Dario C. Paiva, Daniel Negreiros, Jessica Cunha-Blum, Carla Rago, Vanessa M. Gomes, Irene Gélvez-Zúñiga, G. Wilson Fernandes
Question
Understanding how nutrient availability and soil conditions influence ecosystem functionality is crucial for predicting changes in the plant community and informing ecological restoration programs. Here, we aimed to characterize the ecological strategies of the most abundant species in an ironstone ecosystem, to understand how edaphic parameters drive these strategies, and to investigate how species taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities differ among habitats within the ecosystem.
Location
The study was conducted in three municipalities in the southern portion of the Espinhaço mountain range in Minas Gerais, Brazil. We sampled plots in three habitat types with distinct soil characteristics.
Methods
We employed the CSR framework to characterize the ecological strategies of the most common species across 87,100-m2 plots. We also measured 19 edaphic parameters in these plots to evaluate their influence on ecological strategies.
Results
Most of the 46 sampled species displayed a high proportion of stress-tolerant strategies due to their small leaves with high dry matter content. This pattern reflects the preponderance of S-selection at the plot level. Conversely, plots with finer sand and relatively fertile conditions had more competitive strategies, and the species within showed larger leaves with less biomass investment.
Conclusions
This study highlights the role of abiotic filters in shaping CSR strategies in ironstone campo rupestre, emphasizing the trade-off between growth and resource conservation. The low growth rates of species reveal the ecosystem's vulnerability to increased soil removal and disturbances. Additionally, small-scale edaphic variation relates mainly to physical properties, selected species composition, and functionality.
{"title":"Unraveling the Influence of Soil Properties on CSR Strategies in an Ironstone Montane Ecosystem in Southeast Brazil","authors":"Dario C. Paiva, Daniel Negreiros, Jessica Cunha-Blum, Carla Rago, Vanessa M. Gomes, Irene Gélvez-Zúñiga, G. Wilson Fernandes","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Understanding how nutrient availability and soil conditions influence ecosystem functionality is crucial for predicting changes in the plant community and informing ecological restoration programs. Here, we aimed to characterize the ecological strategies of the most abundant species in an ironstone ecosystem, to understand how edaphic parameters drive these strategies, and to investigate how species taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities differ among habitats within the ecosystem.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study was conducted in three municipalities in the southern portion of the Espinhaço mountain range in Minas Gerais, Brazil. We sampled plots in three habitat types with distinct soil characteristics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We employed the CSR framework to characterize the ecological strategies of the most common species across 87,100-m<sup>2</sup> plots. We also measured 19 edaphic parameters in these plots to evaluate their influence on ecological strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Most of the 46 sampled species displayed a high proportion of stress-tolerant strategies due to their small leaves with high dry matter content. This pattern reflects the preponderance of S-selection at the plot level. Conversely, plots with finer sand and relatively fertile conditions had more competitive strategies, and the species within showed larger leaves with less biomass investment.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study highlights the role of abiotic filters in shaping CSR strategies in ironstone <i>campo rupestre</i>, emphasizing the trade-off between growth and resource conservation. The low growth rates of species reveal the ecosystem's vulnerability to increased soil removal and disturbances. Additionally, small-scale edaphic variation relates mainly to physical properties, selected species composition, and functionality.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145625904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}
Climate change and forest management have profoundly altered forest ecosystem dynamics, with impacts on canopy composition and understory vegetation. Forest type affects bryophyte ecosystem processes, particularly related to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Within the boreal-temperate ecotone, the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest harbors a diverse canopy composition with many species at their distributional limit, making it sensitive to climate change and human alterations, with unknown impacts on bryophytes and their functions.
Aims
We aimed to quantify how canopy composition and moisture affect forest-floor bryophyte biomass, and C and N stocks.
Location
We sampled in 49 stands representing six forest types of the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest of New Brunswick (Canada): mesic coniferous, wet coniferous, mesic deciduous, wet deciduous, mixed, and cedar forests.
Methods
First, we developed an allometric model to predict bryophyte bulk density. We then estimated bryophyte biomass and C and N contents for five functional groups at each site using the ground layer indicator method and measured forest and soil characteristics at each site (e.g., forest composition, soil pH, moisture class). Linear models; multivariate, similarity percentages; and indicator species analyses were used for data analysis.
Results
The highest bryophyte biomass and C and N stocks were found in conifer-dominated forests, especially where Sphagnum was abundant, whereas they were low in mixed and deciduous forests which also had a different functional composition. There was a strong negative nonlinear relationship between bryophyte biomass and broadleaf litter.
Conclusions
We provide the first reports of bryophyte biomass and C and N stocks in the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest, which were consistent with its latitudinal location at the southern edge of the boreal forest. Our findings highlight the connections between forest composition and bryophytes in the Acadian Forest and reveal the potential contribution of forest-floor bryophytes to C and N stocks.
{"title":"Forest Composition Drives Bryophyte Biomass, Carbon, and Nitrogen Storage in the Boreal-Temperate Ecotone","authors":"Luana Gonçalves Cemin, Mélanie Jean","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Climate change and forest management have profoundly altered forest ecosystem dynamics, with impacts on canopy composition and understory vegetation. Forest type affects bryophyte ecosystem processes, particularly related to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Within the boreal-temperate ecotone, the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest harbors a diverse canopy composition with many species at their distributional limit, making it sensitive to climate change and human alterations, with unknown impacts on bryophytes and their functions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We aimed to quantify how canopy composition and moisture affect forest-floor bryophyte biomass, and C and N stocks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled in 49 stands representing six forest types of the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest of New Brunswick (Canada): mesic coniferous, wet coniferous, mesic deciduous, wet deciduous, mixed, and cedar forests.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>First, we developed an allometric model to predict bryophyte bulk density. We then estimated bryophyte biomass and C and N contents for five functional groups at each site using the ground layer indicator method and measured forest and soil characteristics at each site (e.g., forest composition, soil pH, moisture class). Linear models; multivariate, similarity percentages; and indicator species analyses were used for data analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The highest bryophyte biomass and C and N stocks were found in conifer-dominated forests, especially where <i>Sphagnum</i> was abundant, whereas they were low in mixed and deciduous forests which also had a different functional composition. There was a strong negative nonlinear relationship between bryophyte biomass and broadleaf litter.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We provide the first reports of bryophyte biomass and C and N stocks in the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest, which were consistent with its latitudinal location at the southern edge of the boreal forest. Our findings highlight the connections between forest composition and bryophytes in the Acadian Forest and reveal the potential contribution of forest-floor bryophytes to C and N stocks.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70088","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145581375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Do multiple environmental conditions filter plant communities in non-native plantations similarly to the natural forests? Do upper forest layers act as additional filters on understory plant diversity? How do multiple environmental conditions and forest structure affect rewilding?
Location
Trentino region (Italy).
Methods
Using a stratified random sampling design approach encompassing different elevations and aspects in non-native old-established black pine plantations of the eastern European Alps, we sampled 55 plots over 6200 km2 in which we collected data on abiotic conditions and species cover for each forest layer (tree, shrub, herb), and forest regeneration (i.e., woody juvenile species). We adopted structural equation models (SEMs) to investigate the causal relationships between multiple environmental conditions and forest layer interactions on alpha and beta plant diversity. Furthermore, we ran redundancy analysis (RDA) to test for the effect of multiple environmental conditions and forest structural parameters on the ecology of the herbaceous communities.
Results
High- and low-elevation sites had reduced alpha diversity likely because of frost and drought climatic constraints. Shaded conditions due to tree canopy cover directly reduced alpha shrub diversity, and indirectly the herb diversity. Beta diversity of each layer was mainly influenced by slope and elevation. The composition of trees set off a cascading effect, shaping shrub communities and, in turn, the herbaceous and juvenile layers below.
Conclusions
Non-native old-established plantations close to the native range of black pine showed high diversity coupled with scarce regeneration. Our insights are crucial for understanding the rewilding of old-established plantation forests. Future plantation programs should consider both the multiple spatial scales of the environmental conditions of the sites and the interaction among vegetation layers to achieve effective rewilding.
{"title":"Passive Rewilding of Old-Established Plantations Into Native Forests","authors":"Alessandro Bricca, Stefan Zerbe, Hannelore Fellin, Nicola Alessi, Simona Maccherini, Gianmaria Bonari","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70085","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70085","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Do multiple environmental conditions filter plant communities in non-native plantations similarly to the natural forests? Do upper forest layers act as additional filters on understory plant diversity? How do multiple environmental conditions and forest structure affect rewilding?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Trentino region (Italy).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using a stratified random sampling design approach encompassing different elevations and aspects in non-native old-established black pine plantations of the eastern European Alps, we sampled 55 plots over 6200 km<sup>2</sup> in which we collected data on abiotic conditions and species cover for each forest layer (tree, shrub, herb), and forest regeneration (i.e., woody juvenile species). We adopted structural equation models (SEMs) to investigate the causal relationships between multiple environmental conditions and forest layer interactions on alpha and beta plant diversity. Furthermore, we ran redundancy analysis (RDA) to test for the effect of multiple environmental conditions and forest structural parameters on the ecology of the herbaceous communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>High- and low-elevation sites had reduced alpha diversity likely because of frost and drought climatic constraints. Shaded conditions due to tree canopy cover directly reduced alpha shrub diversity, and indirectly the herb diversity. Beta diversity of each layer was mainly influenced by slope and elevation. The composition of trees set off a cascading effect, shaping shrub communities and, in turn, the herbaceous and juvenile layers below.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Non-native old-established plantations close to the native range of black pine showed high diversity coupled with scarce regeneration. Our insights are crucial for understanding the rewilding of old-established plantation forests. Future plantation programs should consider both the multiple spatial scales of the environmental conditions of the sites and the interaction among vegetation layers to achieve effective rewilding.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70085","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145581376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guilherme Dubal dos Santos Seger, Sandra Maria Hartz, Leandro da Silva Duarte
Aims
Climate has long been recognized as an important factor shaping plant phenology. Seasonal climatic variables can exert a strong influence on flowering and fruiting timing. Further, if phenological responses to environmental gradients are phylogenetically conserved in plant species, evolutionary history might be a strong determinant of phenological periods. In this study, we evaluated whether closely related species are phenologically similar, whether there is an association between the composition of flowering or fruiting species and environmental gradients, and to what extent such associations are mediated by the phylogenetic relationships among species.
Location
Araucaria forest at São Francisco de Paula, South Brazil.
Methods
We assessed the phylogenetic conservatism of reproductive phenology in a climbing plant community (78 spp.), an understudied life form that highly contributes to ecosystem dynamics. For this, we calculated the phylogenetic signal of species' flowering and fruiting peaks and conducted a phylobetadiversity analysis and model selection considering temporal autocorrelation.
Results
We found a weak phylogenetic signal in flowering and no signal for fruit phenology at the species scale. However, we found a strong influence of shared evolutionary history on the association between phenological patterns and environmental gradients at the assemblage scale, with different phylogenetic lineages influenced by distinct variables. The daylength, a variable that exhibits subtle changes and consistent patterns across years, explained most of both flowering and fruiting of larger clades (rosids vs asterids), while for fruiting lower level clades (families) were influenced by the canopy openness of tree species.
Conclusions
The results highlight the fingerprint of phylogenetic relatedness in the association of plant phenology and environmental gradients, enabling the identification of at which phylogenetic levels these gradients are acting. Our approach and results bring a new perspective, showing that even in the absence of a phylogenetic signal in species phenological peaks, there is a phylogenetic conservatism between plant phenology and environmental gradients.
长期以来，气候一直被认为是影响植物物候的重要因素。季节气候变量对开花和结果的时间有很大的影响。此外，如果植物物种对环境梯度的物候反应在系统发育上是保守的，那么进化史可能是物候期的一个强有力的决定因素。在这项研究中，我们评估了近缘种是否具有物候相似性，开花或结果种的组成是否与环境梯度有关，以及这种联系在多大程度上是由种间的系统发育关系介导的。位置：巴西南部san Francisco de Paula的Araucaria森林。方法对攀缘植物群落（78种）生殖物候学的系统发育保守性进行了评估。为此，我们计算了物种开花和结果峰的系统发育信号，并进行了系统多样性分析和考虑时间自相关的模式选择。结果在开花过程中发现了较弱的系统发育信号，而在种尺度上没有发现果实物候信号。然而，我们发现，在组合尺度上，共同的进化史对物候模式和环境梯度之间的关联有很强的影响，不同的系统发育谱系受到不同变量的影响。日长是一个在不同年份表现出微妙变化和一致模式的变量，它解释了大型进化枝（蔷薇枝与小行星枝）的大部分开花和结果，而低层进化枝（科）的结果则受到树种冠层开度的影响。结论该结果突出了植物物候与环境梯度之间系统发育亲缘关系的指纹图谱，从而能够识别这些梯度在哪些系统发育水平上起作用。我们的方法和结果带来了一个新的视角，表明即使在物种物候峰中没有系统发育信号，植物物候与环境梯度之间也存在系统发育保守性。
{"title":"Contrasting Phylogenetic Signals in Flowering and Fruiting Phenology at Species and Assemblage Scales in a Climbing Plant Community","authors":"Guilherme Dubal dos Santos Seger, Sandra Maria Hartz, Leandro da Silva Duarte","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Climate has long been recognized as an important factor shaping plant phenology. Seasonal climatic variables can exert a strong influence on flowering and fruiting timing. Further, if phenological responses to environmental gradients are phylogenetically conserved in plant species, evolutionary history might be a strong determinant of phenological periods. In this study, we evaluated whether closely related species are phenologically similar, whether there is an association between the composition of flowering or fruiting species and environmental gradients, and to what extent such associations are mediated by the phylogenetic relationships among species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Araucaria</i> forest at São Francisco de Paula, South Brazil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We assessed the phylogenetic conservatism of reproductive phenology in a climbing plant community (78 spp.), an understudied life form that highly contributes to ecosystem dynamics. For this, we calculated the phylogenetic signal of species' flowering and fruiting peaks and conducted a phylobetadiversity analysis and model selection considering temporal autocorrelation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found a weak phylogenetic signal in flowering and no signal for fruit phenology at the species scale. However, we found a strong influence of shared evolutionary history on the association between phenological patterns and environmental gradients at the assemblage scale, with different phylogenetic lineages influenced by distinct variables. The daylength, a variable that exhibits subtle changes and consistent patterns across years, explained most of both flowering and fruiting of larger clades (rosids vs asterids), while for fruiting lower level clades (families) were influenced by the canopy openness of tree species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results highlight the fingerprint of phylogenetic relatedness in the association of plant phenology and environmental gradients, enabling the identification of at which phylogenetic levels these gradients are acting. Our approach and results bring a new perspective, showing that even in the absence of a phylogenetic signal in species phenological peaks, there is a phylogenetic conservatism between plant phenology and environmental gradients.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70087","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145581062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pasi Pouta, Jussi Lampinen, Henry Väre, D. Johan Kotze
<div> <section> <h3> Question</h3> <p>Urban grasslands host important plant diversity. They comprise numerous open habitats varying from species-rich semi-natural grasslands to often species-poor ‘novel’ grasslands. To foster plant diversity in urban grasslands, we need to understand their community assembly. We asked: how do vascular plant communities and their composition of species attributes assemble according to patch- and landscape-scale filters in urban grasslands?</p> </section> <section> <h3> Location</h3> <p>The Helsinki Capital region, Finland.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Methods</h3> <p>We studied 200 urban grasslands, representing a wide variation of grassland types and landscape contexts. We investigated valuable grasslands, landscape grasslands, lawns and grasslands resulting from biodiversity-oriented actions: lawn grasslands (former lawns with reduced management) and sown grasslands (sown with seed mixtures). We analysed plant communities, the environmental factors driving them (e.g., grassland type, soil and landscape variables) and the relationships between species niches and species attributes (e.g., specific leaf area, life form, seed mass) by using ordination methods and hierarchical modelling.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Results</h3> <p>We observed numerous statistically supported relationships between species, species attributes and environmental variables. The communities varied according to two main gradients: productivity and disturbance, aligning with Grime's CSR strategies. The productivity gradient arranged sites from rocky to dry and mesic grasslands. The disturbance gradient arranged sites from ruderal to semi-natural and forest-influenced grasslands. The highest total species richness and specialised species occurrence were associated with long-term intermediate disturbance and non-extreme productivity. Biodiversity-oriented actions increased species occurrences compared to lawns, but often failed to support many specialised species (e.g., positive grassland indicators).</p> </section> <section> <h3> Conclusions</h3> <p>Our results suggest that the wide variation in urban grassland plant communities can be understood through their degree of disturbance and productivity. Moreover, novel grasslands may start resembling semi-natural grasslands under suitable long-term management if productivity is moderate and if dispersal occurs. Thus, long-term extensive maintenance, reducing nutrients and facilitating dispersal,
{"title":"Urban Grassland Plant Communities Assemble According to Productivity and Disturbance Gradients","authors":"Pasi Pouta, Jussi Lampinen, Henry Väre, D. Johan Kotze","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70086","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urban grasslands host important plant diversity. They comprise numerous open habitats varying from species-rich semi-natural grasslands to often species-poor ‘novel’ grasslands. To foster plant diversity in urban grasslands, we need to understand their community assembly. We asked: how do vascular plant communities and their composition of species attributes assemble according to patch- and landscape-scale filters in urban grasslands?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Helsinki Capital region, Finland.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We studied 200 urban grasslands, representing a wide variation of grassland types and landscape contexts. We investigated valuable grasslands, landscape grasslands, lawns and grasslands resulting from biodiversity-oriented actions: lawn grasslands (former lawns with reduced management) and sown grasslands (sown with seed mixtures). We analysed plant communities, the environmental factors driving them (e.g., grassland type, soil and landscape variables) and the relationships between species niches and species attributes (e.g., specific leaf area, life form, seed mass) by using ordination methods and hierarchical modelling.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We observed numerous statistically supported relationships between species, species attributes and environmental variables. The communities varied according to two main gradients: productivity and disturbance, aligning with Grime's CSR strategies. The productivity gradient arranged sites from rocky to dry and mesic grasslands. The disturbance gradient arranged sites from ruderal to semi-natural and forest-influenced grasslands. The highest total species richness and specialised species occurrence were associated with long-term intermediate disturbance and non-extreme productivity. Biodiversity-oriented actions increased species occurrences compared to lawns, but often failed to support many specialised species (e.g., positive grassland indicators).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results suggest that the wide variation in urban grassland plant communities can be understood through their degree of disturbance and productivity. Moreover, novel grasslands may start resembling semi-natural grasslands under suitable long-term management if productivity is moderate and if dispersal occurs. Thus, long-term extensive maintenance, reducing nutrients and facilitating dispersal,","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70086","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145522019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
María Ravetta, Viviana F. Bondaruk, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Alejandro Loydi, Jesús Pascual, Pablo L. Peri, Guadalupe Peter, Gabriel E. Oliva, Daniela Ferrante, Martin Bruschetti, Pedro Daleo, Walter D. Agüero, Laura Yahdjian
Questions
Biological invasions significantly impact plant communities, affecting and threatening biodiversity at regional and local scales worldwide. The invasion process may be influenced by climate change, particularly by the increasing frequency of extreme droughts. Here we evaluate (1) the level of exotic plant invasion along an aridity gradient and its relationship with environmental variables, and (2) the cumulative effect of prolonged droughts on native plant communities and the invasion of exotic species.
Location
Rangelands located along an aridity gradient from the arid Patagonian steppe to the humid Pampa region in Argentina, South America. The study sites (11) encompass a wide range of mean annual precipitation (170–950 mm year−1) and diverse vegetation physiognomic characteristics.
Methods
We conducted floristic surveys to assess plant community composition, diversity, and the cover of native and invasive exotic species in (1) 11 sites located along an aridity gradient, and (2) a 4-year drought simulation experiment established in nine sites. At each experimental site, rain-out shelters intercepted 50%–60% of incoming rainfall to simulate drought conditions. We then used linear mixed models to analyze the effects of drought on the cover, richness, and dominance of the plant community.
Results
Our findings reveal (1) a positive relationship between plant invasion and rangeland humidity at the regional scale. In the humid extreme, invasive exotic species dominated the plant community, whereas in the arid extreme native species were more abundant than invasive exotic species. (2) Experimental droughts reduced native plant cover in arid and semi-arid rangelands and promoted the cover, dominance, and richness of invasive exotic species in humid counterparts, reducing native species richness.
Conclusions
This study suggests a potential intensification of biological invasions in response to increased occurrences of droughts predicted by climate change. Management strategies for invaded humid rangelands are imperative, and early warnings are crucial during dry years in arid and semi-arid rangelands, where droughts could enhance the abundance of invasive exotic species.
{"title":"Drought and Plant Invasions Along an Aridity Gradient","authors":"María Ravetta, Viviana F. Bondaruk, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Alejandro Loydi, Jesús Pascual, Pablo L. Peri, Guadalupe Peter, Gabriel E. Oliva, Daniela Ferrante, Martin Bruschetti, Pedro Daleo, Walter D. Agüero, Laura Yahdjian","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70084","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biological invasions significantly impact plant communities, affecting and threatening biodiversity at regional and local scales worldwide. The invasion process may be influenced by climate change, particularly by the increasing frequency of extreme droughts. Here we evaluate (1) the level of exotic plant invasion along an aridity gradient and its relationship with environmental variables, and (2) the cumulative effect of prolonged droughts on native plant communities and the invasion of exotic species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rangelands located along an aridity gradient from the arid Patagonian steppe to the humid Pampa region in Argentina, South America. The study sites (11) encompass a wide range of mean annual precipitation (170–950 mm year<sup>−1</sup>) and diverse vegetation physiognomic characteristics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted floristic surveys to assess plant community composition, diversity, and the cover of native and invasive exotic species in (1) 11 sites located along an aridity gradient, and (2) a 4-year drought simulation experiment established in nine sites. At each experimental site, rain-out shelters intercepted 50%–60% of incoming rainfall to simulate drought conditions. We then used linear mixed models to analyze the effects of drought on the cover, richness, and dominance of the plant community.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings reveal (1) a positive relationship between plant invasion and rangeland humidity at the regional scale. In the humid extreme, invasive exotic species dominated the plant community, whereas in the arid extreme native species were more abundant than invasive exotic species. (2) Experimental droughts reduced native plant cover in arid and semi-arid rangelands and promoted the cover, dominance, and richness of invasive exotic species in humid counterparts, reducing native species richness.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study suggests a potential intensification of biological invasions in response to increased occurrences of droughts predicted by climate change. Management strategies for invaded humid rangelands are imperative, and early warnings are crucial during dry years in arid and semi-arid rangelands, where droughts could enhance the abundance of invasive exotic species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145469889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}
Anikó Csecserits, Boglárka Berki, Edina Csákvári, Melinda Halassy, András Mártonffy, Tamás Rédei, Katalin Szitár, Zoltán Botta-Dukát
Questions
What is the position of the two selected invasive alien species in the regional trait space? Does the probability of occurrence of a species depend on the interaction of its similarity to and the cover of the selected invasive species, Asclepias syriaca and Conyza canadensis?
Location
Hungary, Kiskunság, sandy grasslands.
Methods
We used data from a stratified random grassland survey (plot size: 25 m2, n = 161). Our analysis focused on the two most common invasive species of studied habitats: clonal perennial A. syriaca and annual C. canadensis. Trait similarity between species was measured by weighted Gower distance using three sets of traits: (1) 12 traits covering all aspects of life history, (2) traits related to reproduction and (3) traits related to persistence. Calculated similarities were used to describe the position of the two focal invasive species in the trait space generated by all species. We fitted generalised mixed-effects models with the presence/absence of all species except A. syriaca and C. canadensis as dependent variables and trait similarity to, and cover of invasive species as predictors.
Results
We found that both invasive species were in the trait range of the regional species pool. C. canadensis was closer to the centre of regional trait space than A. syriaca. Similarity to A. syriaca and its cover interacted to influence the occurrence of the rest of the species: Where the cover of A. syriaca was higher, similar species occurred with a higher probability. We found no such effect of similarity in the case of C. canadensis.
Conclusions
These results suggest that for perennial invasive species A. syriaca, trait similarity may influence the composition of co-occurring species. In contrast, the results of annual C. canadensis suggest a more random assembly.
这两种外来入侵物种在区域特征空间中的位置是什么？一个物种发生的概率是否取决于其与所选择的入侵物种（Asclepias syriaca和Conyza canadensis）的相似性和覆盖范围的相互作用？地点：匈牙利，Kiskunság，沙质草原。方法采用分层随机草地调查数据（样地面积25 m2， n = 161）。我们的分析集中在研究生境中最常见的两种入侵物种：无性系多年生A. syriaca和一年生C. canadensis。采用加权高尔距离法测量物种间的性状相似性，采用3组性状：(1)涵盖生活史各个方面的12个性状，(2)与繁殖有关的性状，(3)与持久性有关的性状。利用计算的相似性来描述两个焦点入侵物种在所有物种产生的性状空间中的位置。我们拟合了广义混合效应模型，将除叙利亚丁香和加拿大丁香外的所有物种的存在/缺失作为因变量，并将入侵物种的特征相似性和覆盖作为预测因子。结果两种入侵物种均在区域物种库的性状范围内。加拿大草比叙利亚草更接近区域性状空间的中心。与叙利亚杜鹃的相似性及其覆盖度相互作用，影响了其他物种的发生：叙利亚杜鹃的覆盖度越高，相似物种发生的概率就越大。我们没有发现这种相似的影响，在C.加拿大的情况下。结论对于多年生入侵种叙利亚香来说，性状相似性可能会影响共生种的组成。相比之下，加拿大一年生C. canadensis的结果则显示出更随机的集合。
{"title":"Similarity in Persistence Traits Is Important for CoExistence With Perennial Invasive Asclepias syriaca but Not Annual Invasive Conyza canadensis","authors":"Anikó Csecserits, Boglárka Berki, Edina Csákvári, Melinda Halassy, András Mártonffy, Tamás Rédei, Katalin Szitár, Zoltán Botta-Dukát","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70081","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>What is the position of the two selected invasive alien species in the regional trait space? Does the probability of occurrence of a species depend on the interaction of its similarity to and the cover of the selected invasive species, <i>Asclepias syriaca</i> and <i>Conyza canadensis</i>?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Hungary, Kiskunság, sandy grasslands.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used data from a stratified random grassland survey (plot size: 25 m<sup>2</sup>, <i>n</i> = 161). Our analysis focused on the two most common invasive species of studied habitats: clonal perennial <i>A. syriaca</i> and annual <i>C. canadensis</i>. Trait similarity between species was measured by weighted Gower distance using three sets of traits: (1) 12 traits covering all aspects of life history, (2) traits related to reproduction and (3) traits related to persistence. Calculated similarities were used to describe the position of the two focal invasive species in the trait space generated by all species. We fitted generalised mixed-effects models with the presence/absence of all species except <i>A. syriaca</i> and <i>C. canadensis</i> as dependent variables and trait similarity to, and cover of invasive species as predictors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found that both invasive species were in the trait range of the regional species pool. <i>C. canadensis</i> was closer to the centre of regional trait space than <i>A. syriaca</i>. Similarity to <i>A. syriaca</i> and its cover interacted to influence the occurrence of the rest of the species: Where the cover of <i>A. syriaca</i> was higher, similar species occurred with a higher probability. We found no such effect of similarity in the case of <i>C. canadensis</i>.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These results suggest that for perennial invasive species <i>A. syriaca</i>, trait similarity may influence the composition of co-occurring species. In contrast, the results of annual <i>C. canadensis</i> suggest a more random assembly.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70081","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145469956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tobias Moser, Steffen Boch, Angéline Bedolla, Klaus T. Ecker, Ulrich H. Graf, Rolf Holderegger, Helen Küchler, Noémie A. Pichon, Ariel Bergamini
Aims
We aimed to determine whether observer expertise (unexperienced, intermediate, experienced) affects the detection of overall bryophyte species richness and of different taxonomic bryophyte groups (e.g., mosses, liverworts, Sphagnum spp.) in vegetation surveys. We further tested if observers with different levels of expertise differ in their estimates of the species richness of various bryophyte size classes (small, medium, large), protection classes (threatened and nonthreatened), and cover classes (Braun-Blanquet scale).
Location
Switzerland.
Methods
From 2011 to 2023, we surveyed bryophytes in 10-m2 plots in a long-term monitoring program. Plots were situated in raised bogs and fens of national importance, which were distributed across Switzerland. The plots were surveyed by 20 professional botanists with a profound knowledge of the Swiss flora and experience in conducting vegetation surveys, but different levels of expertise in bryophyte surveys. Using 2950 relevés, we fitted linear mixed-effects models to test if species richness estimates differed among categories of observer expertise.
Results
On average, experienced observers detected 76% and 82% more liverwort species per relevé than intermediate and unexperienced observers. In accordance with this, experienced observers detected significantly more small-sized bryophyte species than intermediate and unexperienced observers. However, total species richness and the richness of other taxonomic groups (mosses, Sphagnum spp.) did not differ significantly between expertise levels. This was due to the low relative richness of liverworts and small species compared to the other taxonomic groups and size classes.
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate the importance of ecological and morphological knowledge of bryophytes for bryophyte surveys in monitoring programs. However, as the total species numbers did not differ significantly between observers with different experience levels, it seems that teams composed of differently experienced observers can also collect reliable data. We recommend continuous training to keep observer errors consistently low and to statistically correct for observer differences.
{"title":"Greater Observer Expertise Leads to Higher Liverwort Species Richness in Bryophyte Surveys","authors":"Tobias Moser, Steffen Boch, Angéline Bedolla, Klaus T. Ecker, Ulrich H. Graf, Rolf Holderegger, Helen Küchler, Noémie A. Pichon, Ariel Bergamini","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70082","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We aimed to determine whether observer expertise (unexperienced, intermediate, experienced) affects the detection of overall bryophyte species richness and of different taxonomic bryophyte groups (e.g., mosses, liverworts, <i>Sphagnum</i> spp.) in vegetation surveys. We further tested if observers with different levels of expertise differ in their estimates of the species richness of various bryophyte size classes (small, medium, large), protection classes (threatened and nonthreatened), and cover classes (Braun-Blanquet scale).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Switzerland.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>From 2011 to 2023, we surveyed bryophytes in 10-m<sup>2</sup> plots in a long-term monitoring program. Plots were situated in raised bogs and fens of national importance, which were distributed across Switzerland. The plots were surveyed by 20 professional botanists with a profound knowledge of the Swiss flora and experience in conducting vegetation surveys, but different levels of expertise in bryophyte surveys. Using 2950 relevés, we fitted linear mixed-effects models to test if species richness estimates differed among categories of observer expertise.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>On average, experienced observers detected 76% and 82% more liverwort species per relevé than intermediate and unexperienced observers. In accordance with this, experienced observers detected significantly more small-sized bryophyte species than intermediate and unexperienced observers. However, total species richness and the richness of other taxonomic groups (mosses, <i>Sphagnum</i> spp.) did not differ significantly between expertise levels. This was due to the low relative richness of liverworts and small species compared to the other taxonomic groups and size classes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings demonstrate the importance of ecological and morphological knowledge of bryophytes for bryophyte surveys in monitoring programs. However, as the total species numbers did not differ significantly between observers with different experience levels, it seems that teams composed of differently experienced observers can also collect reliable data. We recommend continuous training to keep observer errors consistently low and to statistically correct for observer differences.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70082","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145407397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clément Vallé, Florian Zellweger, Aland H. Y. Chan, Wang Li, Jonathan Mapelli, David A. Coomes
Aim
The expected increase in drought events poses a serious threat to forest biodiversity and functioning. The effects of drought may be spatially modulated by forest canopy composition and structure, as well as the legacy of management history, but these influences have rarely been disentangled.
Location
Temperate forest in England.
Methods
We recorded herb-layer composition in a British woodland that contained ancient, secondary and transitional components, before and after an intense summer drought event. We used airborne lidar and imaging spectroscopy to quantify canopy structure and composition and applied regression approaches to analyse spatio-temporal changes in species richness and herb species presence–absence in relation to drought, canopy composition and structure and land-use history.
Results
Our models reveal that drought impacts on understorey plant diversity are modulated by land-use history, with ancient forest parts being most resistant. We found that the short-term effect of the drought significantly reduced the species' richness and cover of most of our species. The invasive species Impatiens parviflora has expanded its distribution in the woods despite the drought, which is worrying and of conservation concern. Species distributions and richness were further affected by land-use history on its own right, as well as by canopy structure and composition, via light availability (represented by plant area index) and a negative impact of Fraxinus excelsior canopy surface.
Conclusions
Drought negatively affects woodland herb-layer diversity, at least in the short term, but the local heterogeneity of such effects should not be underestimated. Considering the individual and interactive effects of drought, land-use history and local site factors on forest plants will lead to a better understanding of how forest biodiversity is affected by climate change.
{"title":"Heterogeneous Effects of Drought, Land-Use History and Local Site Factors on Woodland Herb-Layer Diversity","authors":"Clément Vallé, Florian Zellweger, Aland H. Y. Chan, Wang Li, Jonathan Mapelli, David A. Coomes","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70079","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The expected increase in drought events poses a serious threat to forest biodiversity and functioning. The effects of drought may be spatially modulated by forest canopy composition and structure, as well as the legacy of management history, but these influences have rarely been disentangled.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Temperate forest in England.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recorded herb-layer composition in a British woodland that contained ancient, secondary and transitional components, before and after an intense summer drought event. We used airborne lidar and imaging spectroscopy to quantify canopy structure and composition and applied regression approaches to analyse spatio-temporal changes in species richness and herb species presence–absence in relation to drought, canopy composition and structure and land-use history.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our models reveal that drought impacts on understorey plant diversity are modulated by land-use history, with ancient forest parts being most resistant. We found that the short-term effect of the drought significantly reduced the species' richness and cover of most of our species. The invasive species <i>Impatiens parviflora</i> has expanded its distribution in the woods despite the drought, which is worrying and of conservation concern. Species distributions and richness were further affected by land-use history on its own right, as well as by canopy structure and composition, via light availability (represented by plant area index) and a negative impact of <i>Fraxinus excelsior</i> canopy surface.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Drought negatively affects woodland herb-layer diversity, at least in the short term, but the local heterogeneity of such effects should not be underestimated. Considering the individual and interactive effects of drought, land-use history and local site factors on forest plants will lead to a better understanding of how forest biodiversity is affected by climate change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70079","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145407398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Climatic factors, such as water stress, and chronic anthropogenic disturbances, such as biomass extraction, influence tropical forest community structure, richness and composition. However, while the individual effects of these two drivers on plant communities are well-studied, their interactive effects are not.
Location
We conducted a study in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Moist tropical forests in India's Western Ghats face a dual threat from increasingly erratic precipitation (and consequent water stress) and an intensifying anthropogenic footprint.
Methods
We sampled 120 tree plots (0.05 ha each) across forests with varying histories of biomass extraction and a gradient of climate water deficit (a proxy for water stress) within a 15,000-km2 landscape. Using generalised linear and mixed-effects models, we tested the influence of chronic disturbance and climate water deficit on overall tree species richness, evergreen and deciduous tree species richness and the proportion of evergreen trees.
Results
We recorded 7001 individual trees belonging to 192 species. Tree composition varied across disturbance and elevation categories. Overall and evergreen tree species richness were significantly lower, while deciduous tree species richness was higher in repeatedly disturbed forests compared to less disturbed sites. Deciduous tree species richness increased more steeply with increasing water stress in repeatedly disturbed sites. Meanwhile, evergreen species richness increased with decreasing water stress.
Conclusions
Overall, we show that chronic disturbance reduces evergreen tree species and favours more widely distributed deciduous species. In the northern Western Ghats, where much of the remaining forest cover is disturbed and dominated by deciduous tree species, the persistence of the evergreen tree flora hinges on protecting existing evergreen forest patches from disturbances and restoring secondary forests with appropriate evergreen tree species.
{"title":"Chronic Disturbance and Climate Water Deficit Shift Tree Communities From Tropical Evergreen to Deciduous in the Western Ghats, India","authors":"Nayantara Biswas, Vishal Sadekar, Siddharth Biniwale, Yukti Taneja, Anand M. Osuri, Navendu Page, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi, Rohit Naniwadekar","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70080","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Climatic factors, such as water stress, and chronic anthropogenic disturbances, such as biomass extraction, influence tropical forest community structure, richness and composition. However, while the individual effects of these two drivers on plant communities are well-studied, their interactive effects are not.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a study in the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Moist tropical forests in India's Western Ghats face a dual threat from increasingly erratic precipitation (and consequent water stress) and an intensifying anthropogenic footprint.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled 120 tree plots (0.05 ha each) across forests with varying histories of biomass extraction and a gradient of climate water deficit (a proxy for water stress) within a 15,000-km<sup>2</sup> landscape. Using generalised linear and mixed-effects models, we tested the influence of chronic disturbance and climate water deficit on overall tree species richness, evergreen and deciduous tree species richness and the proportion of evergreen trees.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recorded 7001 individual trees belonging to 192 species. Tree composition varied across disturbance and elevation categories. Overall and evergreen tree species richness were significantly lower, while deciduous tree species richness was higher in repeatedly disturbed forests compared to less disturbed sites. Deciduous tree species richness increased more steeply with increasing water stress in repeatedly disturbed sites. Meanwhile, evergreen species richness increased with decreasing water stress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, we show that chronic disturbance reduces evergreen tree species and favours more widely distributed deciduous species. In the northern Western Ghats, where much of the remaining forest cover is disturbed and dominated by deciduous tree species, the persistence of the evergreen tree flora hinges on protecting existing evergreen forest patches from disturbances and restoring secondary forests with appropriate evergreen tree species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145407399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号