23 species), and the composition of species differed significantly among microsites. Fifty-four percent of all perennial plant species occurred exclusively under shrubs. Our results suggest that environmental amelioration is a stronger driver of the facilitatory effect of shrubs on their understorey species than protection from grazing. Our conclusions are based on the fact that the substantial effect of plant–plant interactions on plant species richness was largely independent of grazing pressure. Irrespective of the underlying mechanism for this effect, our study illustrates the ecological role of shrubs as refugia for understorey plants in semi-arid environments and cautions against management practices aimed at reducing shrub populations.     

镜泊湖岩溶台地不同植被类型土壤微生物群落特征

为了探讨不同演替阶段植被类型土壤微生物群落特征,分别选取镜泊湖岩溶台地草本、矮灌木、高灌木、小乔木与灌木混生(简称混生)群落、落叶阔叶林及针阔混交林6种典型植被类型,进行植物群落调查和对土壤微生物生物量、群落结构和多样性指标、土壤物理化学性质的测定。结果表明：从土壤微生物量、土壤微生物群落组成、土壤微生物代谢动力学过程和代谢功能多样性的角度来看,各种植被类型土壤微生物群落具有明显的差异。演替前期的草本群落土壤微生物量碳氮、细菌生物量、真菌生物量,代谢活性及丰富度指数均最低,但Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和均匀度指数显著(P<0.05)高于其他植被类型。矮灌木土壤微生物群落组成显著受植被类型的影响。高灌木群落和混生(小乔木与灌木混生)群落具有极强的相似性, 但在碳源利用类型上两者表现出一定的差异。落叶阔叶林代谢活性最高,碳源利用能力最强,能利用BIOLOG微孔板中的所有31种碳源,这与其具有较高的微生物量碳氮和细菌生物量一致,其代谢功能丰富度最高。演替后期的针阔混交林下的土壤pH最低,真菌比例升高,在碳源丰富的条件下具有极强的竞争优势(仅次于落叶阔叶林),但在碳源贫瘠的条件下其利用碳源能力较弱(仅高于草本)。植被可能主要通过土壤全磷和有机质影响土壤微生物代谢功能多样性。     

Disentangling direct and indirect effects of a legume shrub on its understorey community

Direct and indirect interactions among plants contribute to shape community composition through above‐ and belowground processes. However, we have not disentangled yet the direct and indirect soil and canopy effects of dominants on understorey species. We addressed this issue in a semi‐arid system from southeast Spain dominated by the legume shrub Retama sphaerocarpa. During a year with an exceptionally dry spring, we removed the shrub canopy to quantify aboveground effects and compared removed‐canopy plots to open plots between shrubs to quantify soil effects, both with and without watering. We added a grass removal treatment in order to separate direct from indirect shrub effects and quantified biomass, abundance, richness and composition of the forb functional group. With watering, changes in forb biomass were primarily driven by indirect shrub effects, with contrasting negative soil and positive aboveground indirect effects; changes in forb abundance and composition were more influenced by direct shrub soil effects with contrasting species composition between open and Retama patches. As community composition was different between open and Retama patches the indirect effects of Retama on forb species did not concern forbs from the open community but forbs from Retama patches. Indirect effects are, thus, important at the functional group level rather than at the species level. Without watering, there were no significant interactions. Changes in species richness between treatments were weak and seldom significant. We conclude that shrub effects on understorey forbs are primarily due to their influence on soil properties, directly affecting forb species composition but indirectly affecting the biomass of the forbs of the Retama patches, and only with sufficient water.     

Water availability drives aboveground biomass and bird richness in forest restoration plantings to achieve carbon and biodiversity cobenefits

To combat global warming and biodiversity loss, we require effective forest restoration that encourages recovery of species diversity and ecosystem function to deliver essential ecosystem services, such as biomass accumulation. Further, understanding how and where to undertake restoration to achieve carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation would provide an opportunity to finance ecosystem restoration under carbon markets. We surveyed 30 native mixed‐species plantings in subtropical forests and woodlands in Australia and used structural equation modeling to determine vegetation, soil, and climate variables most likely driving aboveground biomass accrual and bird richness and investigate the relationships between plant diversity, aboveground biomass accrual, and bird diversity. We focussed on woodland and forest‐dependent birds, and functional groups at risk of decline (insectivorous, understorey‐nesting, and small‐bodied birds). We found that mean moisture availability strongly limits aboveground biomass accrual and bird richness in restoration plantings, indicating potential synergies in choosing sites for carbon and biodiversity purposes. Counter to theory, woody plant richness was a poor direct predictor of aboveground biomass accrual, but was indirectly related via significant, positive effects of stand density. We also found no direct relationship between aboveground biomass accrual and bird richness, likely because of the strong effects of moisture availability on both variables. Instead, moisture availability and patch size strongly and positively influenced the richness of woodland and forest‐dependent birds. For understorey‐nesting birds, however, shrub cover and patch size predicted richness. Stand age or area of native vegetation surrounding the patch did not influence bird richness. Our results suggest that in subtropical biomes, planting larger patches to higher densities, ideally using a diversity of trees and shrubs (characteristics of ecological plantings) in more mesic locations will enhance the provision of carbon and biodiversity cobenefits. Further, ecological plantings will aid the rapid recovery of woodland and forest bird richness, with comparable aboveground biomass accrual to less diverse forestry plantations.     

Evolutionary characteristics of the artificially revegetated shrub ecosystem in the Tengger Desert, northern China

The rain-fed sand-binding vegetation which stabilizes the migrating desert dunes in the Shapotou area at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert was initiated in 1956. The shrubs initially employed were predominantly Caragana korshinskii, Hedysarum scoparium, and Artemisia ordosica, and a desert shrub ecosystem with a dwarf shrub and microbiotic soil crust cover on the stabilized sand dunes has since developed. Since 1956 the success of this effort has not only ensured the smooth operation of the Baotou–Lanzhou railway in the sand dune area but has also played an important role in the restoration of the local eco-environment; therefore, it is viewed as a successful model for desertification control and ecological restoration along the transport infrastructure in the arid desert region of China. Some of the effects of recovery from desertification and ecological restoration on soil properties are shown by the increase in the distribution of fine soil particles, organic matter, and nutrients. The physical surface structure of the stabilized sand dunes, and inorganic soil crusts formed by atmospheric dust, have also led to the gradual formation of microbiotic soil crusts. Sand dune stabilization is associated with: (1) decreased soil particle size, (2) increased total N, (3) increased thickness of microbiotic crusts, (4) increased thickness of subsoil, and (5) an increase in volumetric soil moisture in the near-surface environment. After 17 years of dune stabilization, both the number of shrubs and community biomass decreased. The number of microbes, plant species and vegetation cover, all attained a maximum after the dunes had stabilized for 40 years. There is a significant positive correlation between the fractal dimension of soil particle size distribution (PSD) and the clay content of the shallow soil profile in the desert shrub ecosystem; the longer the period of dune stabilization, the greater the soil clay content in the shallow soil profiles (0–3 cm), and the greater the fractal dimension of soil PSD. This reflects the fact that during the revegetation processes, the soil structure is better developed, especially in the upper profile. Hence, the migrating sand dune becomes more stabilized. Therefore, the fractal model can be used to describe the texture and fertility of the soil, and, along with the degree of stability of the previously migrating sand dunes, can be used as an integrated quantitative index to evaluate the revegetation practice in the sand dune areas and their stabilization.     

Shrubs as ecosystem engineers across an environmental gradient: effects on species richness and exotic plant invasion

Ecosystem-engineering plants modify the physical environment and can increase species diversity and exotic species invasion. At the individual level, the effects of ecosystem engineers on other plants often become more positive in stressful environments. In this study, we investigated whether the community-level effects of ecosystem engineers also become stronger in more stressful environments. Using comparative and experimental approaches, we assessed the ability of a native shrub (Ericameria ericoides) to act as an ecosystem engineer across a stress gradient in a coastal dune in northern California, USA. We found increased coarse organic matter and lower wind speeds within shrub patches. Growth of a dominant invasive grass (Bromus diandrus) was facilitated both by aboveground shrub biomass and by growing in soil taken from shrub patches. Experimental removal of shrubs negatively affected species most associated with shrubs and positively affected species most often found outside of shrubs. Counter to the stress-gradient hypothesis, the effects of shrubs on the physical environment and individual plant growth did not increase across the established stress gradient at this site. At the community level, shrub patches increased beta diversity, and contained greater rarified richness and exotic plant cover than shrub-free patches. Shrub effects on rarified richness increased with environmental stress, but effects on exotic cover and beta diversity did not. Our study provides evidence for the community-level effects of shrubs as ecosystem engineers in this system, but shows that these effects do not necessarily become stronger in more stressful environments.     

Severe dry winter affects plant phenology and carbon balance of a cork oak woodland understorey

Mediterranean climates are prone to a great variation in yearly precipitation. The effects on ecosystem will depend on the severity and timing of droughts. In this study we questioned how an extreme dry winter affects the carbon flux in the understorey of a cork oak woodland? What is the seasonal contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem productivity?We used closed-system portable chambers to measure CO₂ exchange of the dominant shrub species (Cistus salviifolius, Cistus crispus and Ulex airensis), of the herbaceous layer and on bare soil in a cork oak woodland in central Portugal during the dry winter year of 2012. Shoot growth, leaf shedding, flower and fruit setting, above and belowground plant biomass were measured as well as seasonal leaf water potential. Eddy-covariance and micrometeorological data together with CO₂ exchange measurements were used to access the understorey species contribution to ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP).The herbaceous layer productivity was severely affected by the dry winter, with half of the yearly maximum aboveground biomass in comparison with the 6 years site average. The semi-deciduous and evergreen shrubs showed desynchronized phenophases and lagged carbon uptake maxima. Whereas shallow-root shrubs exhibited opportunistic characteristics in exploiting the understorey light and water resources, deep rooted shrubs showed better water status but considerably lower assimilation rates. The contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP was lower during summer with 14% and maximum during late spring, concomitantly with the lowest tree productivity due to tree canopy renewal. The herbaceous vegetation contribution to ecosystem GPP never exceeded 6% during this dry year stressing its sensitivity to winter and spring precipitation.Although shrubs are more resilient to precipitation variability when compared with the herbaceous vegetation, the contribution of the understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP can be quite variable and will ultimately depend of tree density and canopy cover.     

Seed Bank and Understorey Species Composition in a Semi-arid Environment: The Effect of Shrub Age and Rainfall

Understorey vegetation in patches of Retama sphaerocarpa shrubsin semi-arid environments is dependent on the overstorey shrublife history. Community structure changes with shrub age asa result of physical amelioration of environmental conditionsby the canopy and organic matter accumulation in the soil. Weinvestigated the effect of the canopy on understorey speciesdiversity in the field and its relationships with the soil seedbank under 50 shrubs from 5 to 25+ years old, and compared speciescomposition in the field in a wet and a dry year. Species compositionof the soil seed bank under R. sphaerocarpa shrubs did not differsignificantly with shrub age, but seed density increased asthe shrubs aged. In the field, community composition changedwith shrub age, increasing species richness in a process thatdepended on the amount of spring rainfall. Our results suggestthat the soil seed bank is rather uniform and that the shrubcanopy strongly selects which species appear in the understorey.There were seeds of many species present under both young andold shrubs but which only established under old shrubs. Thisshowed dispersal was not limiting species abundance and suggestedthat the canopy was an important sorting factor for speciespresent in the understorey. Less frequent species contributedthe most to patch diversity, and rainfall effectively controlledspecies emergence. Understorey community composition dependedon multiple interspecific interactions, such as facilitationby the shrub and competition from neighbours, as well as ondispersal processes. Facilitation in this environment is a keyfeature in the structuring of plant communities and in governingecosystem functioning. Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company Community structure, competition, dispersal, facilitation, species composition, rainfall variability, Retama sphaerocarpa, seed bank, semi-arid environments     

Spatial Patterns and Natural Recruitment of Native Shrubs in a Semi-arid Sandy Land

Passive restoration depending on native shrubs is an attractive approach for restoring desertified landscapes in semi-arid sandy regions. We sought to understand the relationships between spatial patterns of native shrubs and their survival ability in sandy environments. Furthermore, we applied our results to better understand whether passive restoration is feasible for desertified landscapes in semi-arid sandy regions. The study was conducted in the semi-arid Mu Us sandy land of northern China with the native shrub Artemisia ordosica. We analyzed population structures and patterns of A. ordosica at the edges and centers of land patches where sand was stabilized by A. ordosica-dominated vegetation. Saplings were more aggregated than adults, and both were more aggregated at the patch edges than at the patch centers. At the patch edges, spatial association of the saplings with the adults was mostly positive at distances 0.3–6.6 m, and turned from positive to neutral, and even negative, at other distances. At the patch centers, the saplings were spaced almost randomly around the adults, and their distances from the adults did not seem to affect their locations. A greater number of A. ordosica individuals emerged at the patch edges than at the patch centers. Such patterns may have resulted from their integrative adjustment to specific conditions of soil water supply and sand drift intensity. These findings suggest that in semi-arid sandy regions, native shrubs that are well-adapted to local environments may serve as low-cost and competent ecological engineers that can promote the passive restoration of surrounding patches of mobile sandy land.     

Shrubs as ecosystem engineers in a coastal dune: influences on plant populations,communities and ecosystems

Question: How do two shrubs with contrasting life‐history characteristics influence abundance of dominant plant taxa, species richness and aboveground biomass of grasses and forbs, litter accumulation, nitrogen pools and mineralization rates? How are these shrubs – and thus their effects on populations, communities and ecosystems – distributed spatially across the landscape? Location: Coastal hind‐dune system, Bodega Head, northern California. Methods: In each of 4 years, we compared vegetation, leaf litter and soil nitrogen under canopies of two native shrubs –Ericameria ericoides and the nitrogen‐fixing Lupinus chamissonis– with those in adjacent open dunes. Results: At the population level, density and cover of the native forb Claytonia perfoliata and the exotic grass Bromus diandrus were higher under shrubs than in shrub‐free areas, whereas they were lower under shrubs for the exotic grass Vulpia bromoides. In contrast, cover of three native moss species was highest under Ericameria and equally low under Lupinus and shrub‐free areas. At community level, species richness and aboveground biomass of herbaceous dicots was lower beneath shrubs, whereas no pattern emerged for grasses. At ecosystem level, areas beneath shrubs accumulated more leaf litter and had larger pools of soil ammonium and nitrate. Rates of nitrate mineralization were higher under Lupinus, followed by Ericameria and then open dune. At landscape level, the two shrubs – and their distinctive vegetation and soils – frequently had uniform spatial distributions, and the distance separating neighbouring shrubs increased as their combined sizes increased. Conclusions: Collectively, these data suggest that both shrubs serve as ecosystem engineers in this coastal dune, having influences at multiple levels of biological organization. Our data also suggest that intraspecific competition influenced the spatial distributions of these shrubs and thus altered the distribution of their effects throughout the landscape.     

Soil as a mediator in plant‐plant interactions in a semi‐arid community

Abstract. Competition and facilitation may occur simultaneously in plant communities, and the prevalence of either process depends on abiotic conditions. Here we attempt a community‐wide approach in the analysis of plant interactions, exploring whether in a semi‐arid environment positive or negative interactions predominate and whether there are differences among co‐occurring shrub species. Most shrubs in our plot exerted significant effects on their understorey communities, ranging from negative to positive. We found a clear case of interference and another case where the effect was neutral, but facilitation predominated and the biomass of annuals under most shrubs in our community was larger than in gaps. Effects on soil water and fertility were revealed as the primary source of facilitation; the build‐up of soil organic matter changed soil physical properties and improved soil water relations. Facilitation by shrubs involved decoupling of soil temperature and moisture. Sheltering from direct radiation had an effect on productivity, but significant differences in understorey biomass did not parallel understorey light environment. A positive balance of the interaction among plants, essentially mediated by changes in soil properties, is the predominant outcome of plant interactions in this semi‐arid community.     

Disturbance of suburban Fagus forests by recreational activities: Effects on soil characteristics,above‐ground vegetation and seed bank

Questions: How does recreational disturbance (human trampling) affect soil characteristics, the performance of the understorey vegetation, and the density and species composition of the soil seed bank in Fagus sylvatica forests? Location: Suburban forests near Basel, northwestern Switzerland. Methods: We compared various soil characteristics and the performance of the understorey vegetation in six beech forest areas frequently disturbed by recreational activities with those in six undisturbed control areas, in spring 2003. In the same forest areas, the soil seed bank was investigated using the seedling emergence method. Samples were obtained from soil cores in January 2003. Results: We found substantial changes in soil compaction, above‐ground vegetation and in the soil seed bank due to recreational activities. In frequently visited areas, soil compaction was enhanced which caused a decrease in cover, height and species richness of both herb and shrub layers. Compared with control areas, the number of trampling‐tolerant species of the seed bank was significantly higher in disturbed areas, and total species richness tended to be higher in disturbed than in control areas. Furthermore, the similarity in species composition between the above‐ground vegetation and seed bank was significant lower in disturbed than in control areas. Conclusions: The intensive use of suburban forests for recreational activities, mainly picnicking, affects the vegetation of natural beech forests. Our study indicates that a restoration of degraded forest areas from the soil seed bank would result in a substantial change of the vegetation composition.     

Impacts of a woody invader vary in different vegetation communities

The impact of an exotic species in natural systems may be dependent not only on invader attributes but also on characteristics of the invaded community. We examined impacts of the invader bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata , in fore and hind dune communities of coastal New South Wales, Australia. We compared invader impacts on vegetation structure, richness of both native and exotic growth forms and community variability in fore and hind dunes. We found that impacts of bitou invasion were context specific: in fore dune shrublands, functionally distinct graminoid, herb and climber rather than shrub growth forms had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. However, in forested hind dunes, the functionally similar native shrub growth form had significantly reduced species richness following bitou invasion. Density of vegetation structure increased at the shrub level in both fore and hind dune invaded communities compared with non-invaded communities. Fore dune ground-level vegetation density declined at invaded sites compared with non-invaded sites, reflecting significant reductions in herb and graminoid species richness. Hind dune canopy-level vegetation density was reduced at invaded compared with non-invaded sites. Bitou bush invasion also affected fore dune community variability with significant increases in variability of species abundances observed in invaded compared with non-invaded sites. In contrast, variability among all hind dune sites was similar. The results suggest that effects of bitou bush invasion are mediated by the vegetation community. When bitou bush becomes abundant, community structure and functioning may be compromised.     

Mechanisms of interaction between a leguminous shrub and its understorey in a semi-arid environment

Retama sphaerocarpa shrubs in semi-and environments often have a dense understorey of annual and perennial herbs forming so-called "islands of fertility" The effect of the canopy on soil fertility and microclimate and the combined effect of canopy and litter on species diversity and productivity were assessed under Retama spliaerocarpa shrubs in a semi-and environment in southeast Spain Soil chemical properties differed significantly among three positions under the canopy, particularly between inner and outer positions The potential mineralization rate of organic matter was significantly higher in soils from an intermediate position under the canopy than in soils from either the centre and the edge Soil chemical fertility and estimated soil seed bank were highest also in soil at an intermediate position and lowest in soil from the edge The understorey flora was favoured by the lower temperature and irradiation and increased soil fertility under the shrubs canopies Species emerging from the soil seed bank separated clearly into two groups which occupied inner and outer positions under the canopy Different levels of addition of Retama litter significantly decreased species richness and the number of emerged seedlings In the field, pots placed near the centre, at an intermediate position and at the edge of the canopy of Retama shrubs differed significantly in species richness and biomass production Overall, micro-climatic conditions combined with increased chemical fertility of the soil and inhibitory effects of litter to produce a large biomass of herbs at intermediate positions between the centre and the edge of the canopy. The high proportion of litter from annual species in that position increases the mineralization rate and hence nutrient dynamics in a process which also could benefit the shrub     

An unfortunate alliance: Native shrubs increase the abundance,performance, and apparent impacts of Bromus tectorum across a regional aridity gradient

Interspecific facilitation contributes to the assembly of desert plant communities. However, we know little of how desert communities invaded by exotic species respond to facilitation along regional-scale aridity gradients. These measures are essential for predicting how desert plant communities might respond to concomitant plant invasion and environmental change. Here, we evaluated the potential for Bromus tectorum (a dominant invasive plant species) and the broader herbaceous plant community to form positive associations with native shrubs along a substantial aridity gradient across the Great Basin, Mojave, and San Joaquin Deserts in North America. Along this gradient, we sampled metrics of abundance and performance for B. tectorum, all native herbaceous species combined, all exotic herbaceous species combined, and the total herbaceous community using 180 pairs of shrub and open microsites. Across the gradient, B. tectorum formed strong positive associations with native shrubs, achieving 1.6–2.2 times greater abundance, biomass, and reproductive output under native shrubs than away from shrubs, regardless of relative aridity. In contrast, the broader herbaceous community was not positively associated with native shrubs. Interestingly, increasing B. tectorum abundance corresponded to decreasing native abundance, native species richness, exotic species richness, and total species richness under but not away from shrubs. Taken together, these findings suggest that native shrubs have considerable potential to directly (by increasing abundance and performance) and indirectly (by increasing competitive effects on neighbors) facilitate B. tectorum invasion across a large portion of the non-native range.     

Vegetation recovery and plant facilitation in a human-disturbed lava field in a megacity: searching tools for ecosystem restoration

Unplanned urban development threatens natural ecosystems. Assessing ecosystem recovery after anthropogenic disturbances and identifying plant species that may facilitate vegetation regeneration are critical for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban areas. At the periphery of Mexico City, illegal human settlements produced different levels of disturbance on natural plant communities developed on a lava field near the Ajusco mountain range. We assessed natural regeneration of plant communities 20 years after the abandonment of the settlements, in sites that received low (manual harvesting of non-timber forest products), medium (removal of aboveground vegetation), and high (removal of substrate and whole vegetation) disturbance levels. We also tested the potential facilitative role played by dominant tree and shrub species. Plant diversity and vegetation biomass decreased as disturbance level increased. Sites with high disturbance level showed poor regeneration and the lowest species similarity compared to the least disturbed sites. Six dominant species (i.e., those with the highest abundance, frequency, and/or basal area) were common to all sites. Among them, three species (the tree Buddleja cordata, and two shrubs, Ageratina glabrata and Sedum oxypetalum) were identified as potential facilitators of community regeneration, because plant density and species richness were significantly higher under their canopies than at open sites. We propose that analyzing community structural traits of the successional vegetation (such as species diversity and biomass) and identifying potential facilitator species are useful steps in assessing the recovery ability of plant communities to anthropogenic disturbances, and in designing restoration strategies.     

Beneath the veil: plant growth form influences the strength of species richness–productivity relationships in forests

Aim Species richness has been observed to increase with productivity at large spatial scales, though the strength of this relationship varies among functional groups. In forests, canopy trees shade understorey plants, and for this reason we hypothesize that species richness of canopy trees will depend on macroclimate, while species richness of shorter growth forms will additionally be affected by shading from the canopy. In this study we test for differences in species richness–productivity relationships (SRPRs) among growth forms (canopy trees, shrubs, herbaceous species) in small forest plots. Location We analysed 231 plots ranging from 34.0° to 48.3° N latitude and from 75.0° to 124.2° W longitude in the United States. Methods We analysed data collected by the USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis program for plant species richness partitioned into different growth forms, in small plots. We used actual evapotranspiration as a macroclimatic estimate of regional productivity and calculated the area of light‐blocking tissue in the immediate area surrounding plots for an estimate of the intensity of local shading. We estimated and compared SRPRs for different partitions of the species richness dataset using generalized linear models and we incorporated the possible indirect effects of shading using a structural equation model. Results Canopy tree species richness increased strongly with regional productivity, while local shading primarily explained the variation in herbaceous plant richness. Shrub species richness was related to both regional productivity and local shading. Main conclusions The relationship between total forest plant species richness and productivity at large scales belies strong effects of local interactions. Counter to the pattern for overall richness, we found that understorey herbaceous plant species richness does not respond to regional productivity gradients, and instead is strongly influenced by canopy density, while shrub species richness is under multivariate control.