Yellow Bush Lupine Invasion in Northern California Coastal Dunes II. Mechanical Restoration Techniques

Invasion of coastal dunes by Lupinus arboreus (yellow bush lupine) results in soil enrichment and displacement of native plants. Restoration by means of heavy equipment was tested as an alternative to costly manual techniques in a heavily invaded area of relatively flat terrain. Two experiments were conducted in consecutive years at the Eureka Dunes Protected Area in Humboldt County, California. Each experiment consisted of three plots subjected to one of three primary treatments: removal of vegetation with a brush rake, removal of vegetation with a brush rake followed by removal of litter and duff with a plough blade or bucket, and removal of vegetation with tractor-pulled chokers. Plots were then subdivided into smaller secondary treatment plots subjected to one of two treatments or a control. Secondary treatments consisted of weedmat placed for a 1- or 2-year duration. The goal of the treatments was to remove and prevent reestablishment of nonnative vegetation, including but not limited to bush lupine; success was measured by percent cover of recolonizing vegetation 1.5 years after treatment ended. In the first experiment, primary treatment (vegetation removal) but not secondary (prevention of reestablishment) resulted in significant differences in cover by the end of the experiment. The brush rake and plough blade treatment was most successful at preventing reestablishment of nonnative vegetation. In the second experiment, secondary treatment (prevention of reestablishment) but not primary (removal of vegetation) resulted in significant differences at the end of the experiment. Re-invasion increased with the amount of time subplots were left uncovered. The difference in the results of the first and second experiments was attributed to variation in rainfall and, to a lesser extent, to localized variation in species composition. Results suggest that mechanical restoration by means of combination of the brush rake and plough blade primary treatment with the 2-year weedmat secondary treatment would be most successful in meeting the dual goals of removal of nonnative vegetation and prevention of its reestablishment.     

Long-Term Effects of Reclamation Treatments on Plant Succession in Iceland

The long‐term effects (20–45 years) of reclamation treatments on plant succession are examined at two localities in Iceland that were fertilized and seeded from 1954 to 1979 with perennial grasses or annual grasses, or left untreated. The areas that underwent reclamation treatments had significantly higher total plant cover (7–100%) than the untreated control plots (<5%), and floristic composition was usually significantly different between treated and untreated plots. Dwarf‐shrubs (Calluna vulgaris and Empetrum nigrum), bryophytes, biological soil crust, grasses, and shrubs characterized the vegetation in the treated plots, but low‐growing herbs that have negligible effects on the environment, such as Cardaminopsis petraea and Minuartia rubella, and grasses characterized the control plots. The seeded grass species had declined (<10%, the perennials) or disappeared (the annuals) but acted as nurse species that facilitated the colonization of native plants. It seems that by seeding, some factors that limit plant colonization were overcome. Soil nutrients, vegetation cover, litter, and biological soil crust were greater in the treated areas than the control plots. This may have enhanced colonization through an increase in soil stability and fertility, increased availability of safe microsites, increased moisture, and the capture of wind‐blown seeds. This study demonstrates the importance of looking at the long‐term effects of reclamation treatments to understand their impact on vegetation succession.     

Increase in nonnative understorey vegetation cover after nonnative conifer removal and passive restoration

Nonnative conifers are widespread in the southern hemisphere, where their use as plantation species has led to adverse ecosystem impacts sometimes intensified by invasion. Mechanical removal is a common strategy used to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of nonnative conifers, and encourage native regeneration. However, a variety of factors may preclude active ecological restoration following removal. As a result, passive restoration – unassisted natural vegetation regeneration – is common following conifer removal. We asked, ‘what is the response of understorey cover to removal of nonnative conifer stands followed by passive restoration?' We sampled understorey cover in three site types: two‐ to ten‐year‐old clearcuts, native forest and current plantations. We then grouped understorey species by origin (native/nonnative) and growth form, and compared proportion and per cent cover of these groups as well as of bare ground and litter between the three site types. For clearcuts, we also analysed the effect of time since clearcut on the studied variables. We found that clearcuts had a significantly higher average proportion of nonnative understorey vegetation cover than native forest sites, where nonnative vegetation was nearly absent. The understorey of clearcut sites also averaged more overall vegetation cover and more nonnative vegetation cover (in particular nonnative shrubs and herbaceous species) than either plantation or native forest sites. Notably, 99% of nonnative shrub cover in clearcuts was the invasive nonnative species Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius). After ten years of passive recovery since clearcutting, the proportion of understorey vegetation cover that is native has not increased and remains far below the proportion observed in native forest sites. Reduced natural regeneration capacity of the native ecosystem, presence of invasive species in the surrounding landscape and land‐use legacies from plantation forestry may inhibit native vegetation recovery and benefit opportunistic invasives, limiting the effectiveness of passive restoration in this context. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

Repeated mowing to restore remnant native grasslands invaded by nonnative annual grasses: upsides and downsides above and below ground

California grasslands have been severely impacted by the invasion of nonnative annual grasses, which often limit restoration of this important ecosystem. In this study, we explored the use of mowing as a restoration tool for native perennial grasslands at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve in southern California. We sought to evaluate if, over time, mowing would reduce nonnative annual grass cover and benefit native species, especially the native bunchgrass Stipa pulchra. We hypothesized that repeated mowing, carefully timed to target nonnative annual grasses prior to seed maturation, would reduce nonnative seed inputs into the soil and eventually lead to diminished abundance of these species. We monitored vegetation in mowed and unmowed plots for 4 years, and conducted a seed bank study after 5 years to better understand the cumulative effects of mowing on native and nonnative seed inputs. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that mowing successfully reduced nonnative annual grass cover and benefitted some native species, including S. pulchra. However, we also found that nonnative forb species showed progressive increases in mowed plots over time. We observed similar patterns of species composition in the soil seed bank. Together, these results suggest that mowing can be used to control nonnative annual grasses and increase the abundance of native bunchgrasses, but that this method may also have the unintended consequence of increasing nonnative forb species.     

Experimental Restoration of Native Vegetation in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We investigated the effects of prescribed fire, herbicide treatment, and sod removal on the eradication of exotic grasses and the establishment of native plant species in 24 experimental restoration plots in three razed residential sites within the boundary of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. During 1992–1995, herbicide treatment and sod removal decreased the combined cover of Poa pratensis (Kentucky blue grass) and Agropyron repens (quackgrass) significantly (from 82% to 13%, and 85% to 8%, respectively), whereas fire did not suppress such exotic lawn grasses. In 1993, several opportunistic species, represented by Cyperus spp. (umbrella sedges), Digitaria sanguinalis (crab grass), and Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed), filled the gaps left by the removal of lawn grasses. For the same period, Detrended Correspondence Analysis revealed a clear vegetation divergence between the control-fire plots and the herbicide-sod removal plots. While Poa pratensis and Agropyron repens continued to dominate the control and fire plots, the planted native species, represented by Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue-stem), Sorghastrum nutans (Indian grass), Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan), and Monarda punctata (horsemint), began to dominate in the herbicide and sod removal plots from 1994. In both herbicide and sod removal plots, the ground cover of grasses (68%) was much higher than the forbs (10%). The herbicide plots, where exotic species were removed but nitrogen-rich top soils were not removed, showed a higher diversity of planted native species than the sod removal plots (where both exotic species and top soils were removed) and the control-fire plots (where neither was removed). This finding suggests that an optimum but not excessive concentration of soil nitrogen is needed to support a maximum species diversity in such infertile substrate as sandy soil. In addition, the decrease in potassium in all plots, regardless of treatment, suggests that potassium may become a limiting factor for our restored native vegetation.     

Exotic Grass Competition in Suppressing Native Shrubland Re-establishment

Disturbance of coastal sage scrub in southern California has led to extensive displacement of native shrubs by exotic annual grasses. The initial conversion from shrubland to exotic grassland is typically associated with disturbance caused by intense grazing, high fire frequency, or mechanical vegetation removal. While native shrubs have been shown to recolonize annual grasslands under some conditions, other annual grasslands are persistent and show no evidence of shrub recolonization. This study examined the mechanisms by which annual grasses may exclude native shrubs and persist after release from disturbance. Grass density was manipulated in experimental plots to achieve a series of prescribed densities. Artemisia californica, a dominant native shrub, was seeded or planted into the plots and responses to the grass density treatments were measured over two growing seasons. A. californica germination, first season growth, and survival were all negatively related to the density of neighboring annual grasses. The most probable mechanism underlying the reduction of first season growth and survival was depletion of soil water by the grasses. The effects of the grasses on A. californica were no longer significant in the second season. The results of this study indicate that Mediterranean annual grasses reduce recruitment and can persist by inhibiting post-disturbance establishment of A. californica from seed. Although succession alone may not return disturbed annual grasslands to their former shrubland composition, the results suggest that restoration can be achieved by using container plantings or grass removal followed by seeding.     

Removal of invasive shrubs alters light but not leaf litter inputs in a deciduous forest understory

The establishment and spread of non‐native, invasive shrubs in forests poses an important obstacle to natural resource conservation and management. This study assesses the impacts of the physical removal of a complex of woody invasive shrub species on deciduous forest understory resources. We compared leaf litter quantity and quality and understory light transmittance in five pairs of invaded and removal plots in an oak‐dominated suburban mature forest. Removal plots were cleared of all non‐native invasive shrubs. The invasive shrubs were abundant (143,456 stems/ha) and diverse, dominated by species in the genera Ligustrum, Viburnum, Lonicera, and Euonymus. Annual leaf litter biomass and carbon inputs of invaded plots were not different from removal plots due to low leaf litter biomass of invasive shrubs. Invasive shrub litter had higher nitrogen (N) concentrations than native species; however, low biomass of invasive litter led to low N inputs by litter of invasive species compared to native. Light transmittance at the forest floor and at 2 m was lower in invaded plots than in removal plots. We conclude that the removal of the abundant invasive shrubs from a native deciduous forest understory did not alter litter quantity or N inputs, one measure of litter quality, and increased forest understory light availability. More light in the forest understory could facilitate the restoration of forest understory dynamics.     

Distribution and effects of tree leaf litter on vegetation composition and biomass in a forest-grassland ecotone

Aims After abandonment of grasslands, secondary succession leads to the invasion by woody species. This process begins with the accumulation of tree litter in the forest–grassland ecotone. Our objectives were to determine the relationships between litter amounts and vegetation composition and cover along natural forest–grassland ecotones and to experimentally study the initial effects of tree litter accumulation on grassland vegetation and on microsite conditions.Methods We established 11 transects varying from 12 to 15 m in length in different forest–grassland ecotones in the Lahn-Dill highlands, Germany, and measured the mass and cover of tree litter and the cover and composition of vegetation at five sequential positions along each transect by using 1 m 2 plots with five replications. In a field experiment, we established plots subjected to different litter amounts (0, 200 and 600g m ?2) and evaluated changes in grassland vegetation, soil temperature and soil nutrient availability below the litter layer.Important findings Tree litter amounts decrease from 650 to 65g m ?2 across the forest–grassland ecotone. Vegetation changed from shrubs and annual species (adapted to more stressful conditions) in the forests edge to grasses, rosettes and hemirosette species (with higher competitive abilities) in the grassland. These anthropogenic forest–grassland ecotones showed abrupt edges, and the two adjacent ecosystems were characterized by different species pools and functional groups. In the field experiment, the presence of a litter layer reduced vegetation biomass and cover; the species richness was only reduced in the treatment with high litter (600g m ?2). Additionally, adding litter on top of vegetation also reduced thermal amplitude and the number of frost days, while increasing the availability of some nutrients, such as nitrogen and aluminium, the latter being an indicator of soil acidification. Adding a tree litter layer of 600g m ?2 in grassland areas had strong effects on the composition and diversity of grassland vegetation by reducing the cover of several key grassland species. In, or near, forest edges, litter accumulation rapidly changes established vegetation, microsite conditions and soil nutrients.     

The response of native species to removal of invasive exotic grasses in a seasonally dry Hawaiian woodland

Abstract. Non-native perennial grasses form 30% of the live understory biomass in seasonally dry, submontane forests in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, yet their effects on native species are unknown. We removed these grasses from plots of 20 m × 20 m in 1991 and maintained removal and control areas over the next three years. Two fast growing shrub species, Dodonaea viscosa and Osteomeles anthylidifolia, increased in size significantly more in removal areas than in controls. Individuals of the most abundant shrub species, Styphelia tameiameia showed no net growth response to grass removal. They did, however, change their architecture: many branches along the mid and upper sections of the main trunk died and a proliferation of new leaves and shoots occurred in the lower 40 cm of trunk. Basal diameter increase was very small in Metrosideros polymorpha, the dominant tree species in these sites. All species except Styphelia had significantly increased leaf tissue nitrogen in removal plots by 18 months after removal when compared to shrubs in control areas suggesting that removal plot shrubs had greater access to soil nitrogen. Available soil-N pools, which were generally higher in the removal plots, support this interpretation. Light levels near the soil surface were also higher where grasses were removed than where they were present which may have contributed to increased shrub growth. By contrast, soil moisture was consistently lower where grasses were removed than where they were still present. Shrub tissue carbon isotope values were consistent with the interpretation that shrubs in removal plots had less rather than more water available to them. Hence, the increased growth observed in removal plot shrubs could not be due to release from moisture competition. Lastly, our results showed that seedlings of all woody species except Metrosideros were significantly more abundant in removal plots at both one and three years after removal and initially high sapling mortality was balanced by high recruitment into the sapling class. We believe that over time this will result in increased densities of native shrubs if grasses are kept out. With the presence of grasses, shrub growth in these woodlands is reduced and biomass is shifting towards grasses.     

An Evaluation of the Short‐Term Progress of Restoration Combining Ecological Assessment and Public Perception

Ecological restoration centers on the reestablishment of ecological processes and the integrity of degraded ecosystems, but its success also depends on public acceptance and support. In this study, we evaluated the short‐term ecological effects of different restoration treatments in Iceland. Furthermore, we tested the public perception of aesthetic and recreational values of these revegetated areas. Predefined soil and vegetation indicators were measured, and a survey, based on a questionnaire and photographs of the different areas, was used for gauging public perception. Our results indicate that different restoration treatments triggered different succession trajectories. The vegetation composition of areas seeded with grasses seemed to be on a trajectory toward relatively undisturbed reference ecosystems, whereas areas seeded with nonnative lupine seemed to be developing a novel ecosystem. Results of the survey demonstrated that people valued the appearance of revegetated areas higher than that of the eroded control areas, with the exception of areas seeded with lupine. The visual perception of each restoration treatment corresponded well with the ecological factors and revealed both a social and an ecological rationale against the use of lupine in land restoration. The results indicate that the design of restoration projects should be based on both an analysis of sociocultural priorities and an understanding of possible trajectories of ecosystem development associated with the available restoration methods to avoid results that are neither socially acceptable nor ecologically feasible.     

Impact of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus angustifolius and R. minor on nitrogen availability in grasslands

Root hemiparasites like Rhinanthus angustifolius C.C. Gmel and R. minor L. have a potential to accelerate the restoration of semi-natural grasslands because they may decrease above-ground biomass of the vegetation. This, in turn, may be beneficial for species diversity. It is known that hemiparasites often accumulate high nutrient concentrations in their above-ground parts, resulting in high quality litter. Because of the short life cycle of many parasitic plants, litter is released early in the season and the main part is not removed from the grassland by hay-making. This has been shown to yield an increased nutrient availability locally. We performed an introduction experiment with R. angustifolius and R. minor in three semi-natural grasslands in Flanders (Belgium). In the second year after sowing, the above-ground nitrogen (N) content of the grasses and of the potential host vegetation (excluding the hemiparasite), was increased in the parasitized plots. The reduction of grass (and legume) above-ground biomass in parasitized plots resulted in a decrease in the total above-ground N uptake of grasses, host and total vegetation (ex- and including the parasite, respectively) of the parasitized plots compared to the control. Furthermore, with a tracer experiment (¹⁵N), we demonstrated that the N from the added tracer was relatively less available in parasitized plots, suggesting larger soil N pools in these treatments. This is probably the consequence of increased mineralization, resulting from the high-quality, parasitic litter. Further experiments should be conducted to investigate the impact of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus spp., e.g. on the availability of other nutrients such as phosphorus.     

Seasonal Effects of Four Control Methods on the Invasive Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) and Initial Responses of Understory Plants in a Southwestern Pennsylvania Old Field

The first step in restoration often involves the removal of invasive plants, but few studies have determined if the response of plant communities matches management goals. The shrub Morrow's honeysuckle ( Lonicera morrowii Gray) is one of a suite of exotic bush honeysuckle species that have become pervasive woody invaders in eastern North America. In 2004, we tested four control methods (cut, mechanical removal, stump application of glyphosate, and foliar application of glyphosate) during late spring and early autumn within a degraded meadow at Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Our restoration goals are to control Morrow's honeysuckle, restore native vegetation, and mimic the conditions present in the mid-1700s. We established forty-five 5 × 5–m plots to measure woody species; five plots of each treatment method were treated in spring, whereas the remaining five were treated in autumn. We maintained five control plots. Before control, mean density of Morrow's honeysuckle was 67,920 ± 4,480 shrubs/ha. Foliar application of herbicide and mechanical removal were most effective at reducing the number of shrubs (≥62%). Overall, our treatments were less successful (26–68% reduction) than reported control efforts of other bush honeysuckle species; the sheer number of shrubs coupled with their open habitat made control efforts difficult. Spring treatments, particularly cut and mechanical treatments, had higher metrics of herbaceous community quality. However, continued restoration efforts, including follow-up treatments, White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) control, and the planting of native seeds and saplings, should be employed to favor the establishment of native seedlings and herbs.     

The roles of exotic grasses and forbs when restoring native species to highly invaded southern California annual grassland

Many semi-arid shrublands in the western US have experienced invasion by a suite of exotic grasses and forbs that have altered community structure and function. The effect of the exotic grasses in this area has been studied, but little is known about how exotic forbs influence the plant community. A 3-year experiment in southern California coastal sage scrub (CSS) now dominated by exotic grasses was done to investigate the influence of both exotic grasses (mainly Bromus spp.) and exotic forbs (mainly Erodium spp.) on a restoration seeding (9 species, including grasses, forbs, and shrubs). Experimental plots were weeded to remove one, both, or neither group of exotic species and seeded at a high rate with a mix of native species. Abundance of all species varied with precipitation levels, but seeded species established best when both groups of exotic species were removed. The removal of exotic grasses resulted in an increase in exotic and native forb cover, while removal of exotic forbs led to an increase in exotic grass cover and, at least in one year, a decrease in native forb cover. In former CSS now converted to exotic annual grassland, a competitive hierarchy between exotic grasses and forbs may prevent native forbs from more fully occupying the habitat when either group of exotics is removed. This apparent competitive hierarchy may interact with yearly variation in precipitation levels to limit restoration seedings of CSS/exotic grassland communities. Therefore, management of CSS and exotic grassland in southern California and similar areas must consider control of both exotic grasses and forbs when restoration is attempted.     

Reintroduction of large herbivores restored plant species richness in abandoned dry temperate grassland

Naturalistic grazing by large herbivores is an increasingly practiced way of managing habitats with conservational value. It has the potential to restore and enhance biodiversity, creating self-sustainable environments vital for organisms requiring regular disturbances to moderate and/or reverse successional changes. European bison, Exmoor pony, and Tauros cattle were introduced in 2015 to a former military training area in Milovice, Czech Republic. The prevailing vegetation type is a forest-steppe savanna with Bromus erectus-dominated xeric grasslands mixed with deciduous shrubs and trees. After the cessation of military use, the area was abandoned which led to successional changes, including the dominance of tall grasses, litter accumulation, and bush encroachment. In 2017–2021, we monitored grassland vegetation in 30 grazed permanent plots (2?×?2 m) and 5 control plots representative of ungrazed, abandoned vegetation adjacent to the grazed areas. Naturalistic grazing increased species richness and the cover of forbs, while the cover of grasses and legumes was minimally affected. Grazing increased functional diversity of plant community, promoted a compositional change to small statured species and an increased incidence of red-list species. Seven years of continuous grazing increased the conservation value of this forest-steppe vegetation, a habitat type rapidly declining in Europe.

     

亚热带不同植被恢复阶段生态系统N、P储量的垂直分配格局

氮(N)、磷(P)是影响生态系统生产力的主要养分因子,为科学评估植被恢复对生态系统N、P积累、分配及其耦合关系的影响,采用时空互代法,以湘中丘陵区地域相邻、环境条件基本一致,且处于不同恢复阶段的4个植物群落(4—5年灌草丛、10—12年灌木林、45—46年马尾松针阔混交林和>90年常绿阔叶林)作为一个恢复序列,设置固定样地,采用收获法和建立主要树种各器官生物量相对生长方程估算群落生物量,采集植被层(叶、枝、干、根)、凋落物层(未分解层、半分解层、已分解层)、土壤层(0—10、10—20、20—30、30—40 cm)样品,测定全N、全P含量,估算生态系统各组分(植被层、凋落物层、土壤层)全N、全P储量。结果表明：植被层全N、全P储量均随植被恢复增加,全N储量增长速率呈先慢后快的特征,而全P储量则呈慢—快—慢增长,地上(叶、枝、干)、地下(根)部分表现为异速增长;随植被恢复,凋落物层全N、全P储量先增加后下降,增长速率为先快后慢,4—5年灌草丛全N、全P储量最低;土壤层全N、全P储量随植被恢复显著增加(P<0.05),全N储量增长速率呈快-慢-快特征,而全P储量呈先慢后快特征...     

Indirect effects of deer herbivory on local nitrogen availability in a coastal dune ecosystem

Herbivores can have indirect effects on local nutrient availability if their direct effects on plants lead to changes in the amount or chemical composition of litter reaching the soil surface. Using two exclosure experiments, we evaluated this possibility for black-tailed deer ( Odocoileus hemionus columbianus ) feeding on silver bush lupine ( Lupinus chamissonis ) in a coastal dune system in northern California. Our first experiment assessed the effects of deer herbivory on 360 lupines that were tracked from newly germinated seedlings in 1996 and 1997 until 2000, when most surviving individuals had reached reproductive age. Results from this experiment showed that browsing by deer significantly reduced growth rates and seed production of lupines and delayed the onset of reproductive maturity. Although deer had no effect on the density of litter accumulating underneath shrubs (g m⁻²), browsing significantly decreased C:N ratios of leaf tissue, due primarily to increased nitrogen content of leaves. Deer browsing also caused significantly increased net nitrogen mineralization rates in the soil under shrubs, although pools of ammonium and nitrate were uninfluenced. The second experiment examined 72 established bush lupines from 1997 to 2000, and showed that deer browsing significantly decreased seed production but had no effect on shrub growth. We also detected trends for browsed shrubs to have reduced pools of ammonium and nitrate underneath their canopies, although no such patterns emerged for nitrogen mineralization rates. Collectively, these data suggest that changes in litter quality, more so than litter quantity, contributed to the indirect effects of deer herbivory on local nitrogen dynamics. We hypothesize that deer browsing induced chemical changes in lupine plant tissue, which increased the nitrogen content of litter reaching the soil surface and subsequently increased rates of nitrogen mineralization.     

Direct and indirect effects of exotic annual grasses on species composition of a South Australian grassland

Abstract Invasion by Mediterranean annual grasses, such as Avena L. spp. and Bronms L. spp, is one of the major threats to temperate perennial grassland. This study investigated the effects of annual grasses and their litter on the species composition of a grassland near Burra, South Australia. The placement of annual grass litter on soil samples in the glasshouse decreased the establishment or growth of several exotic annual dicots. In the field the addition of annual grass litter slightly decreased the frequency of Danthonia Lam. & DC. tussocks. Furthermore, litter strongly reduced the species richness from 13 species in plots with no litter to nine species in plots with the highest litter level, mainly by decreasing the frequency of common exotic dicots. Native dicot frequency similarly appeared to be decreased by litter addition. In addition to the negative effects of their litter, annual grasses also directly competed with perennial grasses. The magnitude of the competitive effect varied systematically along a slope, suggesting that other factors such as soil properties may control competitive inter actions. The biomass of annual grasses also tended to increase with the addition of their own litter. This combination of positive and negative feedback mechanisms suggests that brief periods favourable for annual grasses, either through management changes or environmental conditions, can lead to persistent changes in the species composition of the system.     

Community dynamics of desert grasslands: influences of climate,landforms, and soils

Abstract. Permanently marked vegetation transects in Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA were monitored to follow temporal dynamics of desert grassland communities on a variety of landforms and soil types over a 26-yr period after the removal of domestic livestock. Historic records indicate that the park area was severely overgrazed prior to its establishment, and our results show that the species present increased in both cover and density after the removal of livestock. However, the timing of recovery corresponded to multiyear periods of above-average precipitation. Little change was observed in between 1955 and 1960, a period dominated by several consecutive years of drought. The cover of two large shrubs common to the Chihuahuan Desert, Larrea tridentata and Flourensia cernua, increased from 1960 to 1967, a period dominated by summer drought and frequent wet winters. The cover and density of forbs, perennial grasses, and most shrubs increased on nearly all landforms between 1967 and 1981, when summers were wetter than average. In contrast, the cover of Larrea tridentata decreased during this period. Comparisons among the plant communities on each landform showed that they diverged through time after domestic livestock were removed. Presumably, differences in topographic position and soil texture influence water availability which was reflected in the species composition on each soil series. Unfortunately, we cannot isolate the effects of recovery from grazing from the effects of climate because the study design did not include control plots located within grazed pastures. Certainly, the directional trajectory of change and the regrowth of grasses into inter-shrub spaces, must, at least in part, be the result of recovery from grazing. However, our data also indicate that the desert grassland communities are sensitive to multi-year periods of above- or below-average precipitation. Clearly, the dynamics between shrubs and grasses cannot be explained by a simple successional paradigm that views increased shrub dominance as retrogression from a climax grassland. Many alternate hypotheses have been forwarded to explain the dynamics that control the vegetation composition in the desert and desert grassland region of North America. Experimental tests of these hypotheses are needed to indentify the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors that control dominance by shrubs or grasses.     

Effects of the litter layer of Pteridium aquilinum on seed banks under experimental restoration

Questions: Does the litter layer of Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) act as a barrier to certain species in the seed bank? Does bracken control/restoration treatment affect seed transfer through the litter layer? Location: Five experiments at three sites across the UK covering two major vegetation types; acid‐grassland and heath‐land. Methods: At each experiment a range of bracken control and vegetation restoration treatments were applied for about ten years. The seed bank was sampled in both the bracken litter and the soil. The cover (%) of each species in the vegetation and the bracken litter abundance (cover and depth) was also estimated. Results: The bracken litter layer acts as an inert barrier as it contained a large proportion of seeds available in the litter‐soil profile (38%– 67% of the total). Bracken litter depth and cover also influenced significantly the seed bank composition in both the bracken litter and the soil. These effects were site‐specific, and species‐specific. The application of treatments changed significantly the balance between seed inputs and outputs in the bracken litter layer for some species. This was either a positive or negative response relative to the untreated control plots. Conclusion: For heathland and acid‐grassland restoration, the bracken litter layer may be an important seed source, but it must be disturbed particularly before seed addition.     

子午岭典型植被凋落叶-土壤养分与酶活性特征

对黄土高原子午岭任家台林区内刺槐、油松、侧柏等3种人工林以及桦树、辽东栎等两种天然次生林的凋落叶C、N、P含量、林下土壤基本理化性质和碱性磷酸酶、脲酶、蔗糖酶3种酶的活性进行分析,并研究凋落叶C、N、P含量与土壤C、N、P含量之间的相关关系,以及土壤基本理化性质与酶活性之间的相关关系,为该区植被恢复效果评价提供科学依据与参考。结果发现:刺槐、辽东栎凋落叶碳氮比值显著低于其他植被,凋落叶分解速率相对较快;辽东栎土壤有机碳、全氮含量最高,分别为19.18、1.60g/kg,刺槐土壤全磷含量最高(0.61g/kg);土壤酶活性主要受土壤有机碳、全氮、容重及p H影响,与土壤全磷相关性不显著;人工林中,侧柏土壤中3种酶活性均高于其他植被,且侧柏凋落叶碳氮比值相对较低,分解速率较快,相比于刺槐作为造林树种更占优势。