The crown-gap ratio (C) and crown cover: The field study

Crown cover can be used to describe or classify woody vegetation. However, current methods for the estimation of crown cover are difficult to apply and are time-consuming. The objective of this work was to present a much easier method of field estimation and to define the limitations of the method. The method uses the crown-gap ratio (C), which is defined as the mean gap between crowns divided by the mean crown diameter. The relationship between values for the crown-gap ratio and crown cover is of the form crown cover = k/(1 + C)², where k is a constant. The overall tasks are first, to develop a methodology to obtain estimates of C and crown openness in the field, and second, to estimate k. In Part 1 we demonstrate that crown cover can be related to C when applied to woody vegetation. In Part 2 we consider a derivation of C, determine a value for k given a set of constraints, and outline some of the sampling implications of applying the method of crown cover estimation using C and k to field situations. The field study provided data from which to plot crown cover against the crown-gap ratio (C). The shape of the curve approximated a rectangular hyperbola. The regression of crown cover against 1/(1 + C)² showed a strong linear relationship (R²= 0.995) and gave an estimate for k of 0.79 for the range of plant communities sampled. The field study suggests that to investigate the effect of different spatial distributions of crowns and mixtures of crown sizes on C, a rigorous derivation of the relationship between crown cover and C is required.     

Multiple Scales of Control on the Structure and Spatial Distribution of Woody Vegetation in African Savanna Watersheds

Factors controlling savanna woody vegetation structure vary at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and as a consequence, unraveling their combined effects has proven to be a classic challenge in savanna ecology. We used airborne LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to map three-dimensional woody vegetation structure throughout four savanna watersheds, each contrasting in geologic substrate and climate, in Kruger National Park, South Africa. By comparison of the four watersheds, we found that geologic substrate had a stronger effect than climate in determining watershed-scale differences in vegetation structural properties, including cover, height and crown density. Generalized Linear Models were used to assess the spatial distribution of woody vegetation structural properties, including cover, height and crown density, in relation to mapped hydrologic, topographic and fire history traits. For each substrate and climate combination, models incorporating topography, hydrology and fire history explained up to 30% of the remaining variation in woody canopy structure, but inclusion of a spatial autocovariate term further improved model performance. Both crown density and the cover of shorter woody canopies were determined more by unknown factors likely to be changing on smaller spatial scales, such as soil texture, herbivore abundance or fire behavior, than by our mapped regional-scale changes in topography and hydrology. We also detected patterns in spatial covariance at distances up to 50–450 m, depending on watershed and structural metric. Our results suggest that large-scale environmental factors play a smaller role than is often attributed to them in determining woody vegetation structure in southern African savannas. This highlights the need for more spatially-explicit, wide-area analyses using high resolution remote sensing techniques.     

Spatial variation in vegetation structure coupled to plant available water determined by two-dimensional soil resistivity profiling in a Brazilian savanna

Tropical savannas commonly exhibit large spatial heterogeneity in vegetation structure. Fine-scale patterns of soil moisture, particularly in the deeper soil layers, have not been well investigated as factors possibly influencing vegetation patterns in savannas. Here we investigate the role of soil water availability and heterogeneity related to vegetation structure in an area of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). Our objective was to determine whether horizontal spatial variations of soil water are coupled with patterns of vegetation structure across tens of meters. We applied a novel methodological approach to convert soil electrical resistivity measurements along three 275-m transects to volumetric water content and then to estimates of plant available water (PAW). Structural attributes of the woody vegetation, including plant position, height, basal circumference, crown dimensions, and leaf area index, were surveyed within twenty-two 100-m² plots along the same transects, where no obvious vegetation gradients had been apparent. Spatial heterogeneity was evaluated through measurements of spatial autocorrelation in both PAW and vegetation structure. Comparisons with null models suggest that plants were randomly distributed over the transect with the greatest mean PAW and lowest PAW heterogeneity, and clustered in the driest and most heterogeneous transect. Plant density was positively related with PAW in the top 4 m of soil. The density-dependent vegetation attributes that are related to plot biomass, such as sum of tree heights per plot, exhibited spatial variation patterns that were remarkably similar to spatial variation of PAW in the top 4 m of soil. For PAW below 4 m depth, mean vegetation attributes, such as mean height, were negatively correlated with PAW, suggesting greater water uptake from the deep soil by plants of larger stature. These results are consistent with PAW heterogeneity being an important structuring factor in the plant distribution at the scale of tens of meters in this ecosystem.     

Can digital image classification be used as a standardised method for surveying peatland vegetation cover?

The ability to carry out systematic, accurate and repeatable vegetation surveys is an essential part of long-term scientific studies into ecosystem biodiversity and functioning. However, current widely used traditional survey techniques such as destructive harvests, pin frame quadrats and visual cover estimates can be very time consuming and are prone to subjective variations. We investigated the use of digital image techniques as an alternative way of recording vegetation cover to plant functional type level on a peatland ecosystem. Using an established plant manipulation experimental site at Moor House NNR (an Environmental Change Network site), we compared visual cover estimates of peatland vegetation with cover estimates using digital image classification methods, from 0.5 m × 0.5 m field plots. Our results show that digital image classification of photographs taken with a standard digital camera can be used successfully to estimate dwarf-shrub and graminoid vegetation cover at a comparable level to field visual cover estimates, although the methods were less effective for lower plants such as mosses and lichens. Our study illustrates the novel application of digital image techniques to provide a new way of measuring and monitoring peatland vegetation to the plant functional group level, which is less vulnerable to surveyor bias than are visual field surveys. Furthermore, as such digital techniques are highly repeatable, we suggest that they have potential for use in long-term monitoring studies, at both plot and landscape scales.     

Leaf-cutting ants negatively impact the regeneration of the Caatinga dry forest across abandoned pastures

The mechanisms affecting forest regeneration in human-modified landscapes are attracting increasing attention as tropical forests have been recognized as key habitats for biodiversity conservation, provision of ecosystem services, and human well-being. Here we investigate the effect of the leaf-cutting ants (LCA) Atta opaciceps on regenerating plant assemblages in Caatinga dry forest. Our study encompassed 15 Atta opaciceps colonies located in landscape patches with a gradient of forest cover from 8.7% to 87.8%, where we monitored regenerating individuals (seedlings and saplings of woody and herbaceous plants) in different habitats (nests, foraging areas, and control areas) over one year. We recorded 2,977 regenerating plant individuals, distributed among 55 species from 23 families. Herbaceous plants represented 82.1% and 58.2% of the total number of individuals and species, respectively. Species richness of both the whole and herbaceous plant assemblages increased along the forest cover gradient, but without difference between the habitats. Total plant abundance was highest in control areas followed by foraging areas and nests and this pattern held for both woody and herbaceous plants. Although forest cover did not influence the abundance of herbaceous plants and the whole plant assemblage, it positively affects woody plant abundance across control areas. Forest cover and habitat changed species composition of both the entire regenerating and the herbaceous assemblages. These results together indicate that LCA negatively impact regenerating plant assemblages, particularly in those sites with increased forest cover. As LCA proliferate in human-modified landscapes, they may prevent plant regeneration of disturbed areas.     

Woody Debris Amendment Enhances Reclamation after Oil Sands Mining in Alberta,Canada

Mining disturbs large forested areas around the world, including boreal forests after oil sands mining in Canada. Industrial companies are expected to reclaim degraded land to ecosystems with equivalent land capability. This research showed the value of woody debris for reclamation of dramatically disturbed landscapes with a forest ecosystem end land use. Adding woody debris during reclamation can facilitate recovery of flora, soil nutrient cycling and water and nutrient holding capacity. Combined with forest floor material, woody debris can provide native plant propagules that would be otherwise commercially unavailable. Sites with and without woody debris on forest floor material containing identifiable litter (L), fragmented and fermented litter (F), and humus (H) (LFH), and peat mineral soil mix (peat) cover soils were studied. Within 2 years, woody debris decreased bare ground and created microsites which were positively associated with greater vegetation cover and woody plant density. Woody debris treatments had lower soil available nitrate and soil under woody debris had a lower temperature range and higher soil volumetric water content than control treatments without woody debris. Woody debris did not affect first year microbial biomass carbon or mycorrhizae, but both were greater on LFH than peat cover soil. LFH was associated with lower bare ground and greater vegetation cover, species richness, and soil phosphorus and potassium than peat cover soil, which had greater soil sulfate .     

基于无人机和决策树算法的榆树疏林草原植被类型划分和覆盖度生长季动态估计

植被覆盖度是评估生态环境质量与植被生长的重要指标,也是全球众多陆面过程模型和生态系统模型中表达植被动态的重要参数。卫星遥感和地面测量是估算植被覆盖度的常见方法。然而,如何精确估计榆树疏林草原上木本、草本不同类型植被的覆盖度仍然具有挑战性。无人机飞行系统有效的补充了区域尺度低空间分辨率的卫星遥感影像与样地尺度实地调查之间的缺口,为精确的监测、评估疏林草原的植被动态提供了新途径。利用无人机监测平台和决策树算法构建了一套快速、准确、自动获取景观尺度植被类型和估算植被覆盖度的自动化工具,以浑善达克沙地榆树疏林草原为对象,应用无人机监测平台对榆树疏林草原长期定位监测大样地2017年生长季植被状况进行7次监测。结果表明:1)无人机植被监测平台数据飞行高度100 m,获取的样地数字正射影像空间分辨率为2.67 cm/像元,远高于高分卫星影像,利用决策树算法基于数字正射影像可以实现自动划分榆树疏林草原木本和草本植被类型和估算植被覆盖度; 2)生长季内榆树疏林草原木本植被覆盖度为(19±2)%,草本植被覆盖度为(50±8)%,植被总覆盖度为(69±9)%,相对于木本植被,草本植被生长季内盖度变幅较大; 3)在整个生长季中,木本植被和草本植被对植被总覆盖度的平均贡献率分别为27%和73%,草本植被对植被总盖度的贡献远大于木本植被,榆树疏林草原植被的盖度主要受草本植被的影响。本研究证明无人机监测平台是一种高效、准确的植被监测工具,结合机器学习算法,实现了景观尺度植被类型的自动划分和不同类型植被覆盖度快速获取;在浑善达克沙地榆树疏林草原地区首次获取了木本植被和草本植被覆盖度的生长季动态。该平台未来可应用于各种类型生态系统植被类型划分、监测和评估。     

Scale‐dependent variation in visual estimates of grassland plant cover

Abstract. Plant cover was visually estimated by five observers, independent of each other, in a species‐rich grassland in the Bílé Karpaty Mts., southeastern Czech Republic, in seven plots ranging from 0.001 to 4 m². Variation of total plant cover among the observers was high at small scales: 0.001–0.016 m²; coefficient of variation, CV = 35 to 45%, but much lower at larger scales: 0.06–4 m²; CV = 7 to 15%. Differences between visual estimates of plant cover of individual species made by different observers were affected by plot size, total cover and morphology of particular plants. CV of the cover of individual species ranged from 0 to 225% and decreased with increasing plot size. For abundant plants the CV attained ca. 50%, independent of plot size. In spite of a very high number of sterile plants with similar leaf morphology and colour, the observed variation in cover estimates in the studied grassland was comparable with results reported from other vegetation types. Differences between estimates by individual observers were often larger than usual year to year changes in undisturbed grasslands. Therefore, I suggest that to avoid difficulties in the interpretation of results based on plant cover data obtained from visual estimates, several observers should always work together, adjusting their extreme estimates.     

Using plant functional types to compare vegetation structure of alien-invaded and uninvaded Acacia nilotica savannas

Four plant functional types (PFTs) were used to compare the vegetation structure of an alien-invaded Acacia nilotica savanna with one of negligible invasions. Heights, canopy covers and species richness of three native PFTs (woody plants, grasses and herbs) and one alien PFT (woody plants) were measured in 14, 1-m² quadrats sampled in a stratified-random pattern in a 400-m² plot demarcated in each savanna. In the uninvaded plot, mean heights of native PFTs were stratified. In the invaded plot, the mean height of aliens extended into the native woody stratum with the lower range of native woody PFT heights reduced to the grass stratum. Discriminant analysis of canopy covers and species richness of the four PFTs revealed significant differences in composition between plots with the alien PFT being the most important variable correlated with these differences. Univariate analysis confirmed the dominance of alien woody plants in the invaded plot but also showed significant reductions in the canopy covers and species richness of native herbs and grasses compared to those in the uninvaded plot. These results suggest that PFTs can rapidly measure small-scale, spatial differences in the physiognomy, composition and species richness of A. nilotica savannas when invaded by alien woody plants.     

Remotely sensed vegetation phenology and productivity along a climatic gradient: on the value of incorporating the dimension of woody plant cover

Aim Woody plants affect vegetation–environment interactions by modifying microclimate, soil moisture dynamics and carbon cycling. In examining broad‐scale patterns in terrestrial vegetation dynamics, explicit consideration of variation in the amount of woody plant cover could provide additional explanatory power that might not be available when only considering landscape‐scale climate patterns or specific vegetation assemblages. Here we evaluate the interactive influence of woody plant cover on remotely sensed vegetation dynamics across a climatic gradient along a sky island. Location The Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA. Methods Using a satellite‐measured normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 2000 to 2008, we conducted time‐series and regression analyses to explain the variation in functional attributes of vegetation (productivity, seasonality and phenology) related to: (1) vegetation community, (2) elevation as a proxy for climate, and (3) woody plant cover, given the effects of the other environmental variables, as an additional ecological dimension that reflects potential vegetation–environment feedbacks at the local scale. Results NDVI metrics were well explained by interactions among elevation, vegetation community and woody plant cover. After accounting for elevation and vegetation community, woody plant cover explained up to 67% of variation in NDVI metrics and, notably, clarified elevation‐ and community‐specific patterns of vegetation dynamics across the gradient. Main conclusions In addition to the environmental factors usually considered – climate, reflecting resources and constraints, and vegetation community, reflecting species composition and relative dominance – woody plant cover, a broad‐scale proxy of many vegetation–environment interactions, represents an ecological dimension that provides additional process‐related understanding of landscape‐scale patterns of vegetation function.     

Exotic plant invasions over 40 years of old field successions: community patterns and associations

While exotic plant species often come to dominate disturbed communities, long-term patterns of invasion are poorly known. Here we present data from 40 yr of continuous vegetation sampling, documenting the temporal distribution of exotic plant species in old field succession. The relative cover of exotic species decreased with time since abandonment, with significant declines occurring ≥20 yr post-abandonment. The number of exotic species per plot also declined with time since abandonment while field-scale richness of exotics did not change. This suggests displacement occurring at small spatial scales. Life history types changed from short-lived herbaceous species to long-lived woody species for both native and exotic plant species. However, shrubs and lianas dominated woody cover of exotic plants while trees dominated native woody cover. The species richness of exotic and native species was positively correlated at most times. In abandoned hay fields, however, the proportion of exotic plant cover per plot was inversely related to total species richness. This relationship suggests that it is not the presence, but the abundance of exotic species that may cause a reduction in community diversity. While the development of closed-canopy forest appears to limit most introduced plant species, several shade-adapted exotic species are increasing within the fields. These invasions may cause a reversal of the patterns seen in the first 40 yr of succession and may result in further impacts on community structure.     

Managing open habitats by wild ungulate browsing and grazing: A case‐study in North‐Eastern Germany

Question: Can wild ungulates efficiently maintain and restore open habitats? Location: Brandenburg, NE Germany. Methods: The effect of wild ungulate grazing and browsing was studied in three successional stages: (1) Corynephorus canescens‐dominated grassland; (2) ruderal tall forb vegetation dominated by Tanacetum vulgare; and (3) Pinus sylvestris‐pioneer forest. The study was conducted over 3 yr. In each successional stage, six paired 4 m²‐monitoring plots of permanently grazed versus ungrazed plots were arranged in three random blocks. Removal of grazing was introduced de novo for the study. In each plot, percentage cover of each plant and lichen species and total cover of woody plants was recorded. Results: Wild ungulates considerably affected successional pathways and species composition in open habitats but this influence became evident in alteration of abundances of only a few species. Grazing effects differed considerably between successional stages: species richness was higher in grazed versus ungrazed ruderal and pioneer forest plots, but not in the Corynephorus sites. Herbivory affected woody plant cover only in the Pioneer forest sites. Although the study period was too short to observe drastic changes in species richness and woody plant cover, notable changes in species composition were still detected in all successional stages. Conclusion: Wild ungulate browsing is a useful tool to inhibit encroachment of woody vegetation and to conserve a species‐rich, open landscape.     

Changes in the composition of understorey vegetation after harvesting eucalypts for sawlogs and pulpwood in East Gippsland

Cover and abundance of all understorey vascular plant species were studied on permanent plots on two areas (Maramingo and Reedy Creek) in the foothill forests of East Gippsland, eastern Victoria. The areas were harvested for sawlogs and pulpwood in 1976, and parts were burned to assist regeneration. Plots were assessed before harvesting and at intervals until 1980. Changes in total species composition were minimal, although there were many positive and negative changes in crown cover and abundance of individual species. Total cover of understorey vegetation was reduced initially but recovered well on both areas. By 1980, cover at Maramingo was slightly greater than the low levels before harvesting. Some species there were favoured by burning while others were not. At Reedy Creek the original dense understorey had not regenerated fully by 1980. Snig tracks had revegetated to 60% of original average cover but log landings were slower to revegetate. Introduced species were initially a very minor component of the vegetation on both areas: they remained so at Reedy Creek (confined mainly to tracks) but at Maramingo three species proliferated along with other small herbaceous plants.     

Fire frequency and tree canopy structure influence plant species diversity in a forest-grassland ecotone

Disturbances and environmental heterogeneity are two factors thought to influence plant species diversity, but their effects are still poorly understood in many ecosystems. We surveyed understory vegetation and measured tree canopy cover on permanent plots spanning an experimental fire frequency gradient to test fire frequency and tree canopy effects on plant species richness and community heterogeneity within a mosaic of grassland, oak savanna, oak woodland, and forest communities. Species richness was assessed for all vascular plant species and for three plant functional groups: grasses, forbs, and woody plants. Understory species richness and community heterogeneity were maximized at biennial fire frequencies, consistent with predictions of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. However, overstory tree species richness was highest in unburned units and declined with increasing fire frequency. Maximum species richness was observed in unburned units for woody species, with biennial fires for forbs, and with near-annual fires for grasses. Savannas and woodlands with intermediate and spatially variable tree canopy cover had greater species richness and community heterogeneity than old-field grasslands or closed-canopy forests. Functional group species richness was positively correlated with functional group cover. Our results suggest that annual to biennial fire frequencies prevent shrubs and trees from competitively excluding grasses and prairie forbs, while spatially variable shading from overstory trees reduces grass dominance and provides a wider range of habitat conditions. Hence, high species richness in savannas is due to both high sample point species richness and high community heterogeneity among sample points, which are maintained by intermediate fire frequencies and variable tree canopy cover.     

Fire and Grazing Influences on Rates of Riparian Woody Plant Expansion along Grassland Streams

Grasslands are threatened globally due to the expansion of woody plants. The few remaining headwater streams within tallgrass prairies are becoming more like typical forested streams due to rapid conversion of riparian zones from grassy to wooded. Forestation can alter stream hydrology and biogeochemistry. We estimated the rate of riparian woody plant expansion within a 30 m buffer zone surrounding the stream bed across whole watersheds at Konza Prairie Biological Station over 25 years from aerial photographs. Watersheds varied with respect to experimentally-controlled fire and bison grazing. Fire frequency, presence or absence of grazing bison, and the historical presence of woody vegetation prior to the study time period (a proxy for proximity of propagule sources) were used as independent variables to predict the rate of riparian woody plant expansion between 1985 and 2010. Water yield was estimated across these years for a subset of watersheds. Riparian woody encroachment rates increased as burning became less frequent than every two years. However, a higher fire frequency (1–2 years) did not reverse riparian woody encroachment regardless of whether woody vegetation was present or not before burning regimes were initiated. Although riparian woody vegetation cover increased over time, annual total precipitation and average annual temperature were variable. So, water yield over 4 watersheds under differing burn frequencies was quite variable and with no statistically significant detected temporal trends. Overall, burning regimes with a frequency of every 1–2 years will slow the conversion of tallgrass prairie stream ecosystems to forested ones, yet over long time periods, riparian woody plant encroachment may not be prevented by fire alone, regardless of fire frequency.     

Facilitation between woody and herbaceous plants that associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in temperate European forests

In late‐successional environments, low in available nutrient such as the forest understory, herbaceous plant individuals depend strongly on their mycorrhizal associates for survival. We tested whether in temperate European forests arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) woody plants might facilitate the establishment of AM herbaceous plants in agreement with the mycorrhizal mediation hypothesis. We used a dataset spanning over 400 vegetation plots in the Weser‐Elbe region (northwest Germany). Mycorrhizal status information was obtained from published resources, and Ellenberg indicator values were used to infer environmental data. We carried out tests for both relative richness and relative abundance of herbaceous plants. We found that the subset of herbaceous individuals that associated with AM profited when there was a high cover of AM woody plants. These relationships were retained when we accounted for environmental filtering effects using path analysis. Our findings build on the existing literature highlighting the prominent role of mycorrhiza as a coexistence mechanism in plant communities. From a nature conservation point of view, it may be possible to promote functional diversity in the forest understory through introducing AM woody trees in stands when absent.     

Plant functional group responses to fire frequency and tree canopy cover gradients in oak savannas and woodlands

Questions: How do fire frequency, tree canopy cover, and their interactions influence cover of grasses, forbs and understorey woody plants in oak savannas and woodlands? Location: Minnesota, USA. Methods: We measured plant functional group cover and tree canopy cover on permanent plots within a long‐term prescribed fire frequency experiment and used hierarchical linear modeling to assess plant functional group responses to fire frequency and tree canopy cover. Results: Understorey woody plant cover was highest in unburned woodlands and was negatively correlated with fire frequency. C4‐grass cover was positively correlated with fire frequency and negatively correlated with tree canopy cover. C3‐grass cover was highest at 40% tree canopy cover on unburned sites and at 60% tree canopy cover on frequently burned sites. Total forb cover was maximized at fire frequencies of 4–7 fires per decade, but was not significantly influenced by tree canopy cover. Cover of N‐fixing forbs was highest in shaded areas, particularly on frequently burned sites, while combined cover of all other forbs was negatively correlated with tree canopy cover. Conclusions: The relative influences of fire frequency and tree canopy cover on understorey plant functional group cover vary among plant functional groups, but both play a significant role in structuring savanna and woodland understorey vegetation. When restoring degraded savannas, direct manipulation of overstorey tree canopy cover should be considered to rapidly reduce shading from fire‐resistant overstorey trees. Prescribed fires can then be used to suppress understorey woody plants and promote establishment of light‐demanding grasses and forbs.     

Differential effects of goat browsing on herbaceous plant community in a two-phase mosaic

The impact of herbivores on herbaceous plant communities is usually attributed to direct consumption of plants. We hypothesized that goats affect herbaceous plants both directly (consumption by foraging) and indirectly, by changing environmental conditions through modification of woody plant structure. We assessed the effects of goats browsing on environmental conditions, landscape structure, and herbaceous plants to link the direct and indirect effects of goats on herbaceous communities. Our model system was the Mediterranean woodland in Mt. Carmel, Israel. This is a two-phase mosaic landscape, composed of herbaceous (open) and woody patches. We delineated 10 plots of 1000 m², goats were introduced to five plots and five plots remained without goats. We monitored plant species richness and composition in two adjacent patch types (woody and open) in each plot. For each patch type, in all plots, we collected data on environmental conditions. We analyzed landscape structure using landscape metrics derived from a high-resolution vegetation map. We found that goats modified the structure of woody plants and hence the landscape mosaic. This alteration was associated with changes in environmental conditions, with more light penetration and higher temperatures. The impact of goats on the herbaceous plant community depended on patch type. In open patches, goats affected the herbaceous community mostly by direct consumption, whereas in woody patches they affected the herbaceous community mainly by modification of abiotic conditions. Our results stress the importance of considering landscape and patch structure in analyzing the effect of herbivory on plant communities.     

Does Seeding a Locally Adapted Native Mixture Inhibit Ingress by Exotic Plants?

Non‐native plant species often colonize retired agricultural lands, creating monocultures with low species diversity that provide poor wildlife habitat. We assessed whether sowing a mix of 29 locally adapted native species reduced invasion of non‐native plant species compared to allowing vegetation to colonize naturally following tillage. There was a sampling date × treatment interaction for canopy cover of perennial exotic plant species. Plots that were not sown to natives had two to six times greater canopy cover of exotic species than did plots with both preparation (woody vegetation removed, plowed, and disked) and control (no preparation or sowing) plots. Canopy cover of exotic plants was similar in prepared‐only and control treatments from October 2008 to June 2010, ranging from 8 to 40%. Percent absolute canopy cover of native vegetation was 10–20 times greater on prepared and planted plots than on prepared‐only plots during March 2009 to June 2010. Sowing a mix of locally adapted native species may inhibit encroachment by non‐native species for up to two years after sowing on retired agricultural land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.     

Woody vegetation structure of Brazilian Cerrado invaded by Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Maxon (Dennstaedtiaceae)

Biological invasion is one of the major components of global change. In the Brazilian Cerrado, the fern Pteridium arachnoideum (neotropical bracken) is a potentially invasive species which is expected to change the vegetation structure of savannas. We assessed effects of the dominance of P. arachnoideum on the diversity of woody Cerrado species. We compared three sites dominated by neotropical bracken with three sites without neotropical bracken. We used multivariate analyses of variance and rarefaction curves with confidence limits to test whether the groups of species found in invaded areas were different from those found in non-invaded ones. We also analyzed the density of individuals and species and the mean area at breast height per plot. We found significant floristic differences between the areas. The diversity and the densities in the invaded areas were lower than in non-invaded ones. However, we did not observe differences in the mean area at breast height of woody plants. Thus, the P. arachnoideum invasion is a potential threat to Cerrado biodiversity. Management efforts should be made to control the bracken, since its dominance in the plant community may lead to impoverishment and simplification of the savanna vegetation.