Factors limiting early establishment of the Mediterranean grassland species Brachypodium retusum at disturbed sites |
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| Institution: | 1. Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, National Environmental Science Program – Threatened Species Recovery Hub, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia;2. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia;3. Queensland Herbarium, Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia;1. Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;2. University of Bordeaux, UMR 5805 EPOC, Avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence cedex, France;3. Engineering Research Centre of Forestry Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China;4. Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China;1. Forest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal;2. Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves” (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal;1. Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands;2. Wageningen Plant Research, Farming Systems Ecology Group, P.O. Box 563, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands;1. Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France;2. UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Equipe Ecologie Evolutive, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France;1. Restoration Ecology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany;2. Urban Greening and Vegetation Ecology, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway |
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| Abstract: | In Mediterranean dry grasslands, water availability and grazing strongly influence plant establishment. Although higher water availability and lower grazing pressure usually increase seedling recruitment in the beginning, higher competition may reduce seedling survival. In our study, we analysed this trade-off for the dominant species of Western Mediterranean steppes Brachypodium retusum which hardly recolonises restoration sites degraded by soil disturbance such as arable use.A split-plot experiment was set up on an ex-arable site in the “La Crau” steppe in order to test the effects of initial watering and sheep grazing on seedling recruitment, survival and early growth during two years. The watering treatment was applied in the first autumn and spring doubling the usual precipitation during this period and grazing was tested using exclosures. Survival and growth of seedlings established from field-sown seeds were compared to those of transplanted seedlings pre-grown in a growth chamber.Watering did not affect germination whereas the grazing effect was negative. Initial watering had a positive effect on survival only in grazed plots suggesting a compensatory effect under grazing disturbance. Significant main effects of watering on early growth disappeared in the second season. Grazing significantly reduced most measured growth traits whereas the effect on survival was only marginally significant. Planted seedlings (49%) survived better than seedlings emerged from field-sown seeds (36%). In conclusion, initial fencing increases establishment success of B. retusum in ecological restoration. Initial watering may help to mitigate negative grazing effects when fencing is not possible. |
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| Keywords: | Dry grassland Plant–environment interactions Poaceae Population dynamics |
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