Pub Date : 2024-05-19DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01428-3
Samuel Harimanana, Cassandra Ducharme Martin, Guillaume de Lafontaine
In the context of ongoing global changes, long-term demographic monitoring data is crucial to assess the viability of natural populations. Such data is particularly important when large fluctuations in population size obfuscate background demographic trajectories. Here, we report results from the first 5 years of a long-term monitoring of a moonwort (Botrychium, Ophioglossaceae) community in Bic National Park, eastern Canada. Our objectives were to provide a first estimate of the composition, size, and demography of the moonwort colonies and to evaluate the putative influence of meteorological and microenvironmental variables on the density of aboveground sporophytes and sporophyte trait variability. Individuals were identified to the species level and tallied in each colony (n = 16 colonies) for the first 3 years (2019–2021) and then marked, monitored, and measured in permanent sample plots (n = 27 plots) for the last 3 years (2021–2023). Although colonies did not vary in composition (n = 8 Botrychium species), the number of emerged individuals differed yearly. Moonwort abundance, re-emergence, and trophophore height were associated with rainfall during the period of sporophyte emergence. Post-drought recovery occurred readily, which might reflect rapid recruitment or dormancy in Botrychium. Moonwort abundance declined as shrub cover and herbaceous vegetation height increased whereas trophophore size was smaller under closed tree canopy. Our results suggest spring rainfall as the limiting factor in opened habitats, whereas competition for sunlight may be limiting under closed canopy. The sizable and species-rich moonwort community of the Bic National Park provides key insights into Botrychium ecology and community dynamics.
{"title":"Responses to spring rainfall and shading in moonworts: trait variability and the dynamics of a genus community","authors":"Samuel Harimanana, Cassandra Ducharme Martin, Guillaume de Lafontaine","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01428-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01428-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the context of ongoing global changes, long-term demographic monitoring data is crucial to assess the viability of natural populations. Such data is particularly important when large fluctuations in population size obfuscate background demographic trajectories. Here, we report results from the first 5 years of a long-term monitoring of a moonwort (<i>Botrychium</i>, Ophioglossaceae) community in Bic National Park, eastern Canada. Our objectives were to provide a first estimate of the composition, size, and demography of the moonwort colonies and to evaluate the putative influence of meteorological and microenvironmental variables on the density of aboveground sporophytes and sporophyte trait variability. Individuals were identified to the species level and tallied in each colony (<i>n</i> = 16 colonies) for the first 3 years (2019–2021) and then marked, monitored, and measured in permanent sample plots (<i>n</i> = 27 plots) for the last 3 years (2021–2023). Although colonies did not vary in composition (<i>n</i> = 8 <i>Botrychium</i> species), the number of emerged individuals differed yearly. Moonwort abundance, re-emergence, and trophophore height were associated with rainfall during the period of sporophyte emergence. Post-drought recovery occurred readily, which might reflect rapid recruitment or dormancy in <i>Botrychium</i>. Moonwort abundance declined as shrub cover and herbaceous vegetation height increased whereas trophophore size was smaller under closed tree canopy. Our results suggest spring rainfall as the limiting factor in opened habitats, whereas competition for sunlight may be limiting under closed canopy. The sizable and species-rich moonwort community of the Bic National Park provides key insights into <i>Botrychium</i> ecology and community dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141064205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-18DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01432-7
Mónica B. Bertiller, Analía L. Carrera
We assessed the effect of grazing and plant patchiness on the perennial grass seed bank in litter patches in relation to co-occurring shrub, annual grass, and forb seed banks in disturbed rangelands of the Patagonian Monte. We hypothesized that litter patches in disturbed rangelands have a perennial grass seed bank but co-occurring seed banks of annual lifeforms reduce the opportunities for perennial grass reestablishment at these patches. We evaluated the effect of microsite (bare soil vs. vegetated) and grazing (grazed vs, non-grazed) on the (1) size (seeds m−2) of the four seed banks, (2) frequency of microsites with the respective seeds, and (3) frequency of co-occurrence of the perennial grass with shrub, annual grass and forb seed banks in litter patches at 5 dates (2009–2011). We found the smallest perennial grass and annual grass seed banks in litter patches under grazing and in bare soil microsites. The shrub and forb seed banks in litter patches were smaller at vegetated than at bare soil microsites under grazing and the reverse occurred in non-grazed conditions. The sizes of all seed banks were positively related to the frequency of litter patches with the respective seeds. In these litter patches, the size of perennial grass and shrub seed banks did not vary with grazing, and/or microsite while the size of annual grass and forb seed banks decreased with grazing and increased in vegetated microsites. The perennial grass seed bank in litter patches co-occurred mostly with forb and annual grass seed banks (several times larger). This is probably a constraint for the reestablishment of perennial grasses. However, although scarce, litter patches with exclusive perennial grass seed bank or co-occurring perennial grass and shrub seed banks could be an opportunity for perennial grass reestablishment.
{"title":"Perennial grass seed bank in litter patches. Co-occurrence with forb and annual grass seed banks constraints the reestablishment in disturbed Patagonian Monte rangelands","authors":"Mónica B. Bertiller, Analía L. Carrera","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01432-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01432-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We assessed the effect of grazing and plant patchiness on the perennial grass seed bank in litter patches in relation to co-occurring shrub, annual grass, and forb seed banks in disturbed rangelands of the Patagonian Monte. We hypothesized that litter patches in disturbed rangelands have a perennial grass seed bank but co-occurring seed banks of annual lifeforms reduce the opportunities for perennial grass reestablishment at these patches. We evaluated the effect of microsite (bare soil vs. vegetated) and grazing (grazed vs, non-grazed) on the (1) size (seeds m<sup>−2</sup>) of the four seed banks, (2) frequency of microsites with the respective seeds, and (3) frequency of co-occurrence of the perennial grass with shrub, annual grass and forb seed banks in litter patches at 5 dates (2009–2011). We found the smallest perennial grass and annual grass seed banks in litter patches under grazing and in bare soil microsites. The shrub and forb seed banks in litter patches were smaller at vegetated than at bare soil microsites under grazing and the reverse occurred in non-grazed conditions. The sizes of all seed banks were positively related to the frequency of litter patches with the respective seeds. In these litter patches, the size of perennial grass and shrub seed banks did not vary with grazing, and/or microsite while the size of annual grass and forb seed banks decreased with grazing and increased in vegetated microsites. The perennial grass seed bank in litter patches co-occurred mostly with forb and annual grass seed banks (several times larger). This is probably a constraint for the reestablishment of perennial grasses. However, although scarce, litter patches with exclusive perennial grass seed bank or co-occurring perennial grass and shrub seed banks could be an opportunity for perennial grass reestablishment.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141059123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-15DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01430-9
Anna Corli, Simone Orsenigo, Francesco Porro, G. Rossi, Silvano Lodetti, Andrea Mondoni
{"title":"Germination niche of co-occurring threatened native and alien species: a case study in Lindernia procumbens and L. dubia","authors":"Anna Corli, Simone Orsenigo, Francesco Porro, G. Rossi, Silvano Lodetti, Andrea Mondoni","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01430-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01430-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140977375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-15DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01420-x
S. Vicente, Mónica Condessa, Helena Trindade, Johannes J. Le Roux, Cristina Máguas
{"title":"Early development of Acacia longifolia is more severely impacted by water and nutrient stress in invasive than native seedlings","authors":"S. Vicente, Mónica Condessa, Helena Trindade, Johannes J. Le Roux, Cristina Máguas","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01420-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01420-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140976192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-15DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01418-5
Joshua Hibit, C. Daehler
{"title":"Differential change in indigenous versus endemic plant cover over time in an invaded Hawaiian landscape","authors":"Joshua Hibit, C. Daehler","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01418-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01418-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140975525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-14DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01431-8
Lan Yang, Xuejiao An, Bin Wen, Ligang Chen
{"title":"Morphological and germination traits of Garcinia xanthochymus seeds with their cytological basis and ecological adaptation","authors":"Lan Yang, Xuejiao An, Bin Wen, Ligang Chen","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01431-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01431-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140980314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-11DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01429-2
Mick E. Hanley, James Buckley, Laoise Hunter-Martin, Jessica J. S. Thomas
Environmental selection during early ontogeny influences plant species representation in mature vegetation. Chief amongst these selective forces is the interplay of herbivore selection and seedling defence/tolerance. Although some species can recover from almost complete cotyledon loss, it remains unclear whether tolerance is impacted by other critical early life-history hazards like competition. This study examines early seedling tolerance of two sympatric Plantago species (P. lanceolata and P. major) for individuals grown in isolation, monoculture (i.e., with conspecifics) and mixed assemblages (with congenerics). The effects of 95 and 50% cotyledon removal at 14-d-old on plant growth and root:shoot allocation was established in 28-d and 100-d old plants. Although damage and neighbour environment consistently limited subsequent growth of P. major, there was no interaction between these factors. Nonetheless, individuals subjected to 95% defoliation in mixed assemblages were substantially smaller than those without neighbours. A similar response to cotyledon removal was evident for P. lanceolata at 28-d, although plants with conspecific neighbours tended to be larger. The defoliation effect disappeared at 100-d, and plants grown with neighbours were now smaller. Mortality and root:shoot allocation did not vary across treatments. While we underscore the negative impact that early ontogenetic damage and the influence of neighbour environment has on subsequent plant growth, we failed to elucidate obvious interactions between these factors. Nonetheless, we highlight how the remarkable tolerance of Plantago seedlings to almost complete defoliation in the face of intra-/inter-specific competition, may yet be impacted by anthropogenic disruption of environmental filters operating at the regeneration stage.
{"title":"Defoliation tolerance in Plantago seedlings varies with neighbour environment","authors":"Mick E. Hanley, James Buckley, Laoise Hunter-Martin, Jessica J. S. Thomas","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01429-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01429-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Environmental selection during early ontogeny influences plant species representation in mature vegetation. Chief amongst these selective forces is the interplay of herbivore selection and seedling defence/tolerance. Although some species can recover from almost complete cotyledon loss, it remains unclear whether tolerance is impacted by other critical early life-history hazards like competition. This study examines early seedling tolerance of two sympatric <i>Plantago</i> species (<i>P. lanceolata</i> and <i>P. major</i>) for individuals grown in isolation, monoculture (i.e., with conspecifics) and mixed assemblages (with congenerics). The effects of 95 and 50% cotyledon removal at 14-d-old on plant growth and root:shoot allocation was established in 28-d and 100-d old plants. Although damage and neighbour environment consistently limited subsequent growth of <i>P. major</i>, there was no interaction between these factors. Nonetheless, individuals subjected to 95% defoliation in mixed assemblages were substantially smaller than those without neighbours. A similar response to cotyledon removal was evident for <i>P. lanceolata</i> at 28-d, although plants with conspecific neighbours tended to be larger. The defoliation effect disappeared at 100-d, and plants grown with neighbours were now smaller. Mortality and root:shoot allocation did not vary across treatments. While we underscore the negative impact that early ontogenetic damage and the influence of neighbour environment has on subsequent plant growth, we failed to elucidate obvious interactions between these factors. Nonetheless, we highlight how the remarkable tolerance of <i>Plantago</i> seedlings to almost complete defoliation in the face of intra-/inter-specific competition, may yet be impacted by anthropogenic disruption of environmental filters operating at the regeneration stage.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140926700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-10DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01425-6
Jéssica Magon Garcia, Larissa Cerqueira Dias Rodrigues, Lya Carolina da Silva Mariano Pereira, Heraldo Luís Vasconcelos, José Marcelo Domingues Torezan
There are reports suggesting that leaf-cutting ants can act as a biotic filter, selecting plant traits according to foraging preferences, and consequently affecting the species composition of plant communities. In order to test this hypothesis, we evaluated the relationship between the floristic and functional diversity of woody plants in fragments of Semideciduous Seasonal Atlantic Forest (SAF) with the presence or absence of Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758) nests. We expected that, in places where A. sexdens nests is present, 1) floristic diversity is lower and 2) the plant community is dominated by species characterized by greater investment in anti-herbivore defenses and lower nutritional content. For this, we sampled nine SAF fragments in the north of Paraná state, in Brazil. The diversity of woody regenerants (> 1 m in height, < 2 cm diameter) was estimated and 10 functional traits were evaluated: gap dependence, deciduousness, leaf nitrogen and carbon content, leaf C/N ratio, presence of leaf trichomes, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, presence of latex and condensed tannins, for the 28 most abundant woody species. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in floristic diversity between sites with or without A. sexdens, and functional diversity was also similar, reflecting the floristic similarity. We suggest that the herbivory pressure by A. sexdens on the woody regenerants of SAF fragments is not strong enough to cause significant mortality in individual species and, consequently, affect plant diversity and composition. This may in part be related to the fact that most nests of A. sexdens were established in the edges of the fragments and that ants from these nests forage not only in the forest but also in the agricultural matrix where food resources are abundant. We also suggest that longer-term studies are still needed to fully elucidate the effects of A. sexdens on the plant community of Atlantic Forest fragments.
有报告表明,切叶蚁可以充当生物过滤器,根据觅食偏好选择植物性状,从而影响植物群落的物种组成。为了验证这一假设,我们评估了半落叶季节性大西洋森林(SAF)片段中木本植物的植物学和功能多样性与有无切叶蚁(Atta sexdens)(林奈,1758 年)巢穴之间的关系。我们预计,在有 A. sexdens 筑巢的地方,1)植物多样性较低;2)植物群落中以抗食草动物防御能力较强、营养成分较低的物种为主。为此,我们在巴西巴拉那州北部的 9 个 SAF 片区进行了采样。我们对木本再生植物(高 1 米,直径 2 厘米)的多样性进行了估计,并对 28 种最丰富的木本物种的 10 项功能特征进行了评估:间隙依赖性、落叶性、叶片氮和碳含量、叶片 C/N 比值、叶片毛状体的存在、叶片厚度、特定叶面积、乳胶和缩合单宁的存在。与预期相反的是,在有 A. sexdens 或没有 A. sexdens 的地点,植物多样性没有差异,功能多样性也相似,这反映了植物多样性的相似性。我们认为,A. sexdens对SAF片段木质再生植株的食草压力不足以导致单个物种的大量死亡,从而影响植物的多样性和组成。这可能与大多数蚁巢都建在林缘有关,这些蚁巢的蚂蚁不仅在森林中觅食,也在食物资源丰富的农业区觅食。我们还建议,仍需进行更长期的研究,以充分阐明蚁巢对大西洋森林片区植物群落的影响。
{"title":"Influence of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens Linnaeus (1758) on the taxonomic and functional diversity of woody plants in Atlantic Forest fragments","authors":"Jéssica Magon Garcia, Larissa Cerqueira Dias Rodrigues, Lya Carolina da Silva Mariano Pereira, Heraldo Luís Vasconcelos, José Marcelo Domingues Torezan","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01425-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01425-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There are reports suggesting that leaf-cutting ants can act as a biotic filter, selecting plant traits according to foraging preferences, and consequently affecting the species composition of plant communities. In order to test this hypothesis, we evaluated the relationship between the floristic and functional diversity of woody plants in fragments of Semideciduous Seasonal Atlantic Forest (SAF) with the presence or absence of <i>Atta sexdens</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) nests. We expected that, in places where <i>A. sexdens</i> nests is present, 1) floristic diversity is lower and 2) the plant community is dominated by species characterized by greater investment in anti-herbivore defenses and lower nutritional content. For this, we sampled nine SAF fragments in the north of Paraná state, in Brazil. The diversity of woody regenerants (> 1 m in height, < 2 cm diameter) was estimated and 10 functional traits were evaluated: gap dependence, deciduousness, leaf nitrogen and carbon content, leaf C/N ratio, presence of leaf trichomes, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, presence of latex and condensed tannins, for the 28 most abundant woody species. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in floristic diversity between sites with or without <i>A. sexdens</i>, and functional diversity was also similar, reflecting the floristic similarity. We suggest that the herbivory pressure by <i>A. sexdens</i> on the woody regenerants of SAF fragments is not strong enough to cause significant mortality in individual species and, consequently, affect plant diversity and composition. This may in part be related to the fact that most nests of <i>A. sexdens</i> were established in the edges of the fragments and that ants from these nests forage not only in the forest but also in the agricultural matrix where food resources are abundant. We also suggest that longer-term studies are still needed to fully elucidate the effects of <i>A. sexdens</i> on the plant community of Atlantic Forest fragments.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140926699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01423-8
Faisal Moola, Philippe St. Martin, Azim U. Mallik, Liette Vasseur
This study examines the recovery of late-successional forests in the Acadian Forest Region of northeastern North America after anthropogenic canopy disturbance. Tree species were sampled in a chronosequence of post-clearcut (3–54 years) and remnant late-successional forests (100–165 years) in four demographic size classes in Nova Scotia, Canada: seedlings, small saplings, large saplings, and canopy trees. Clearcut forests acquired late-successional canopy species composition within five decades after logging disturbance. Resilience to clearcutting was due principally to the persistence of residual shade-tolerant coniferous species, mostly red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) in recovering stands. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that most residual canopy species responded positively to canopy removal as small saplings, but not as seedlings. Seedlings of all residual canopy species exhibited strong associations with stand age, canopy cover, and microhabitats characteristic of older forests, such as rotting logs and smaller pieces of decayed wood. These results show that managed late-successional Acadian forests can recover quickly after clearcutting if advance tree regeneration (seedlings and saplings) is present and protected in the understory during canopy removal. Such Careful Logging methods focused on advance regeneration remain under-utilized in Acadian forests, though our results indicate they could better address silvicultural objectives such as maintaining a viable conifer component throughout stand development, as well as broader biodiversity goals in the management of late-successional forest types.
{"title":"Acadian forest resilience to clearcutting: implications for even-aged management in late-successional northern temperate forests","authors":"Faisal Moola, Philippe St. Martin, Azim U. Mallik, Liette Vasseur","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01423-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01423-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines the recovery of late-successional forests in the Acadian Forest Region of northeastern North America after anthropogenic canopy disturbance. Tree species were sampled in a chronosequence of post-clearcut (3–54 years) and remnant late-successional forests (100–165 years) in four demographic size classes in Nova Scotia, Canada: seedlings, small saplings, large saplings, and canopy trees. Clearcut forests acquired late-successional canopy species composition within five decades after logging disturbance. Resilience to clearcutting was due principally to the persistence of residual shade-tolerant coniferous species, mostly red spruce (<i>Picea rubens</i> Sarg<i>.</i>) and eastern hemlock (<i>Tsuga canadensis</i> (L.) Carrière) in recovering stands. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that most residual canopy species responded positively to canopy removal as small saplings, but not as seedlings. Seedlings of all residual canopy species exhibited strong associations with stand age, canopy cover, and microhabitats characteristic of older forests, such as rotting logs and smaller pieces of decayed wood. These results show that managed late-successional Acadian forests can recover quickly after clearcutting if advance tree regeneration (seedlings and saplings) is present and protected in the understory during canopy removal. Such <i>Careful Logging</i> methods focused on advance regeneration remain under-utilized in Acadian forests, though our results indicate they could better address silvicultural objectives such as maintaining a viable conifer component throughout stand development, as well as broader biodiversity goals in the management of late-successional forest types.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140926801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.1007/s11258-024-01427-4
Gabriel Schmidt Teixeira Motta, Natashi Pilon, Alessandra Fidelis, Rosana Marta Kolb
Fire is a natural component in tropical open ecosystems. Therefore, species are adapted to and thrive in post-fire conditions. In these fire-prone ecosystems smoke is one of the fire products that can stimulate seed germination. Here, we evaluated if and how smoke influences the germination of 44 Cerrado ground layer species, including grasses, forbs, subshrubs, and shrubs. Specifically, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How does smoke affect the germination of the Cerrado ground layer species? (2) Does smoke concentration influence the response? (3) Does this response differ according to growth form? (4) Are there differences in response between savanna and wet grassland communities? Considering all species together, smoke did not affect the germination of the study species. However, we found species having positive or negative responses, depending on the smoke concentration. When considering growth forms, grasses had a reduction in mean germination time. Smoke also reduced the mean germination time of savanna species, whereas, for wet grassland species, there was no effect of smoke. Thus, smoke has an asymmetric effect on cue germination in the Cerrado, depending on the species, growth form, and habitat. This effect can play a role in community post-fire responses, mostly related to faster germination.
{"title":"Smoke effects on the germination of Cerrado species","authors":"Gabriel Schmidt Teixeira Motta, Natashi Pilon, Alessandra Fidelis, Rosana Marta Kolb","doi":"10.1007/s11258-024-01427-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-024-01427-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fire is a natural component in tropical open ecosystems. Therefore, species are adapted to and thrive in post-fire conditions. In these fire-prone ecosystems smoke is one of the fire products that can stimulate seed germination. Here, we evaluated if and how smoke influences the germination of 44 Cerrado ground layer species, including grasses, forbs, subshrubs, and shrubs. Specifically, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How does smoke affect the germination of the Cerrado ground layer species? (2) Does smoke concentration influence the response? (3) Does this response differ according to growth form? (4) Are there differences in response between savanna and wet grassland communities? Considering all species together, smoke did not affect the germination of the study species. However, we found species having positive or negative responses, depending on the smoke concentration. When considering growth forms, grasses had a reduction in mean germination time. Smoke also reduced the mean germination time of savanna species, whereas, for wet grassland species, there was no effect of smoke. Thus, smoke has an asymmetric effect on cue germination in the Cerrado, depending on the species, growth form, and habitat. This effect can play a role in community post-fire responses, mostly related to faster germination.</p>","PeriodicalId":20233,"journal":{"name":"Plant Ecology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140926807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}