Effect of grazing on the population of Matteuccia struthiopteris at the southern limit of its distribution in Europe |
| |
Authors: | Marco Landi Antonio Zoccola Vincenzo Gonnelli Lorenzo Lastrucci Carlo Saveri Giovanni Quilghini Alessandro Bottacci Claudia Angiolini |
| |
Institution: | 1. Ufficio Territoriale per la Biodiversità di Siena, Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Siena, Italy;2. Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy;3. Ufficio Territoriale per la Biodiversità di Pratovecchio, Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Pratovecchio, Italy;4. Istituto Professionale per l'Agricoltura e l'Ambiente “A.M. Camaiti”, Pieve S. Stefano, AR, Italy;5. Department of Biology, Laboratory of Plant Systematics and Phytogeography, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy;6. Ufficio per la Biodiversità, Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Roma, Italy |
| |
Abstract: | We investigated the impact of deer on an isolated marginal population of Matteuccia struthiopteris and on its plant community in the northern Apennines, where in recent decades the species has decreased dramatically. Our experiment was based on a 6‐year before and after control impact (BACI) design, comparing plots with deer grazing and plots where deer were excluded. Exclusion of grazing interacted with years, increasing the size of existing plants and favoring production of sporophylls. The yearly sequence of increase and decline of ramets and sterile leaves followed the same pattern in the two treatments. This indicated that their annual variation in growth depended on the sequence of more and less favorable years. Few and short plants were associated with grazing, whereas tall plants, shrubs, and tree regeneration were associated with fenced plots. The few plants to persist and dominate on heavily grazed areas were Oxalis acetosella and Cardamine species, while the genus Rubus and tree saplings were grazing‐sensitive species in this forest. Tall herbaceous species increased in size in the fenced areas, however, M. struthiopteris drew more advantage in terms of growth of leaves, showing greater cover than other species. Thus, deer grazing is becoming a threat for the survival of M. struthiopteris in southern Europe where it is already threatened in the long term by climate change. |
| |
Keywords: | BACI design deer dynamics fern monitoring plant community |
|
|