Historical land-use legacy and Cortaderia selloana invasion in the Mediterranean region

Two major components of global change: land‐use changes and intentional or accidental species introduction are threatening the conservation of native species worldwide. In particular, Mediterranean coastal areas are highly susceptible to the invasion of alien species and they also have experienced major changes in land use such as agricultural abandonment and urbanization. However, there has been little research done which quantitatively links biological invasions and the components of land‐use changes (i.e. number, trajectory and direction of the changes). We analysed the current distribution and abundance of Cortaderia selloana (Schultes et Schultes fil.) Asch. et Graebner, an alien ornamental species, in 332 fields in Aiguamolls de l'Empordà (Catalonia, NE Spain) and related the patterns of invasion to spatiotemporal data on land‐use changes from 1956 to 2003. Our aim was to determine which land uses had been more susceptible to C. selloana invasion during the last 5 years and to find out which components of land‐use changes triggered invasion. We found that 22.30% of the fields are currently invaded. In the last 5 years, fields have triplicated the total density of C. selloana. The presence of C. selloana decreases with the distance from urban areas. Invasion is over‐represented in pastures and old‐fields, and it has increased with time since abandonment. The presence of C. selloana was also associated to fields that had experienced many changes in land use in the last 46 years. The most heavily invaded fields were those that were pastures in 1956 and are now old fields in 2003. On average, the largest plants are found in agricultural field margins and in fields that had a disturbed land use both in 1956 and in 2003. Furthermore, pastures had the lowest proportion of reproductive plants. Overall, current C. selloana patterns of invasion can be explained by the historical legacy of land‐use changes.     

The role of successional stage and small‐scale disturbance for establishment of pioneer grass Corynephorus canescens

Question: Which mechanisms promote the maintenance of the protected pioneer grass Corynephorus canescens in a mosaic landscape? Which are the interactive effects of small‐scale disturbances, successional stage and year‐to‐year variation on early establishment probabilities of C. canescens? Location: Brandenburg, NE Germany. Methods: We measured emergence and survival rates over 3 yr in a sowing‐experiment conducted in three successional stages (C. canescens‐dominated site, ruderal forb site and pioneer forest) under two different regimes of mechanical ground disturbance (disturbed versus undisturbed control). Results: Overall, disturbance led to higher emergence in a humid year and to lower emergence in a very dry year. Apparently, when soil moisture was sufficient, the main factor limiting C. canescens' establishment was competition, while in the dry year, water became the limiting factor. Survival rates were not affected by disturbance. In humid years, C. canescens emerged in higher numbers in open successional stages while in the dry year, emergence rates were higher in late stages, suggesting an important role of late successional stages for the persistence of C. canescens. Conclusions: Our results suggest that small‐scale disturbances can promote germination of C. canescens. However, disturbances should be carefully planned. The optimal strategy for promoting C. canescens is to apply disturbances just before seed dispersal and not during dry years. At the landscape scale, a mosaic of different vegetation types is beneficial for the protected pioneer grass as facilitation by late‐successional species may be an important mechanism for the persistence of C. canescens, especially in dry years.     

The impact of the invasive alien grass Cortaderia jubata (Lemoine) Stapf on an endangered mediterranean-type shrubland in California

Abstract. Since its introduction in the late 1800s, the perennial tussock grass Cortaderia jubata (Lemoine) Stapf has become an increasingly frequent member of coastal plant communities in California and Oregon. In this study, the community changes associated with C. jubata invasion into the mediterranean-type vegetation of Vandenberg Air Force Base, California were examined. Pristine plots of maritime chaparral were compared with spatially and topographically matched plots dominated by C. jubata . Aerial photographs indicated that the invaded plots had previously been shrubland. C. jubata invasion created a structurally less complex perennial grassland that was markedly depauperate in native shrub species. The absence of native shrubs depressed native richness in jubata grassland, but the greater richness of both native and alien herbaceous species made overall richness in jubata grassland indistinguishable from maritime chaparral. Vegetational differences were associated with differences in arthropod and small mammal populations between vegetation types. Arthropod abundance and order diversity were lower in plots dominated by C. jubata than in adjacent chaparral. Insect traps in C. jubata plots contained a significantly smaller proportion of Hymenoptera and Homoptera and a significantly greater proportion of Aràneae than traps in maritime chaparral. Rodent activity was significantly lower while rabbit activity was significantly greater in jubata grassland compared to maritime chaparral. This study indicates that the presence of C. jubata can dramatically alter the mediterranean-type landscape of central California. While it is likely that the initial establishment of C. jubata is associated with disturbances that are common in this ecosystem, the ability of C. jubata to expand from founding populations and to persist for long periods of time pose a serious threat to the native diversity of these unique systems.     

Climate change might increase the invasion potential of the alien C4 grass Setaria parviflora (Poaceae) in the Mediterranean Basin

Aim Current climate change is supposed to be beneficial to many biological invaders, especially to C4 alien plants. While several experiments have been dedicated to measuring alien plants’ response to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration, very few studies have been undertaken to measure the response of alien plants to warming. This study was aimed to test experimentally whether the predicted climate change in the Mediterranean Basin could be beneficial to the alien C4 grass Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen. Location Three populations of S. parviflora from Corsica, southern France, were grown in Montpellier, southern France. Methods  The C4 alien grass S. parviflora was exposed to artificial climate change conditions for 3 years in open field and in competition with the local native community. We measured the response to artificial warming of +1.5 and +3 °C and artificial drought (?30% precipitation) versus ambient conditions for phenology, biomass and fecundity of S. parviflora. We compared the response of S. parviflora individuals to the response of the local community. Results Artificial warming strongly enhanced the biomass and the fecundity of S. parviflora, while it decreased or did not affect the biomass and fecundity of the local community. The phenology (onset of growth, first spike pollinating and fruit ripeness) of S. parviflora was advanced significantly and explained the changes observed in biomass and fecundity. Main conclusions Here, we report a positive effect of climate change on the growth and fertility of S. parviflora, a C4 alien plant. Our results suggest that climate change predicted for the next decades in the Mediterranean Basin might substantially enhance the performance of S. parviflora, potentially increasing its invasion success.     

城市嵌草式铺装植被和大型土壤动物群落组成特征——以新泰市为例

嵌草式铺装近年来广泛应用于城市停车场及道路,研究其群落组成特征对城市生态的综合治理具有重要意义。以新泰市为例,通过现场采样调研分析探讨了嵌草式铺装对植被和土壤动物群落组成和多样性的影响。结果显示,植被调查中共记录草本植物14科22属22种。牛筋草(Eleusine indica)为新泰市嵌草式铺装中植被的优势种。植被的平均密度和生物量分别为(21.87±2.15)株/m²和(4.15±0.45)g/m²。不同站点间植株密度和高度有显著空间差异(P<0.05),生物量和盖度差异不显著。不同站点的植被物种多样性特征也有所差异。大型土壤动物调查共记录7目8科10种,其中蚁科为优势类群。嵌草式铺装中土壤动物的丰度、生物量均显著高于不透水路面(P<0.05)。逐步回归分析表明,嵌草式铺装中植被和土壤动物的丰度和生物量与土壤的容积密度和含水率等理化性质显著相关(P<0.05)。土壤动物丰度与植被盖度、土壤动物生物量与植被生物量间也具有显著相关关系(P<0.05)。结果表明,嵌草式铺装能够有效提高城市生态系统中植被和土壤动物群落的丰...     

The relationship between soil seed bank,above‐ground vegetation and disturbance intensity on old‐field successional permanent plots

Questions: How does disturbance and successional age influence richness, size and composition of the soil seed bank? What is the potential contribution of the soil seed bank to the plant community composition on sites differing in their successional age or disturbance intensity? Location: Experimental Botanical Garden of Göttingen University, central Germany. Methods: Above‐ground vegetation and soil seed bank were studied on formerly arable fields in a 36‐year‐old permanent plot study with five disturbance intensities, ranging from yearly ploughing via mowing to long‐term uninterrupted succession. We compared species compositions, seed densities and functional features of the seed bank and above‐ground vegetation by using several methods in parallel. Results: The seed bank was mainly composed of early successional species typical of strongly disturbed habitats. The difference between seed bank composition and above‐ground vegetation decreased with increasing disturbance intensity. The species of greatest quantitative importance in the seed bank was the non‐native forb Solidago canadensis. Conclusions: The ability of a plant community to regenerate from the soil seed bank dramatically decreases with increasing time since abandonment (successional age) and with decreasing disturbance intensity. The present study underlines that plant species typical of grasslands and woodlands are limited by dispersal capacity, owing to low capacity for accumulation of seeds in the soil and the fact that most species do not build up persistent seed banks. Rare and target species were almost absent from the seed bank and will, after local elimination, depend on reintroduction for continuation of their presence.     

The role of alien plants in the natural coastal vegetation in central-northern Spain

Alien plants in coastal habitats and their influence on natural vegetation are studied. After 5 years working on this subject in the Basque Country and surrounding areas, a number of results from the coastal ecosystems are presented. These ecosystems are one of the most threatened and affected by the invasion of alien plants, especially shore dunes, saltmarshes and cliffs. These kinds of habitats, especially the dunes, experience significant pressure from human activities which favours the expansion of some of these species: Arctotheca calendula, Sporobolus indicus and Oenothera spp. The presence and abundance of these invasive plants and others such as Baccharis halimifolia, Cortaderia selloana, Spartina patens and Carpobrotus edulis in the plant communities in an area between the French border and the western part of the region of Cantabria have been studied. The degree of invasion of each plant in each syntaxonomic unit has been analysed.     

Understorey vegetation moderates climate in open forests: The role of the skirt-forming grass tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana F.Muell

Microsites are created by abiotic and biotic features of the landscape and may provide essential habitats for the persistence of biota. Forest canopies and understorey plants may moderate wind and solar radiation to create microclimatic conditions that differ considerably from regional climates. Skirt-forming plants, where senescent leaves create hut-like cavities around the stem, create microsites that are sheltered from ambient conditions and extreme weather events, constituting potential refuges for wildlife. We investigate day and night temperatures and humidity for four locations (grass tree cavities, soil, 20 cm above-ground, 1 m above-ground) in a South Australian forest with relatively open canopy of stringybark eucalypts (Eucalyptus baxteri, E. obliqua) and an understorey of skirt-forming grass trees (Xanthorrhoea semiplana) at 5, 10, 20, and 40 m from the forest edge. We also measured the percentage of canopy and understorey covers. Generally, temperature and humidity differed significantly between more sheltered (grass tree cavities, soil) and open-air microsites, with the former being cooler during the day and warmer and more humid during the night. Furthermore, our results suggest that canopy cover tends to decrease, and understorey cover tends to increase, the temperature of microsites. Distance to the edge was not significantly related to temperature for any microsite, suggesting that the edge effect did not extend beyond 10 m from the edge. Overall, grass trees influenced microclimatic conditions by forming a dense understorey and providing cavities that are relatively insulated. The capacity of grass tree cavities to buffer external conditions increased linearly with ambient temperatures, by 0.46°C per degree increase in maximum and 0.25°C per degree decrease in minimum temperatures, potentially offsetting climate warming and enabling persistence of fauna within their thermal limits. These climate moderation properties will make grass trees increasingly important refuges as extreme weather events become more common under anthropogenic climate change.     

The interplay of disturbance,vegetation structure,and propagule pressure contributes to Pinus kesiya invasion in Tapia woodland,Madagascar

Pinus are among the highly invasive species that have spread outside their plantation area after their introduction in the Southern Hemisphere. The case of Pinus kesiya invasion is observed in the high plateau of Madagascar, inside the sclerophyll Tapia woodland which is dominated by the endemic Uapaca bojeri tree species. The analysis of this invasion was carried out using 375 plots of 100 m² each in Tapia woodland. Data on the vegetation structure, the plot characteristics and the propagule pressure were collected. We recorded a total of 740 pines distributed in 29.8% of the plots. The generalized linear model built on P. kesiya at the three different life stages allowed us to highlight a different explicative variable on the species’ presence and abundance separately. The factors explaining pine occurrence varied according to the pine life stage. In the seedling stage, the distance of the plot from the propagule source combined with the longitudinal position of the plot explained 18% of the pine presence. In the sapling and adult stages, the vegetation structure was the main important factor (22% and 11% of variation explained regarding presence and abundance). The frequency of U. bojeri and the degree of disturbance were the most important factors characterizing this vegetation structure. Based on these results, a strategy to control pine invasion in the Tapia woodland may focus on enrichment with U. bojeri and limitation of the plantation of P. kesiya in proximity.

     

The role of human disturbance in Late Holocene vegetation changes on Kullaberg, southern Sweden

A pollen record from a small peatland located on Kullaberg in northwestern Sk?ne, southern Sweden, revealed that grazing pressure might have been the major disturbance agent controlling the vegetation, at least from ca. 1500 B. C. until the latter part of the nineteenth century. The pollen data also indicate a step-by-step increase in grazing pressure, expressed as a marked increase in non-arboreal pollen representation at ca. 1500 B. C., A. D. 650 and A. D. 1650. The increase at A. D. 650 probably indicates a more regular and intensive use of the area, resulting in a forest structure that was much more open than earlier, together with an expansion of Fagus, which rapidly replaced Quercus as the local forest dominant. At about this time the first patches of heath vegetation originated, but they probably only covered a small part of Kullaberg. Larger areas with an intensively grazed Calluna heath, as shown by eighteenth century maps, probably evolved around ca. A. D. 1650, when much of Kullaberg seems to have been deliberately deforested. Received February 20, 2001 / Accepted September 12, 2001     

秸秆和生草覆盖对桃园土壤养分含量、微生物数量及土壤酶活性的影响

以秸秆(覆盖重量分别为小麦(Triticum aestivum)秸3.25 kg·m^-2、玉米(Zea mays)秸1.97 kg·m^-2、禾本科杂草3.67 kg·m^-2)和生草(白三叶草(Trifolium repens)、高羊茅(Festuca arundincea)和紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa), 播种量均为50 kg·hm^-2)为覆盖材料, 以不覆盖为对照, 研究了不同覆盖材料对桃园土壤微生物数量和酶活性的影响, 及其与土壤养分的关系。结果表明, 与对照相比, 除覆盖生草根际和非根际土壤全磷和速效磷含量差异均不显著外, 其他处理根际和非根际土壤碱解氮、速效钾、全氮、全钾和有机质含量差异均达到显著水平; 所有处理根际和非根际土壤氨化细菌、真菌和放线菌数量、土壤含水率和pH值、土壤脲酶和磷酸酶活性差异均达到显著水平。白三叶草处理的根际和非根际土壤碱解氮、速效钾、全氮、全钾、有机质含量, 土壤氨化细菌和真菌数量, 土壤脲酶和磷酸酶活性的平均升幅均最高, 分别为99%、270%、267%、117%、272%、158%、141%、156%和64%。氨化细菌、真菌、放线菌、脲酶和磷酸酶分别与土壤碱解氮、速效钾(放线菌和磷酸酶除外)、全氮、全钾和有机质呈显著或极显著的正相关。通径分析表明, 在3种土壤微生物和2种酶对养分含量的影响中, 脲酶是影响土壤碱解氮、速效钾、全氮、全钾和有机质的主要因子。     

Nutrient status,disturbance and competition: an experimental test of relationships in a wet meadow

Abstract. In many species-rich hay meadows in Central Europe, the traditional extensive (low input, low output) management is no longer economical and meadows are either fertilized or abandoned. Both these practices lead to changes in species composition and usually to a loss in species diversity. The response of a species-rich meadow plant community to fertilization, mowing and removal of dominant species was studied in a manipulative factorial experiment over four years. Both species richness and seedling recruitment were positively influenced by mowing and to a lesser extent by removal of the dominant species, Molinia caerulea, and were negatively influenced by fertilization. Fertilization caused an immediate increase in community biomass. Response to removal of the dominant species was delayed by one season, continued over the whole period, and by the fourth year the biomass reached a similar value as in the plots with Molinia present. Changes in species composition were evaluated by RDA for repeated measurements. The best and only significant predictor of species response to fertilization was plant height. This shows that with increased nutrient availability, nutrient limitation weakens and competition for light becomes the decisive factor. Competition for light appears to be more asymmetric than competition for nutrients, and consequently, it is more likely to drive inferior species to extinction. This is, together with seedling recruitment limitations, the most important cause of a decrease in species richness under high nutrient levels.     

Effects of wild boar disturbance on vegetation and soil properties in the Monte Desert,Argentina

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is an exotic agent of disturbance that arrived in the Ñacuñán Reserve of Argentina in the 1980s. When foraging, the wild boar overturns extensive areas of soil leaving them bare of vegetation. Knowledge is scarce about the boar's impact on vegetation composition and soil properties in the Monte Desert, Argentina. The objective of our study was to determine the short terms effects of wild boar rooting on vegetation and on soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. Our results indicate that rooting activities significantly reduced the plant cover of herbs, perennial grasses and shrubs, and decreased plant richness and diversity. Disturbed soils showed less compaction, more moisture, a low C/N ratio, and high content of mineral nitrogen. These new soil characteristics could be responsible for a reduced plant cover and less soil bulk density, which could increase soil degradation by wind erosion.     

Effects of an African grass invasion on vegetation,soil and interstitial water characteristics in a tropical freshwater marsh in La Mancha,Veracruz (Mexico)

Abstract

The transformation of freshwater wetlands to pastures is a common practice in Mexico. This rapid loss of wetlands contrasts with the scarce information that exists about these ecosystems. To identify the environmental factors that control vegetation structure of a freshwater wetland invaded by the African grass Echinochloa pyramidalis, we characterized the vegetation (species composition, cover and aerial biomass), soil (moisture, redox potential, bulk density and topography) and water (water depth level, electric conductivity and pH) in two seasons of the year (dry and rainy). In addition, we analyzed the soil and water of three vegetation areas in the wetland, one dominated by E. pyramidalis, another by Sagittaria lancifolia and a third by Typha domingensis. The parameters associated with the hydrology of the wetland (water level, soil moisture, redox potential and bulk density) explained the plant species distribution. The invasive grass dominated in the relatively drier areas in the wetland while native species such as S. lancifolia, T. domingensis and Pontederia sagitatta dominated wetter sites. Introduction of E. pyramidalis has caused negative changes in the wetland, in particular a decrease of the diversity of plant species. In addition, we believe that the invader grass, as a C4 species, has more efficient use of water than the native plants, as well as a larger biomass, characteristics that can change the hydrological pattern of this wetland.     

Controls over invasion of Bromus tectorum: The importance of climate,soil, disturbance and seed availability

Question: Predicting the future abundance and distribution of invasive plants requires knowing how they respond to environmental conditions. In arid and semi‐arid ecosystems where water is a limiting resource, environmental conditions and disturbance patterns influence invasions by altering acquisition and utilization of water over space and time. We ask: 1. How do variations in climatic and soil properties influence temporal soil water dynamics? 2. How does this variation affect the establishment of Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), a cool‐season annual grass that has successfully colonized much of the U.S. Great Basin? Location: Short‐grass Steppe in northeastern Colorado, USA; Arid Lands Ecology reserve in southeastern Washington, USA; and the Patagonian steppe of the Chubut province in Argentina. Methods: We utilized a soil water model to simulate seasonal soil water dynamics in multiple combinations of climatic and soil properties. In addition, we utilized a gap dynamics model to simulate the impact of disturbance regime and seed availability on competition between B. tectorum and native plants. Results: Our results suggest that climate is very important, but that soil properties do not significantly influence the probability of observing conditions suitable for B. tectorum establishment. Results of the plant competition model indicate that frequent disturbance causes more Bromus tectorum in invaded areas and higher seed availability causes faster invasion. Conclusions: These results imply a general framework for understanding Bromus tectorum invasion in which climatic conditions dictate which areas are susceptible to invasion, disturbance regime dictates the severity of invasion and seed availability dictates the speed of invasion.     

广西弄拉岩溶植被不同演替阶段的主要土壤因子及溶蚀率对比研究

植被是土壤形成过程中最活跃的因素 ,在同样气候条件下又是最重要的因素 ,植被的演替改变了土壤的理化性质 ,促进了成土作用。植被的正向演替可改善土壤 A层的理化性状 ,降低容重 ,增加孔隙度、含水量和有机质含量 ;而 B层理化性状在演替初期得到改善 ,后期 (乔林期 )却明显下降 ,容重增加 ,孔隙度、含水量和有机质含量大大降低。土壤 p H值随演替进展逐渐降低。Mg含量随正向演替而降低 ;Ca因植物的作用而呈现复杂性。土壤 CO2 的变化也很复杂 ,表层 CO2 随正向演替明显增加 ,但当(青冈林土 )孔隙度很大时有利于 CO2 的逸出而大大降低 ;深层 CO2 与土壤孔隙度、含水量一致 ,初期随正向演替增加 ,到乔林期又降低。地表溶蚀率随植被正向演替 ,先降低后增加 ;土壤中岩石的溶蚀率随演替而增加 ,与 Ca、Mg含量 ,p H值成反比 ,与土壤有机碳、CO2 浓度成正比 ;植被进展演替有促进潜蚀的作用 ,演替初期表层溶蚀率较深层高 ,到乔林阶段后深层较高。岩石的溶蚀率还受土壤含水量、孔隙度等多种因素的影响。     

The influence of savanna trees on nutrient,water and light availability and the understorey vegetation

In an East African savanna herbaceous layer productivity and species composition were studied around Acacia tortilis trees of three different age classes, as well as around dead trees and in open grassland patches. The effects of trees on nutrient, light and water availability were measured to obtain an insight into which resources determine changes in productivity and composition of the herbaceous layer. Soil nutrient availability increased with tree age and size and was lowest in open grassland and highest under dead trees. The lower N:P ratios of grasses from open grassland compared to grasses from under trees suggested that productivity in open grassland was limited by nitrogen, while under trees the limiting nutrient was probably P. N:P ratios of grasses growing under bushes and small trees were intermediate between large trees and open grassland indicating that the understorey of Acacia trees seemed to change gradually from a N-limited to a P-limited vegetation. Soil moisture contents were lower under than those outside of canopies of large Acacia trees suggesting that water competition between trees and grasses was important. Species composition of the herbaceous layer under Acacia trees was completely different from the vegetation in open grassland. Also the vegetation under bushes of Acacia tortilis was different from both open grassland and the understorey of large trees. The main factor causing differences in species composition was probably nutrient availability because species compositions were similar for stands of similar soil nutrient concentrations even when light and water availability was different. Changes in species composition did not result in differences in above-ground biomass, which was remarkably similar under different sized trees and in open grassland. The only exception was around dead trees where herbaceous plant production was 60% higher than under living trees. The results suggest that herbaceous layer productivity did not increase under trees by a higher soil nutrient availability, probably because grass production was limited by competition for water. This was consistent with the high plant production around dead trees because when trees die, water competition disappears but the high soil nutrient availability remains. Hence, in addition to tree soil nutrient enrichment, below-ground competition for water appears to be an important process regulating tree-grass interactions in semi-arid savanna.