水电开发对河岸植被影响研究进展

河岸植被是河流生态系统的重要组成部分, 在维持河流生态系统完整性和河岸生物多样性保护方面具有重要作用。目前, 水电开发影响下河岸植被的物种组成、多样性、种间关联等几方面日益受到关注, 是河流生态学研究中的重要热点。文章阐述了水电开发后河流水文、河岸生境、繁殖体扩散、外来物种入侵等影响下河岸植被的响应机制。探讨了河岸植被与生态环境的相关性, 提出了今后河岸植被与水电开发相互作用机制, 及水电开发的正负生态效应综合影响研究。     

玫瑰种群生物学研究进展

玫瑰(Rosa rugosa Thunb.)原产于我国东部沿海、日本、朝鲜半岛和俄罗斯远东地区,18世纪作为园艺种引入欧洲后逃逸并入侵至北海和波罗的海周边多个国家以及北美沙质海岸,而中国野生种群却在过去30年间持续萎缩,成为珍稀濒危物种。从玫瑰种群生物学角度,通过文献比较和综合,在阐明玫瑰生态学特性和野生分布变化的基础上,全面论述了玫瑰种群在我国的生境退化、种群动态、种子繁殖、遗传多样性、濒危机理、保育方面的成果和悬疑问题;并结合欧洲入侵种群分布范围和敏感生境、对本地群落和物种的影响、种子繁殖、遗传变异、种群扩张和模拟预测、管理和控制方面的研究进展,分析了濒危种群和入侵种群数量动态、群落组成、幼苗更新、遗传变异、管理策略方面的差异及其影响因素;进而提出未来的玫瑰研究可从濒危种群和入侵种群的比较研究、种群和灌丛的动态监测、适合度相关性状的变异及其遗传基础、基于种群生物学的保育或控制4个方面为切入点,集中探索玫瑰种群濒危和入侵动态的规律、遗传基础和主要驱动力,为玫瑰保育和管理提供理论依据,为相似物种的适应和进化机制研究提供例证。     

种子大小及其命运对植被更新贡献研究进展

种子是种子植物的繁殖体.种子对后代的资源投入将会直接影响后代的适合度进而影响到植被群落的更新.一般较大种子物种在种子萌发和幼苗生长阶段是具有较大优势的;但较小种子物种在逃避被动物采食和形成持久的土壤种子库成为植被更新的后备动力方面具有较大的优势.在不同的选择压力下,不同大小种子在以后的生活史中具有不同的命运,对植被的更新也具有不同的贡献.本文主要从种子大小和种子的传播散布、种子萌发、种子存活以及种子土壤库等方面综述了国外关于种子大小及其以后命运对植被更新贡献的研究结果,并对国内的相关研究提出了一些建议：种子生态学研究需要结合群落特点以及微环境等,开展从种子生产到幼苗更新全过程的系统性研究,为植物物种多样性保育和退化植被恢复方面提出有科学依据的管理措施.     

濒危药用植物八角莲生态生物学特征

通过样地调查和相关资料分析,对八角莲(Dysosma versipellis)生态生物学特征的研究表明,八角莲生境群落是以热带和温带植物为主的常绿和落叶阔叶混交疏林灌丛和竹林,上层乔灌木植物多为当地优势种。适宜生长的基质土壤为黄棕壤,pH为5.40-6.59,有机质、有效N、P、K和全N、P、K养分含量高(分别为19.36%、840 mg kg-1、46 mg kg-1、310 mg kg-1和9 970 mg kg-1、1 217 mg kg-1、2 603 mg kg-1)。繁殖障碍、遗传结构不利等自身因素和人类过度采挖、生境破坏等是导致八角莲濒危的主要原因。因此,其保育策略应以迁地保育和就地保育相结合,以迁地保育为主。     

柴达木盆地荒漠灌丛群落谱系结构研究

谱系信息是群落生态学和保育生物学研究的主要内容之一。为探究柴达木盆地荒漠灌丛群落谱系结构及其与环境因子的关系,该研究以柴达木盆地荒漠灌丛为对象,基于群落中物种存在与否的物种组成数据,使用R语言中picante软件包计算了灌丛群落谱系多样性指数和谱系结构指数,并且分析了谱系结构指数与年均温度、年均降水以及土壤含水量之间的关系,以揭示柴达木盆地灌丛群落物种之间的亲缘关系和群落生物多样性维持机制。结果表明:(1)柴达木盆地灌丛群落谱系结构与土壤含水量之间存在极显著相关性(P=2.77×10-6),随着土壤含水量的增加,群落谱系结构聚集程度逐渐降低,表现出生境过滤作用逐步减弱,生物间相互作用逐渐加强的变化趋势。(2)群落谱系结构与年均温度、年均降水之间无显著相关性。(3)典型荒漠生境灌丛和河谷(河漫滩)生境灌丛群落的谱系结构差异显著(P0.05),整体上分别表现为谱系聚集状态和谱系发散状态;河谷(河漫滩)生境灌丛群落的谱系多样性显著高于典型荒漠生境灌丛(P0.05)。(4)将群落谱系信息应用在生物多样性保护实践中,发现河谷(河漫滩)生境灌丛群落较典型荒漠生境的灌丛群落可能具有更高的保护价值。研究认为,将群落谱系研究与保育生物学理论结合将会使生物多样性保护策略更加科学有效。     

毛乌素沙地优势灌丛对两种松树幼苗的保育作用

选择毛乌素沙地优势灌丛柠条(Caragana intermedia)、紫穗槐(Amorpha fruticosa)和沙柳(Salix psammophila)作为保育植物,选择2年生油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)和樟子松(Pinus sylvestris)幼苗作为目标植物,将其分别种植在开阔地、柠条、紫穗槐和沙柳4种微生境下,连续3a监测油松和樟子松幼苗的存活和生长动态,从而确定毛乌素沙地优势灌丛是否对植物幼苗的定居有促进作用。结果表明:柠条、紫穗槐和沙柳冠层下光照强度、大气温度和土壤温度都显著低于开阔地,致使土壤湿度增高,油松幼苗总存活率均显著高于开阔地,而樟子松幼苗总存活率仅紫穗槐冠层下显著高于开阔地(P0.05)。紫穗槐冠层下油松和樟子松幼苗总存活率均最高(P0.05),外来种紫穗槐可选为保育植物。保育灌丛下松树幼苗的主枝生长良好,并未受到抑制,但第1年主枝生长长度最小。光照强度和土壤湿度是决定主枝生长长度的重要因素。保育灌丛高度和冠幅面积与油松和樟子松幼苗存活率呈显著正相关(P0.05)。固氮灌丛(紫穗槐和柠条)对松树幼苗存活有持续的促进作用,但柠条冠幅结构紧密,可能因为对光的竞争,减弱了促进作用。沙柳灌丛下松树幼苗的存活率较低。油松幼苗具有一定程度的耐阴性,樟子松幼苗喜光性强,保育灌丛下油松幼苗存活率显著高于樟子松幼苗(P0.05)。总的来说,保育灌丛对松树幼苗的定居有促进作用,保育植物技术可作为一种有效的恢复措施,应用在毛乌素沙地的植被恢复中来。但是,保育灌丛的选择要考虑是本土种或外来种,以及灌丛的高度、冠幅大小、冠幅结构和化学效应,恢复物种的选择要考虑其自身的生物学特性及其与保育植物的相互作用。     

两种挺水植物对水位变化的生长响应

水文情势是湿地生态系统最重要的环境因素之一,对土壤环境、物种分布及植被组成具有决定作用,长时间水淹可导致大量物种死亡,改变植被组成和结构。水文情势主要包括两个方面:水位(淹水深度、频率和持续时间等)和水质,二者都会对植被产生显著影响。湿地植物的生长、繁殖和生物量分配等在受水位的影响时表现出一定差异,且物种之间表现不一致;当高水位持续时间超过30d时,物种存活率会显著降低;而较低的水位波动     

嘉峪关草湖湿地植物谱系结构及其对不同生境的响应

植物群落中植物物种谱系结构与生境的关系是生态学研究的重要内容,对于揭示物种环境适应机制、群落构建机制等具有重要意义。为研究局域尺度上干旱区湿地、沙丘、戈壁等生境植物的环境适应机制,在嘉峪关草湖国家湿地公园内,基于物种谱系树,研究了荒漠区沼泽、盐沼、沙丘、戈壁等不同生境条件下的植物谱系结构及其变化规律。结果表明:随着生境条件的改变,土壤含水量、含盐量、容重、pH值等土壤性质发生显著变化;植物的谱系结构发生适应性的变化,沙丘的谱系多样性指数最高,盐沼次之,戈壁、沼泽的谱系多样性指数最低;不同生境的物种具有不同的谱系结构,沼泽、沙丘、戈壁生境的物种谱系结构为聚集模式,盐沼无明显谱系结构;局域尺度上,环境过滤作用是影响沼泽、沙丘、戈壁生境物种分布的主要影响因子,竞争排斥和生境过滤作用共同影响着盐沼生境物种的分布。     

农业景观非农生境植物多样性及其影响因素

农业景观是人类生活所需资料的最主要来源地和生物多样性保护的重要区域之一。黄河中下游地区是我国最重要的农业区之一,在区域农业景观中,非农生境中各群落植物物种多样性组成特征有何差异?在不同尺度上,景观异质性特征与生境特征对植物物种多样性特征有何影响?在黄河中下游典型区域布点,对区内主要非农生境(次生林、次生灌丛、人工林和农田边缘等)中的植物群落物种多样性进行调查。结果显示:(1)次生灌丛中的物种丰富度和多样性显著高于其他生境,而农田边缘也保育有较多的物种;(2)从物种组成来看,景观尺度上样点间物种多样性差异(β_2)是所有生境中物种丰富度的最主要组成部分,而次生灌丛与次生林两类自然生境中小尺度(α和β1)物种丰富度的贡献相对较高。(3)景观异质性特征指标对物种多样性的影响主要体现在样方尺度上(α_(样方)),而β和γ多样性与之的关系并不甚密切。表征生境特征的群落高度和盖度指标能更好的预测物种多样性的特征。研究发现,常用的表征景观异质性的指数在各尺度上对植物群落物种多样性特征的影响也并不显著,局地群落特征的影响更为直接和重要。在探讨景观异质性特征与生物多样性关系时,常用的多样性指数(Shannon多样性指数、均匀度指数和Simpson指数等)并不合适,而拆分后的物种丰富度会更有效。但景观异质性对生物多样性的影响也不容忽视,它的改变会是影响群落物种多样性及其组成结构的重要潜在因素,在更大尺度上景观异质性会通过对景观组成要素特征(生境组成和构型)的影响进而影响到区域植物物种丰富度的变化。     

青藏高原不同生境下湿生扁蕾(Gentianopsis paludosa)个体大小依赖的繁殖分配

植物对资源的投资和分配是生态学中的重要问题,它反映了植物应对环境变化时的生活史策略。选择青藏高原东缘同一海拔下的嵩草草甸(Kobresia sp.meadow)、金露梅灌丛(Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow)以及草甸-灌丛交错带3种生境类型,并以3种生境下的湿生扁蕾(Gentianopsis paludosa)为对象,研究了其繁殖分配特征。结果发现:(1)在种群水平上,在生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的变化中,湿生扁蕾个体大小和繁殖分配比例逐渐增加;3个种群湿生扁蕾的总花数目没有显著差异,但草甸生境湿生扁蕾的蕾期花数目显著高于灌丛生境,而果期花数目则显著低于灌丛生境;(2)在个体水平上,湿生扁蕾的繁殖绝对投入与个体大小显著正相关,且各种群植株都存在繁殖所需的个体大小阈值,而繁殖阈值在生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的过渡中逐渐减小;湿生扁蕾的繁殖相对投入与个体大小负相关,但相关系数随着生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的过渡中逐渐减小;各种群花数目与湿生扁蕾植株个体大小显著正相关。研究表明,湿生扁蕾的繁殖投资存在大小依赖效应,但生境差异会对其繁殖投资和生活史策略造成显著影响,而这种影响主要是由不同生境下自然条件的不同造成的。同时,资源分配也与湿生扁蕾的遗传特性和延迟自交的繁育系统特征有关。湿生扁蕾这种不同生境下个体大小依赖的繁殖投资差异是湿生扁蕾与其生境长期适应和进化(生境选择)的结果。     

Facilitation by nurse shrubs of resprouting behavior in a post-fire shrubland in northern Patagonia,Argentina

Abstract. The nurse-plant syndrome is a widely recognized example of positive (facilitative) influences of plant species on the establishment and growth of other species. Most studies of the nurse-plant syndrome have been on species that reproduce mainly from seed rather than vegetatively. In this study, we experimentally compared the influences of two species of nurse shrubs, Schinus patagonicus and Berberis buxifolia, on the survival and growth of vegetatively reproducing herbaceous and woody plants in a post-fire shrubland in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The vegetation beneath shrubs was removed by clipping and, in a paired-sample design, one half of the canopy of each shrub was removed. We determined species richness, counted number of resprouts, and measured photon flux density and soil moisture beneath cut and uncut halves of each shrubs. Abundances of resprouts were several times greater beneath the uncut vs. the cut shrubs, as was the mean number of species. Thus, shrubs have a strong facilitating influence as measured by resprout densities and the number of species. Numbers of resprouts and of species were twice as high beneath Schinus as beneath Berberis, implying important differences in the facilitative effects of the two shrubs species. Microsites beneath Schinus were characterized by lower and more heterogeneous light levels but by greater soil moisture. Even though the reproductive mode in this post-fire shrubland is overwhelmingly vegetative, facilitation by nurse shrubs is important and differentially effective for different species of nurse shrubs.     

Facilitation and herbivory during restoration of California coastal sage scrub

Using nurse plants to facilitate native plant recruitment in degraded habitats is a common restoration practice across various arid and semiarid environments. Living trees or shrubs are typically considered nurse plants, whereas dead shrubs left in the landscape from prolonged drought are understudied prospective facilitators for native plant recruitment. The interaction between nurse plants and biotic pressures, such as herbivory, on native recruitment is also not well understood in semiarid plant communities. We investigated the effects of facilitation and herbivory on native seedling germination, growth, and survival in the restoration of degraded coastal sage scrub (CSS) habitat. Native shrub seedlings (Artemisia californica and Salvia mellifera) were planted, and native annual species (Amsinckia intermedia, Deinandra fasciculata, Phacelia distans, and Pseudognaphalium californicum) were sown in three Shrub Type treatments (live shrub, dead shrub, and exposed areas), with a nested Cage treatment (no cage and cage) in each Shrub Type treatment. Annual species grew equally well in all Shrub Type treatments; shrub seedlings grew largest in exposed areas. While there was little evidence of facilitation for all species tested, there were strong positive effects of caging on growth and establishment of all species. Caging palatable native species or planting species with anti‐herbivory traits around target plants may be more strategic approaches compared to using nurse plants in restoring degraded CSS after extended drought.     

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.     

Facilitation by a dwarf shrub enhances plant diversity of human-valued species at high elevations in the Himalayas of Nepal

Facilitation is a global phenomenon that occurs when one species promotes the growth, survival, or reproduction of another species, mostly in stressful environments. However, the importance of facilitation by shrubs in maintaining plant community diversity is not well evaluated in the Himalayas, especially for the richness and conservation of medicinal and human-valued species. Therefore, we aimed to explore the facilitative role of a dwarf shrub species, Berberis angulosa, in maintaining plant composition and richness of human-valued species in the Langtang valley of Nepal's Himalayas. We censused plant species in open patches and beneath Berberis during monsoon and post-monsoon (dry) seasons at three elevations.Total species richness and richness of human-valued species were significantly higher inside the Berberis canopy than in gaps; the former being 39% and the latter 46% greater under shrubs than in open sites. Facilitation by Berberis shrubs promoted plant community diversity irrespective of season and elevation; however, higher differences in mean species richness for both total plant species and human-valued species during the dry season and at high elevation indicated increased facilitation intensity under more stressful conditions. The facilitative effect of Berberis shrubs increased, combining both seasons, overall plant diversity by 19% (total=105), and human-valued species by 16% (total=56). Our results show the importance of facilitation by nurse shrubs in structuring plant communities and protecting medicinal and socio-ecologically important plants, thus enriching ecosystem services in the Himalayas. These results suggest nurse plant species should be incorporated into conservation policies and management strategies for effective biodiversity conservation and sustainability, especially in the face of climate change.     

Shrubs, granivores and annual plant community stability in an arid ecosystem

Compensatory population dynamics among species stabilise aggregate community variables. Inter-specific competition is thought to be stabilising as it promotes asynchrony among populations. However, we know little about other inter-specific interactions, such as facilitation and granivory. Such interactions are also likely to influence population synchrony and community stability, especially in harsh environments where they are thought to have relatively strong effects in plant communities. We use a manipulative experiment to test the effects of granivores (harvester ants) and nurse plants (dwarf shrubs) on annual plant community dynamics in the Negev desert, Israel. We present evidence for weak and inconsistent effects of harvester ants on plant abundance and on population and community stability. By contrast, we show that annual communities under shrubs were more species rich, had higher plant density and were temporally less variable than communities in the inter-shrub matrix. Species richness and plant abundance were also more resistant to drought in the shrub under-storey compared with the inter-shrub matrix, although population dynamics in both patch types were synchronised. Hence, we show that inter-specific interactions other than competition affect community stability, and that hypothesised mechanisms linking compensatory dynamics and community stability may not operate to the same extent in arid plant communities.     

Microhabitat amelioration and reduced competition among understorey plants as drivers of facilitation across environmental gradients: Towards a unifying framework

Studies of facilitative interactions as drivers of plant richness along environmental gradients often assume the existence of an overarching stress gradient that equally affects the performance of all the species in a given community. However, co-existing species differ in their ecophysiological adaptations, and do not experience the same stress level under particular environmental conditions. Moreover, these studies assume a unimodal relationship between richness and biomass, which is not as general as previously thought. We ignored these assumptions to assess changes in plant–plant interactions and their effect on local species richness across environmental gradients in semi-arid areas of Spain and Australia. We aimed to understand the relative importance of direct (microhabitat amelioration) and indirect (changes in the competitive relationships among the understorey species: niche segregation, competitive exclusion or intransitivity) mechanisms that might underlie the effects of nurse plants on local species richness. By jointly studying these direct and indirect mechanisms using a unifying framework, we found that nurse plants (trees, shrubs and tussock grasses) increased local richness not only by expanding the niche of neighbouring species but also by increasing niche segregation among them, though the latter was not important in all cases. The outcome of the competition-facilitation continuum varied depending on the study area, likely because the different types of stress gradient considered. When driven by both rainfall and temperature, or rainfall alone, the community-wide importance of nurse plants remained constant (Spanish sites), or showed a unimodal relationship along the gradient (Australian sites). This study expands our understanding of the relative roles of plant–plant interactions and environmental conditions as drivers of local species richness in semi-arid environments. The results can also be used to refine predictions about the response of plant communities to environmental change, and to clarify the relative importance of biotic interactions as drivers of such responses.     

Non-native and native shrubs have differing impacts on species diversity and composition of associated plant communities

The spread of non-native plants has been depicted as a serious threat to biodiversity. However, it remains unclear whether the indigenousness of the invading plant plays a marked role for the ecological consequences of an invasion as few studies have compared the ecological impacts of non-native shrubs with structurally or functionally comparable native shrubs. We studied patches of introduced and native shrubs to assess whether there are general differences in plant species composition or biomass between patches formed by non-native versus native shrubs. The indigenousness of the shrub (non-native vs. native) did not explain the variation in soil nutrients, neither the production of shoot biomass or allocation of growth to different parts of the shoot. The amount of light reaching ground level did not differ between patches of a non-native and a native shrub. However, species richness and biomass of herbaceous plants were lower in patches of non-native than native shrubs and the amount of litter was higher below non-native than native shrubs. Our results suggest that the indigenousness of the patch-forming plant may be an important factor for the diversity and composition of associated herbaceous vegetation. Based on our results, resource availability (light and nutrients) is not a sufficient explanation for the negative effects of non-native shrubs on plant communities. Further research is needed to investigate whether alternative explanations, such as the novelty of the toxic compounds produced by non-native plants, can explain the differences we observed.     

The role of nurse plants in the establishment of shrub seedlings in the semi-arid subtropical Andes

In the nurse plant syndrome, or nurse association, seedlings (beneficiaries) are associated with adult shrubs/trees (benefactors). This phenomenon has been documented in several regions of the planet. Abiotic stress amelioration (one mechanism of facilitation) is one of the causes of this association. Most of the studies addressing the nurse syndrome have been conducted on spatial scales of a few hectares and have focused on only one or a few species. Moreover, there is an almost complete lack of studies addressing the incidence and characteristics of the nurse phenomenon in the arid Andes of South America. We undertook a first approximation to the study of facilitation in these ecosystems. The study was conducted at local and regional scales and involved the assessment of the spatial distribution of juveniles (seedlings and saplings) of 51 populations of 16 shrub and 12 cactus species in relation to shrub cover at 20 localities of the Prepuna (subtropical Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, 20–26°S). In terms of spatial distribution, the juveniles of most of the populations of shrubs studied were distributed both under the shrubs and in open spaces, thereby showing an apparent indifference to microhabitat. Globose and opuntioid cacti were preferentially distributed below the canopies of shrubs and were usually more associated with the dominant shrub species, which stood out as better potential nurses. The pattern was consistent throughout the region, including the more mesic and arid localities. The fact that Prepuna woody species are capable of establishing in open spaces would confer this region a greater resilience. Our findings further suggest that community dynamics in arid and semi-arid environments are more variable than previously thought.     

Facilitation by nurse plants contributes to vegetation recovery in human-disturbed desert ecosystems

Aims Facilitation by nurse plants is a common interaction in harsh environments and this positive plant–plant interaction may promote vegetation recovery in ecosystems affected by human activities. Determining the relevance of this process, however, requires assessing how nurse plants influence the establishment of other species, as well as the proportion of species in the regional species pool that would benefit from the presence of nurse plants in human-disturbed areas. Further, since vegetation recovery is a time-dependent process, the community-level consequences of facilitation are likely to vary among landscapes with different disturbance history. Thus, an integrative perspective of the relevance of nurse plants for vegetation recovery could be obtained by measuring their effects across different human-disturbed landscapes of the target region. This study focuses on these issues and uses a regional-scale approach to assess the community-level effects of a widespread nurse plant of American deserts, the creosotebush (Larrea tridentata).Methods This study was conducted in the southernmost portion of Chihuahuan Desert because most floodplain valleys of this region have been affected by human activities during the past centuries. For this study, we selected 10 floodplain valleys differing in their age (i.e. the time elapsed after human activities were ceased). At each landscape, we measured the cover of creosotebushes and the proportion of plant species positively associated with them, as well as the density of seeds in the soil beneath creosotebush canopies. All these data were regressed against the age of the landscapes. Further, to assess whether positive association patterns were due to facilitation or other processes, we conducted field experiments and measured the ecophysiological performance of plant species established beneath and outside creosotebush canopies.Important findings Most plant species from the target region were positively associated to creosotebushes, and our field experiments and ecophysiological measures indicated that these distribution patterns can be attributed to facilitative interactions. In most landscapes, the density of seeds was higher beneath creosotebushes than in the surrounding habitats, suggesting that these shrubs may also act as seed traps. The community-level effects of creosotebushes increased with landscape age and creosotebush cover, indicating that magnitude of these effects depends on the disturbance history of each site. These results highlight the relevance of performing large-scale assessments for identifying the consequences of facilitation on vegetation recovery across space and time. We then propose that this kind of large-scale approach should be taken into account in the development of conservation programs aimed at the recovery and preservation of plant biodiversity in harsh environments.     

Shrub facilitation drives tree establishment in a semiarid fog‐dependent ecosystem

Questions

The exceptional occurrence of tall rain forest patches on foggy coastal mountaintops, surrounded by extensive xerophytic shrublands, suggests an important role of plant–plant interactions in the origin and persistence of these patches in semi‐arid Chile. We asked whether facilitation by shrubs can explain the growth and survival of rain forest tree species, and whether shrub effects depend on the identity of the shrub species itself, the drought tolerance of the tree species and the position of shrubs in regard to wind direction.

Location

Open area–shrubland–forest matrix, Fray Jorge Forest National Park, Chile.

Methods

We recorded survival after 12 years of a ~3600 tree saplings plantation (originally ~30‐cm tall individuals) of Aextoxicon punctatum, Myrceugenia correifolia and Drimys winteri placed outside forests, beneath the shrub Baccharis vernalis, and in open (shrub‐free) areas. We assessed the effects of neighbouring shrubs and soil humidity on survival and growth along a gradient related to the direction of fog movement.

Results

B. vernalis had a clear facilitative effect on tree establishment and survival since, after ~12 years, saplings only survived beneath the shrub canopy. Long‐term survival strongly depended on tree species identity, drought tolerance and position along the soil moisture gradient, with higher survival of A. punctatum (>35%) and M. correifolia (>14%) at sites on wind‐ and fog‐exposed shrubland areas. Sites occupied by the shrub Aristeguietia salvia were unsuitable for trees, presumably due to drier conditions than under B. vernalis.

Conclusions

Interactions between shrubs and fog‐dependent tree species in dry areas revealed a strong, long‐lasting facilitation effect on planted tree's survival and growth. Shrubs acted as benefactors, providing sites suitable for tree growth. Sapling mortality in the shrubland interior was caused by lower soil moisture, the consequence of lower fog loads in the air and thus insufficient facilitation. While B. vernalis was a key ecosystem engineer (nurse) and intercepted fog water that dripped to trees planted underneath, drier sites with A. salvia were unsuitable for trees. Consequently, nurse effects related to water input are strongly site and species specific, with facilitation by shrubs providing a plausible explanation for the initiation of forest patches in this semi‐arid landscape.