Journal of Vegetation Science最新文献_第5页

Molecular Insights Into Vegetation Classification: A Comparative Analysis of Standard Observations and Belowground Metabarcoding of the Phytocoenosis 植物群落标准观测与地下元条形码的比较分析

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-28 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70083

Arkadiusz Nowak, Sebastian Świerszcz, Sylwia Nowak, Anna Rucińska, Marcin Kotowski, Marcin Nobis

Question

Vegetation classification is pivotal for understanding, managing, and conserving plant communities, yet standard approaches typically rely on aboveground observations only. Recent studies highlight that belowground components may harbour substantial hidden diversity, potentially influencing classification results. Here, we compare vegetation classifications derived from conventional aboveground surveys with DNA metabarcoding data from belowground plant parts.

Location

Opole Silesia region, SW Poland.

Methods

We surveyed 54 plots (1 m² each) in three Central European grassland types (wet, mesic, and dry) under three management intensities (low, moderate, high). Aboveground species composition was recorded using standard botanical methods, while belowground samples were analysed by high-throughput sequencing using three DNA regions (ITS2, trnL–trnF, and trnH–psbA).

Results

The results showed consistently higher species richness in the belowground samples, revealing numerous ephemeral, perennial, or rhizomatous species not detected in the 1-day aboveground surveys. Despite these additions, TWINSPAN classification and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed similar delineations of the major grassland types, with dry meadows being particularly well defined by all methods. Of the three DNA regions, ITS2 and trnL–trnF showed the best agreement with the standard aboveground classification results, while trnH–psbA showed a weaker match. Notably, differences in species composition due to additional belowground detections did not substantially alter cluster assignments or key diagnostic species for each grassland type.

Conclusion

Our results highlight the robustness of conventional vegetation classification, even when confronted with additional belowground molecular survey data. Nevertheless, the synergy of molecular and observational methods may provide a more holistic view of phytocoenotic diversity, highlighting the value of integrating DNA metabarcoding approaches for more comprehensive biodiversity monitoring and conservation strategies.

植被分类是理解、管理和保护植物群落的关键，但标准方法通常只依赖于地面观测。最近的研究表明，地下成分可能隐藏着大量的多样性，可能会影响分类结果。在这里，我们比较了从传统的地上调查中获得的植被分类与从地下植物部分获得的DNA元条形码数据。地理位置波兰西南部的奥波尔西里西亚地区。方法在低、中、高3种管理强度下，对中欧3种草地类型（湿、中、干）的54个样地（每个1 m2）进行调查。使用标准植物学方法记录地上的物种组成，而使用三个DNA区域（ITS2， trnL-trnF和trnH-psbA）对地下样品进行高通量测序。结果地下样品的物种丰富度较高，地上1 d的调查中未发现大量的短生、多年生或根茎生物种。尽管有这些补充，TWINSPAN分类和非度量多维尺度（NMDS）对主要草地类型的描述相似，所有方法对干草甸的定义都特别好。三个DNA区中，ITS2和trnL-trnF与标准地上分类结果吻合度最高，trnH-psbA匹配度较弱。值得注意的是，由于额外的地下探测而导致的物种组成差异并没有实质性地改变每种草地类型的聚类分配或关键诊断物种。结论即使面对额外的地下分子调查数据，我们的研究结果也突出了传统植被分类的稳健性。然而，分子和观测方法的协同作用可能提供更全面的植物群落多样性观点，突出了整合DNA元条形码方法对更全面的生物多样性监测和保护策略的价值。

{"title":"Molecular Insights Into Vegetation Classification: A Comparative Analysis of Standard Observations and Belowground Metabarcoding of the Phytocoenosis","authors":"Arkadiusz Nowak, Sebastian Świerszcz, Sylwia Nowak, Anna Rucińska, Marcin Kotowski, Marcin Nobis","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70083","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Vegetation classification is pivotal for understanding, managing, and conserving plant communities, yet standard approaches typically rely on aboveground observations only. Recent studies highlight that belowground components may harbour substantial hidden diversity, potentially influencing classification results. Here, we compare vegetation classifications derived from conventional aboveground surveys with DNA metabarcoding data from belowground plant parts.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Opole Silesia region, SW Poland.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We surveyed 54 plots (1 m<sup>2</sup> each) in three Central European grassland types (wet, mesic, and dry) under three management intensities (low, moderate, high). Aboveground species composition was recorded using standard botanical methods, while belowground samples were analysed by high-throughput sequencing using three DNA regions (ITS2, trnL–trnF, and trnH–psbA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results showed consistently higher species richness in the belowground samples, revealing numerous ephemeral, perennial, or rhizomatous species not detected in the 1-day aboveground surveys. Despite these additions, TWINSPAN classification and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed similar delineations of the major grassland types, with dry meadows being particularly well defined by all methods. Of the three DNA regions, ITS2 and trnL–trnF showed the best agreement with the standard aboveground classification results, while trnH–psbA showed a weaker match. Notably, differences in species composition due to additional belowground detections did not substantially alter cluster assignments or key diagnostic species for each grassland type.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results highlight the robustness of conventional vegetation classification, even when confronted with additional belowground molecular survey data. Nevertheless, the synergy of molecular and observational methods may provide a more holistic view of phytocoenotic diversity, highlighting the value of integrating DNA metabarcoding approaches for more comprehensive biodiversity monitoring and conservation strategies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145375365","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}

引用次数: 0

Leaf It Alone: Environmental Factors Outweigh Herbivory as Determinants of Plant Traits in a Mediterranean Mountain 单叶：地中海山区植物性状的决定因素是环境因素大于草食性

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-23 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70078

Fernanda Garcia, António Alves da Silva, Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría, Helena Freitas, José Paulo Sousa, Joana Alves

Aim

Herbivory has pronounced effects on ecosystems, altering plant community composition and structure while shaping functional traits, highlighting the need for a comprehensive analysis of its impacts, alongside the effects of abiotic factors known to affect plant communities. This study aimed to assess whether red deer herbivory pressure (measured by population density and feeding time), tree cover, altitude, and northness influence plant communities and their functional traits and diversity.

Location

The study was conducted in the Lousã Mountain, central Portugal.

Methods

We evaluated the influence of herbivory and environmental variables on plant communities by analysing ten plant traits: specific leaf area, plant height, leaf length and width, leaf perimeter and roundness, fresh and dry leaf weight, chlorophyll fluorescence, and quantum yield.

Results

Contrary to our predictions, herbivory did not significantly affect plant functional diversity, although it influenced some plant traits. In contrast, tree cover, altitude, and north-facing slopes strongly affected several traits, including plant height, leaf dimensions, SLA, and chlorophyll fluorescence.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that environmental factors predominantly shape plant trait patterns, potentially conferring resilience against intermediate levels of herbivory in Mediterranean mountain communities. This functional resistance highlights the importance of environmental filters in maintaining ecosystem stability and suggests that future changes in climate or land use may have stronger impacts on plant trait dynamics than moderate herbivore pressures.

草食对生态系统有着显著的影响，改变了植物群落的组成和结构，同时塑造了功能性状，强调了对其影响的综合分析的必要性，以及已知影响植物群落的非生物因素的影响。本研究旨在评估马鹿的食草压力（以种群密度和取食时间衡量）、树木覆盖、海拔和北纬对植物群落及其功能性状和多样性的影响。该研究在葡萄牙中部的Lousã山区进行。方法通过分析比叶面积、株高、叶长和叶宽、叶周长和叶圆度、鲜叶和干叶重、叶绿素荧光和量子产率等10个植物性状，评价草食和环境变量对植物群落的影响。结果与我们的预测相反，草食对植物的功能多样性没有显著影响，但会影响植物的一些性状。相比之下，树木覆盖度、海拔高度和向北坡度对植物的一些性状有强烈影响，包括株高、叶尺寸、SLA和叶绿素荧光。这些发现表明，环境因素主要塑造了植物性状模式，可能赋予地中海山区社区对中等水平草食的恢复力。这种功能性抗性强调了环境过滤器在维持生态系统稳定中的重要性，并表明未来气候或土地利用的变化可能比适度的草食压力对植物性状动态的影响更大。

{"title":"Leaf It Alone: Environmental Factors Outweigh Herbivory as Determinants of Plant Traits in a Mediterranean Mountain","authors":"Fernanda Garcia, António Alves da Silva, Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría, Helena Freitas, José Paulo Sousa, Joana Alves","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Herbivory has pronounced effects on ecosystems, altering plant community composition and structure while shaping functional traits, highlighting the need for a comprehensive analysis of its impacts, alongside the effects of abiotic factors known to affect plant communities. This study aimed to assess whether red deer herbivory pressure (measured by population density and feeding time), tree cover, altitude, and northness influence plant communities and their functional traits and diversity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study was conducted in the Lousã Mountain, central Portugal.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We evaluated the influence of herbivory and environmental variables on plant communities by analysing ten plant traits: specific leaf area, plant height, leaf length and width, leaf perimeter and roundness, fresh and dry leaf weight, chlorophyll fluorescence, and quantum yield.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Contrary to our predictions, herbivory did not significantly affect plant functional diversity, although it influenced some plant traits. In contrast, tree cover, altitude, and north-facing slopes strongly affected several traits, including plant height, leaf dimensions, SLA, and chlorophyll fluorescence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings suggest that environmental factors predominantly shape plant trait patterns, potentially conferring resilience against intermediate levels of herbivory in Mediterranean mountain communities. This functional resistance highlights the importance of environmental filters in maintaining ecosystem stability and suggests that future changes in climate or land use may have stronger impacts on plant trait dynamics than moderate herbivore pressures.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366624","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}

引用次数: 0

Human Activities and Native Vegetation Properties Drive Plant Invasion in Arid Agricultural Regions of Northwest China 人类活动与原生植被特性驱动西北干旱农业区植物入侵

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-23 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70077

Liulu Xu, Yining Zhu, Wenxin Cao, Shan Lan, Yiwei Zhang, Yufan Xu, Hengrui Zhang, Wenliang Wu, Qinggang Wang

Aim

While human activity, resource opportunity, and biotic resistance are recognized as key drivers of plant invasions, their relative importance in agricultural landscapes, particularly arid and semiarid regions, remains poorly understood. This study assessed how the relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants respond to these factors.

Location

Ili River Basin, China.

Methods

Based on plant community surveys conducted across 78 sites, we used beta regression to examine the relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants in relation to human activities (including the time required to reach the nearest city center [Time to City], population density, and cropland proportion), abiotic factors (including macroclimates and soil nutrients), and vegetation properties (e.g., native herbaceous plant richness, total basal area [TBA] of trees, and functional traits). Variance partitioning and random forest analyses were used to evaluate the relative importance of different predictors.

Results

Multiple regressions showed that both relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants significantly decreased with Time to City and increased with population density. Both metrics also decreased significantly with native herbaceous plant richness and TBA. The effects of climate and soil variables related to resource availability were quite weak on both relative richness and relative coverage. Relative richness was mainly influenced by biotic resistance factors, such as native herbaceous plant richness and TBA, whereas relative coverage was primarily driven by variables associated with human activity, that is, time to city. Relative richness is also modulated by functional traits, such as the proportion of native perennials.

Main Conclusions

Our study suggests that human activities have facilitated plant invasion in the arid and semiarid regions, but complex vegetation properties can lessen their impact. Our results highlight that effective prevention and control of invasive plants require targeted monitoring in areas of intense human activity, especially around transportation hubs and corridors. Concurrently, enhancing native community resistance is crucial to limiting invasions.

虽然人类活动、资源机会和生物抗性被认为是植物入侵的关键驱动因素，但它们在农业景观中的相对重要性，特别是在干旱和半干旱地区，仍然知之甚少。本研究评估了入侵植物的相对丰富度和相对覆盖度对这些因素的响应。地理位置：中国伊犁河流域方法基于78个站点的植物群落调查，采用beta回归分析了入侵植物的相对丰富度和相对覆盖度与人类活动（包括到达最近的市中心所需的时间、人口密度和耕地比例）、非生物因子（包括宏观气候和土壤养分）和植被特性（如原生草本植物丰富度）的关系。树木的总基面积（TBA）和功能性状)。采用方差划分和随机森林分析来评估不同预测因子的相对重要性。结果多元回归表明，入侵植物的相对丰富度和相对盖度均随进城时间的增加而显著降低，随人口密度的增加而显著增加。随着原生草本植物丰富度和TBA的增加，这两个指标也显著降低。与资源有效性相关的气候和土壤变量对相对丰富度和相对盖度的影响都很弱。相对丰富度主要受原生草本植物丰富度和TBA等生物抗性因子的影响，而相对覆盖度主要受人类活动相关变量（进城时间）的影响。相对丰富度也受到功能性状的调节，如本地多年生植物的比例。研究表明，人类活动促进了干旱半干旱区植物的入侵，但复杂的植被特性会减弱其影响。研究结果表明，有效预防和控制入侵植物需要在人类活动强烈的区域，特别是交通枢纽和走廊周围进行有针对性的监测。同时，增强当地社区的抵抗力对限制入侵至关重要。

{"title":"Human Activities and Native Vegetation Properties Drive Plant Invasion in Arid Agricultural Regions of Northwest China","authors":"Liulu Xu, Yining Zhu, Wenxin Cao, Shan Lan, Yiwei Zhang, Yufan Xu, Hengrui Zhang, Wenliang Wu, Qinggang Wang","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70077","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>While human activity, resource opportunity, and biotic resistance are recognized as key drivers of plant invasions, their relative importance in agricultural landscapes, particularly arid and semiarid regions, remains poorly understood. This study assessed how the relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants respond to these factors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ili River Basin, China.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Based on plant community surveys conducted across 78 sites, we used beta regression to examine the relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants in relation to human activities (including the time required to reach the nearest city center [Time to City], population density, and cropland proportion), abiotic factors (including macroclimates and soil nutrients), and vegetation properties (e.g., native herbaceous plant richness, total basal area [TBA] of trees, and functional traits). Variance partitioning and random forest analyses were used to evaluate the relative importance of different predictors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Multiple regressions showed that both relative richness and relative coverage of invasive plants significantly decreased with Time to City and increased with population density. Both metrics also decreased significantly with native herbaceous plant richness and TBA. The effects of climate and soil variables related to resource availability were quite weak on both relative richness and relative coverage. Relative richness was mainly influenced by biotic resistance factors, such as native herbaceous plant richness and TBA, whereas relative coverage was primarily driven by variables associated with human activity, that is, time to city. Relative richness is also modulated by functional traits, such as the proportion of native perennials.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Main Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our study suggests that human activities have facilitated plant invasion in the arid and semiarid regions, but complex vegetation properties can lessen their impact. Our results highlight that effective prevention and control of invasive plants require targeted monitoring in areas of intense human activity, especially around transportation hubs and corridors. Concurrently, enhancing native community resistance is crucial to limiting invasions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145366625","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}

引用次数: 0

A Comparative Study of Lichen and Bryophyte Communities on Sandstone and Ultramafic Bedrocks Along a Maritime Gradient in Central California 加利福尼亚中部沿海相梯度的砂岩和超镁铁质基岩上地衣和苔藓植物群落的比较研究

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-13 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70072

Michael Mulroy, Jason Dart, Cameron B. Williams, Rikke Reese Næsborg, Alan Fryday, Scott Johnston, Ken Kellman, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Aims

Lichens and bryophytes are an often overlooked, yet dominant biotic component of rock outcrops and other lithic habitats. Saxicolous lichen and bryophyte communities are frequently species-rich and play important ecological roles, including rock weathering, soil formation, and vascular plant recruitment. In this study, we test whether saxicolous communities differ between two substrate types along a coastal to inland spatial gradient.

Location

Ultramafic and sandstone rock outcrops in central California in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Kern counties.

Methods

We sampled saxicolous communities of eight ultramafic and eight sandstone outcrop sites along a 70 km maritime influence gradient using 20 × 20 cm quadrats stratified between north- and south-facing rock aspects. For each quadrat, species composition, distance above the ground, and rock microtopography characteristics were recorded. For each site, rock elemental composition and climate parameters including rainfall, temperature, and fog were documented.

Results

We recorded 132 lichen and seven bryophyte taxa across 128 quadrats. Saxicolous communities were significantly different between ultramafic rock and sandstone, as well as between coastal, intermediate, and inland sites. Ultramafic rocks hosted fewer species overall but had a higher abundance and diversity of cyanolichens. The effect of rock type on species composition was mediated by maritime influence, with coastal samples showing greater cross-substrate differentiation than intermediate and inland samples.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate the interactive roles of substrate, climate, and microtopography in shaping saxicolous communities. The role of substrate in structuring saxicolous communities is mediated by climate and accentuated by the different microtopography profiles of the ultramafic and sandstone rocks. Improving our understanding of how saxicolous communities vary across the landscape is an important step in identifying conservation priorities for these highly diverse and ecologically significant communities.

地衣和苔藓植物是岩石露头和其他岩屑生境中经常被忽视的主要生物成分。土生地衣和苔藓植物群落通常物种丰富，在岩石风化、土壤形成和维管植物招募等方面发挥着重要的生态作用。在这项研究中，我们沿着沿海到内陆的空间梯度，测试了两种基质类型之间的沙土群落是否存在差异。位于加州中部圣路易斯奥比斯波、蒙特雷和克恩县的超镁铁质和砂岩岩层露头位置。方法采用20 × 20 cm的样方，沿70 km的海洋影响梯度对8个超基性岩和8个砂岩露头点进行采样。对每个样方记录物种组成、离地距离和岩石微地形特征。对于每个地点，岩石元素组成和气候参数包括降雨、温度和雾被记录下来。结果在128个样地共记录到132个地衣类群和7个苔藓类群。砂质群落在超镁质岩和砂岩之间，以及在沿海、中间和内陆遗址之间存在显著差异。超镁铁质岩石中蓝藻藻类的丰度和多样性较高，但总体上较少。岩石类型对物种组成的影响是由海洋影响介导的，沿海样品比中部和内陆样品表现出更大的跨基质分化。结论土壤、气候和微地形对沙土群落的形成具有交互作用。底物在砂质群落结构中的作用受气候的调节，并因超镁铁质和砂岩的不同微地形剖面而加强。提高我们对沙生群落在整个景观中如何变化的理解，是确定这些高度多样化和具有生态意义的群落的保护优先事项的重要一步。

{"title":"A Comparative Study of Lichen and Bryophyte Communities on Sandstone and Ultramafic Bedrocks Along a Maritime Gradient in Central California","authors":"Michael Mulroy, Jason Dart, Cameron B. Williams, Rikke Reese Næsborg, Alan Fryday, Scott Johnston, Ken Kellman, Nishanta Rajakaruna","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lichens and bryophytes are an often overlooked, yet dominant biotic component of rock outcrops and other lithic habitats. Saxicolous lichen and bryophyte communities are frequently species-rich and play important ecological roles, including rock weathering, soil formation, and vascular plant recruitment. In this study, we test whether saxicolous communities differ between two substrate types along a coastal to inland spatial gradient.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ultramafic and sandstone rock outcrops in central California in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Kern counties.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled saxicolous communities of eight ultramafic and eight sandstone outcrop sites along a 70 km maritime influence gradient using 20 × 20 cm quadrats stratified between north- and south-facing rock aspects. For each quadrat, species composition, distance above the ground, and rock microtopography characteristics were recorded. For each site, rock elemental composition and climate parameters including rainfall, temperature, and fog were documented.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recorded 132 lichen and seven bryophyte taxa across 128 quadrats. Saxicolous communities were significantly different between ultramafic rock and sandstone, as well as between coastal, intermediate, and inland sites. Ultramafic rocks hosted fewer species overall but had a higher abundance and diversity of cyanolichens. The effect of rock type on species composition was mediated by maritime influence, with coastal samples showing greater cross-substrate differentiation than intermediate and inland samples.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results demonstrate the interactive roles of substrate, climate, and microtopography in shaping saxicolous communities. The role of substrate in structuring saxicolous communities is mediated by climate and accentuated by the different microtopography profiles of the ultramafic and sandstone rocks. Improving our understanding of how saxicolous communities vary across the landscape is an important step in identifying conservation priorities for these highly diverse and ecologically significant communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145316792","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}

引用次数: 0

Disentangling Interspecific and Intraspecific Trait Variability of Carex Species Across Different Habitats 不同生境的苔属植物种间和种内性状变异分析

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-10 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70071

Ondřej Mudrák, Marie Konečná, Markéta Applová, Petr Blažek, Eva Janíková, Aleš Lisner, Szilvia Neumann, Jules Segrestin, Tereza Švancárová, Anna E-Vojtkó, Lars Götzenberger, Jan Lepš

Questions

Despite advances made in disentangling interspecific and intraspecific trait variability, little is known about their coordination. We explored intraspecific trait variability (ITV) of closely related species (to reduce phylogenetic effects) of the Carex genus growing over a broad environmental gradient. We asked whether (i) trait values of Carex species correlate with the community-weighted mean (CWM) of the same trait, (ii) to what extent Carex species turnover between localities and their ITV is responsible for this relationship, and (iii) the ITV of Carex species increases or decreases similarly to CWM, promoting either pattern of trait divergence or convergence.

Location

South Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Methods

We measured three key functional traits (height, specific leaf area—SLA, and leaf dry matter content—LDMC) on populations of 15 Carex species at 72 various localities. We also recorded species composition at each locality to compare Carex species traits with the respective CWMs of the rest of the community.

Results

SLA was the only trait showing significant correlation between Carex species and CWM. This relationship was largely driven by a turnover of Carex species along the gradient of CWM, but ITV strengthened this relationship and increased similarity to CWM. Plant height of Carex species did not correlate with CWM, and LDMC did not show a consistent pattern among Carex species.

Conclusion

ITV of SLA appears to be driven by trait convergence, which indicates environmental filtering for this trait. SLA is a highly variable trait, which was filtered toward optimal SLA values. This allows a more efficient capture of the energy from light and enables species to occupy a broader range of environmental conditions. The extension of conditions which species tolerate due to ITV is, however, limited compared to species turnover, which allows for a substantially broader spectrum of interspecific trait variability.

尽管在解开种间和种内性状变异方面取得了进展，但对它们的协调知之甚少。我们研究了在广泛的环境梯度下生长的苔属近缘种（以减少系统发育效应）的种内性状变异（ITV）。我们想知道(i)苔属植物的性状值是否与同一性状的群落加权平均值（CWM）相关，（ii）苔属植物在不同地区之间的更替及其群落加权平均值在多大程度上导致了这种关系，以及（iii）苔属植物的群落加权平均值的增减与群落加权平均值的增减类似，从而促进了性状的分化或收敛模式。地点捷克共和国南波西米亚。方法测定了15种苔属植物在72个不同地点的居群的3个关键功能性状(高度、比叶面积（sla）和干物质含量（ldmc）。我们还记录了每个地点的物种组成，将苔属植物的物种特征与群落其他物种的CWMs进行比较。结果SLA是苔属植物品种间唯一与CWM有显著相关的性状。这种关系在很大程度上是由Carex物种沿CWM梯度的更替驱动的，但ITV加强了这种关系，增加了与CWM的相似性。毛苔属植物株高与CWM不相关，LDMC在毛苔属植物间的分布也不一致。结论SLA的独立性受特质趋同的驱动，表明该特质存在环境过滤作用。SLA是一个高度可变的特征，它被过滤成最优的SLA值。这使得从光中更有效地捕获能量，并使物种能够占据更广泛的环境条件。然而，与物种更替相比，物种因独立而耐受的条件的扩展是有限的，而物种更替允许更广泛的种间性状变异。

{"title":"Disentangling Interspecific and Intraspecific Trait Variability of Carex Species Across Different Habitats","authors":"Ondřej Mudrák, Marie Konečná, Markéta Applová, Petr Blažek, Eva Janíková, Aleš Lisner, Szilvia Neumann, Jules Segrestin, Tereza Švancárová, Anna E-Vojtkó, Lars Götzenberger, Jan Lepš","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70071","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite advances made in disentangling interspecific and intraspecific trait variability, little is known about their coordination. We explored intraspecific trait variability (ITV) of closely related species (to reduce phylogenetic effects) of the <i>Carex</i> genus growing over a broad environmental gradient. We asked whether (i) trait values of <i>Carex</i> species correlate with the community-weighted mean (CWM) of the same trait, (ii) to what extent <i>Carex</i> species turnover between localities and their ITV is responsible for this relationship, and (iii) the ITV of <i>Carex</i> species increases or decreases similarly to CWM, promoting either pattern of trait divergence or convergence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>South Bohemia, Czech Republic.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We measured three key functional traits (height, specific leaf area—SLA, and leaf dry matter content—LDMC) on populations of 15 <i>Carex</i> species at 72 various localities. We also recorded species composition at each locality to compare <i>Carex</i> species traits with the respective CWMs of the rest of the community.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>SLA was the only trait showing significant correlation between <i>Carex</i> species and CWM. This relationship was largely driven by a turnover of <i>Carex</i> species along the gradient of CWM, but ITV strengthened this relationship and increased similarity to CWM. Plant height of <i>Carex</i> species did not correlate with CWM, and LDMC did not show a consistent pattern among <i>Carex</i> species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>ITV of SLA appears to be driven by trait convergence, which indicates environmental filtering for this trait. SLA is a highly variable trait, which was filtered toward optimal SLA values. This allows a more efficient capture of the energy from light and enables species to occupy a broader range of environmental conditions. The extension of conditions which species tolerate due to ITV is, however, limited compared to species turnover, which allows for a substantially broader spectrum of interspecific trait variability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145272304","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}

引用次数: 0

Functional Biogeography and Ecological Strategies of Trees Across the Amazon–Cerrado Transition 亚马逊-塞拉多过渡过程中树木的功能生物地理学与生态策略

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-10 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70076

Wesley Jonatar Alves da Cruz, Beatriz Schwantes Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Paulo S. Morandi, Silvio Gonçalves Longhi, Nayane Cristina Candida dos Santos Prestes, Norberto Gomes Ribeiro Júnior, Simone Matias Reis, Marina Corrêa Scalon, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Aurora Levesley, Oliver L. Phillips

Question

We asked how community functional traits differ among vegetation types at the transition zone between the Amazon forest and Cerrado savanna biogeographic domains, and which environmental variables best predict these changes in functional structure.

Location

The large transition zone between the Amazon and Cerrado biogeographic domains.

Methods

We field-collected and analyzed an extensive new database of 182 tree species from six vegetation types, resulting in 55,895 records of functional traits. We selected 15 traits that affect different aspects of ecosystem processes and ecological strategies of trees. Then we compared the distribution of functional traits among vegetation types and assessed their association with edaphic and macroclimatic variables.

Results

We recorded a functional continuum between the extremes of Cerrado (Typical Cerrado) and the Amazon (Open Ombrophilous Forest), with most traits forming a gradient along the vegetation types. Our data also indicate that tree-dominated Cerrado formations (Cerradão) are functionally intermediate between savannas and forests, reinforcing the importance of accounting for the full floristic and structural variation of neighboring biogeographic domains. Our work revealed that CEC, soil pH, mean temperature, maximum temperature, total precipitation, and climatic water deficit are consistently related to key functional traits across the Amazon–Cerrado transition.

Conclusions

Functional traits can be used to efficiently characterize and distinguish multiple communities where South America's two largest biogeographic domains meet. We were able to delimit morpho-physiological requirements that ensure tree species' maintenance in different vegetation types and to characterize the transition zone in terms of ecosystem functioning. Woody vegetation can vary greatly in terms of ecological strategies. Hence, to understand the rules of assembly, boundaries, and full complexity of transitions, it is essential to account for functional differences.

我们想知道在亚马逊森林和塞拉多稀树草原生物地理域之间的过渡地带，不同植被类型的群落功能特征是如何不同的，哪些环境变量最能预测这些功能结构的变化。位于亚马逊和塞拉多生物地理域之间的大型过渡地带。方法野外采集6种植被类型182个树种的数据库，分析其功能性状记录55,895条。选取了影响树木生态系统过程和生态策略的15个性状。在此基础上比较了不同植被类型间功能性状的分布，并对其与土壤和宏观气候变量的关系进行了评价。结果在塞拉多（典型塞拉多）和亚马逊（开放无亲缘森林）的极端区之间存在功能连续体，大部分特征沿植被类型呈梯度分布。我们的数据还表明，以树木为主的塞拉多地层（cerrad o）在功能上介于稀树草原和森林之间，这加强了考虑邻近生物地理域的全部植物区系和结构变化的重要性。研究表明，CEC、土壤pH、平均温度、最高温度、总降水量和气候水分亏缺与亚马逊-塞拉多过渡的关键功能特征一致相关。结论功能性状可以有效地描述和区分南美洲两个最大生物地理域交汇的多个群落。我们能够划定形态生理需求，以确保树种在不同植被类型中的维持，并在生态系统功能方面表征过渡区。木本植被在生态策略上有很大的不同。因此，要理解组装规则、边界和转换的全部复杂性，必须考虑功能差异。

{"title":"Functional Biogeography and Ecological Strategies of Trees Across the Amazon–Cerrado Transition","authors":"Wesley Jonatar Alves da Cruz, Beatriz Schwantes Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Paulo S. Morandi, Silvio Gonçalves Longhi, Nayane Cristina Candida dos Santos Prestes, Norberto Gomes Ribeiro Júnior, Simone Matias Reis, Marina Corrêa Scalon, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Aurora Levesley, Oliver L. Phillips","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We asked how community functional traits differ among vegetation types at the transition zone between the Amazon forest and Cerrado savanna biogeographic domains, and which environmental variables best predict these changes in functional structure.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The large transition zone between the Amazon and Cerrado biogeographic domains.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We field-collected and analyzed an extensive new database of 182 tree species from six vegetation types, resulting in 55,895 records of functional traits. We selected 15 traits that affect different aspects of ecosystem processes and ecological strategies of trees. Then we compared the distribution of functional traits among vegetation types and assessed their association with edaphic and macroclimatic variables.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recorded a functional continuum between the extremes of Cerrado (Typical Cerrado) and the Amazon (Open Ombrophilous Forest), with most traits forming a gradient along the vegetation types. Our data also indicate that tree-dominated Cerrado formations (Cerradão) are functionally intermediate between savannas and forests, reinforcing the importance of accounting for the full floristic and structural variation of neighboring biogeographic domains. Our work revealed that CEC, soil pH, mean temperature, maximum temperature, total precipitation, and climatic water deficit are consistently related to key functional traits across the Amazon–Cerrado transition.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Functional traits can be used to efficiently characterize and distinguish multiple communities where South America's two largest biogeographic domains meet. We were able to delimit morpho-physiological requirements that ensure tree species' maintenance in different vegetation types and to characterize the transition zone in terms of ecosystem functioning. Woody vegetation can vary greatly in terms of ecological strategies. Hence, to understand the rules of assembly, boundaries, and full complexity of transitions, it is essential to account for functional differences.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145272305","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}

引用次数: 0

Climate and Fire Outweigh the Role of Soil as Drivers of Plant Community Assembly in Tropical Grasslands 气候和火灾对热带草原植物群落聚集的驱动作用大于土壤

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-10 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70075

Bruna Helena Campos, Natashi Pilon, Clayton Alcarde Alvares, Giselda Durigan

Aim

Open ecosystems are variable, and there is no consensus regarding the relative contributions of edaphic, climatic, or disturbance factors in shaping their plant communities. We investigated the relative influences of environmental factors and fire history on the composition, diversity, and structure of Cerrado grassland plant communities.

Location

Cerrado grasslands, Brazil.

Methods

We sampled 14 Cerrado grassland sites. Within each site, we established 30 1-m² plots to assess floristic composition, diversity, and structure (aboveground biomass; ground-cover ratio of non-grasses:grasses). We assessed fire history (35 years), climate descriptors, and soil properties as determinants of community attributes.

Results

We found minimum temperature and fire frequency significantly correlated with the floristic similarity between sites. Richness per m² and total richness (species in 30 plots) were positively associated with fire frequency and maximum temperature, respectively. We also found no relationship between richness per m² and total richness with the remnant size. Non-grasses:grasses cover increased with the maximum temperature and decreased with the effective cation-exchange capacity and fire frequency. Additionally, by impairing grass cover, drought conditions and low nutrient availability were indirectly related to low aboveground biomass, high non-grasses:grasses, and high plant diversity.

Conclusion

Despite global expectations regarding the negative effects of fire and rising temperatures on plant diversity, Cerrado grasslands appear to benefit from both factors. However, their conservation has been threatened by land conversion for agricultural and forestry purposes. The unique diversity of each grassland suggests the need for a tailored approach to conservation, prioritizing several and widely distributed protected areas, including small and frequently burned patches, instead of creating large reserves in a few places. This strategy is crucial for preserving these ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental changes.

目的开放式生态系统是可变的，对于形成其植物群落的地理、气候或干扰因素的相对贡献尚未达成共识。研究了环境因子和火灾历史对塞拉多草原植物群落组成、多样性和结构的相对影响。地点：塞拉多草原，巴西。方法对塞拉多省14处草地取样。在每个样地内，我们建立了30个1-m2的样地来评估植物区系组成、多样性和结构（地上生物量、非草类：草类的地被覆盖比）。我们评估了火灾历史（35年）、气候描述符和土壤性质作为群落属性的决定因素。结果发现最低温度和火灾频率与遗址区系相似性显著相关。每m2丰富度和总丰富度（30个样地的物种）分别与火灾频率和最高温度呈正相关。我们还发现每平方米丰富度和总丰富度与残体大小没有关系。非禾草：禾草盖度随最高温度的升高而升高，随有效阳离子交换量和火灾频率的增加而降低。此外，干旱条件和低养分有效性通过损害草被间接导致地上生物量低、非禾本科植物高和植物多样性高。尽管全球普遍认为火灾和气温上升会对植物多样性产生负面影响，但塞拉多草原似乎受益于这两个因素。然而，它们的保护受到农业和林业用途的土地转换的威胁。每个草原的独特多样性表明，需要采取量身定制的保护方法，优先考虑几个分布广泛的保护区，包括小而经常被烧毁的斑块，而不是在几个地方建立大型保护区。面对持续的环境变化，这一战略对于保护这些生态系统至关重要。

{"title":"Climate and Fire Outweigh the Role of Soil as Drivers of Plant Community Assembly in Tropical Grasslands","authors":"Bruna Helena Campos, Natashi Pilon, Clayton Alcarde Alvares, Giselda Durigan","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Open ecosystems are variable, and there is no consensus regarding the relative contributions of edaphic, climatic, or disturbance factors in shaping their plant communities. We investigated the relative influences of environmental factors and fire history on the composition, diversity, and structure of Cerrado grassland plant communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cerrado grasslands, Brazil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled 14 Cerrado grassland sites. Within each site, we established 30 1-m<sup>2</sup> plots to assess floristic composition, diversity, and structure (aboveground biomass; ground-cover ratio of non-grasses:grasses). We assessed fire history (35 years), climate descriptors, and soil properties as determinants of community attributes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found minimum temperature and fire frequency significantly correlated with the floristic similarity between sites. Richness per m<sup>2</sup> and total richness (species in 30 plots) were positively associated with fire frequency and maximum temperature, respectively. We also found no relationship between richness per m<sup>2</sup> and total richness with the remnant size. Non-grasses:grasses cover increased with the maximum temperature and decreased with the effective cation-exchange capacity and fire frequency. Additionally, by impairing grass cover, drought conditions and low nutrient availability were indirectly related to low aboveground biomass, high non-grasses:grasses, and high plant diversity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite global expectations regarding the negative effects of fire and rising temperatures on plant diversity, Cerrado grasslands appear to benefit from both factors. However, their conservation has been threatened by land conversion for agricultural and forestry purposes. The unique diversity of each grassland suggests the need for a tailored approach to conservation, prioritizing several and widely distributed protected areas, including small and frequently burned patches, instead of creating large reserves in a few places. This strategy is crucial for preserving these ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental changes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145272365","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}

引用次数: 0

Reindeer Grazing and Soil Wetness Interact to Drive Tundra Plant Community Structure in Northern Sweden 驯鹿放牧和土壤湿度相互作用驱动瑞典北部冻土带植物群落结构

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-06 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70073

Emma L. Gemal, Marianne Stoessel, Regina Lindborg

Questions

The relative importance of abiotic versus biotic factors on structuring plant communities is debated, especially in the Arctic tundra where the harsh environment is limiting together with the effects of grazing by reindeer. To understand the relative and interactive effect of abiotic (bottom-up) and biotic (top-down) factors on vegetation in the Swedish mountain tundra, we ask how do bottom-up factors and their interaction affect reindeer grazing activity and vegetation composition?

Location

Summer pastures of Gran reindeer herding district, in Vindelfjällen mountain tundra (northern Sweden).

Methods

We surveyed the composition of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens across 34 sites (17 north-facing and 17 south-facing) along a grazing duration gradient based on data collected from accelerometers collared on reindeer. Data on the bottom-up factors slope, soil wetness, soil depth, primary productivity and the top-down factor grazing duration were extracted for each of our sampled plots (n = 102). The additive and interactive relation between all factors and vegetation composition and species richness was analyzed using generalized linear models.

Results

Reindeer grazed for a longer time in drier than wetter sites, indicating an important interaction between grazing and soil wetness. Bottom-up factors prevailed as the dominant driver of local vegetation patterns, while grazing duration had weak effects on the vegetation. Wetter sites with longer grazing duration had more graminoid species, whereas drier sites with shorter grazing duration had more shrub and lichen species.

Conclusions

The study shows that species richness of vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes is related to soil wetness but is also influenced by reindeer grazing intensity. Based on these results, we stress the importance of further investigating the interaction between grazing and soil wetness in order to foresee changes in the tundra vegetation, especially as plant communities might change under altered grazing regimes and future hydrological conditions as an effect of predicted climate change.

非生物因素和生物因素对植物群落结构的相对重要性存在争议，特别是在北极冻土带，那里恶劣的环境和驯鹿放牧的影响限制了植物群落的发展。为了了解非生物因子（自下而上）和生物因子（自上而下）对瑞典山地苔原植被的相对和交互作用，我们研究了自下而上因子及其相互作用如何影响驯鹿放牧活动和植被组成。位置Gran驯鹿放牧区的夏季牧场，Vindelfjällen山地苔原（瑞典北部）。方法利用驯鹿加速度计采集的数据，沿放牧时间梯度调查了34个站点（17个朝北和17个朝南）的维管植物、苔藓植物和地衣的组成。提取每个样地（n = 102）自下而上因子坡度、土壤湿度、土壤深度、初级生产力和自上而下因子放牧持续时间的数据。利用广义线性模型分析了各因子与植被组成和物种丰富度之间的加性和交互关系。结果干旱地区驯鹿放牧时间较湿润，表明放牧与土壤湿度之间存在重要的相互作用。自下而上因子对植被格局的影响占主导地位，放牧时间对植被格局的影响较弱。放牧时间较长的湿润样地禾本科植物较多，而放牧时间较短的干燥样地灌木和地衣植物较多。结论维管植物、地衣和苔藓植物的物种丰富度与土壤湿度有关，但也受驯鹿放牧强度的影响。基于这些结果，我们强调进一步研究放牧与土壤湿度之间的相互作用的重要性，以预测冻土带植被的变化，特别是由于预测气候变化的影响，植物群落可能在改变放牧制度和未来水文条件下发生变化。

{"title":"Reindeer Grazing and Soil Wetness Interact to Drive Tundra Plant Community Structure in Northern Sweden","authors":"Emma L. Gemal, Marianne Stoessel, Regina Lindborg","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70073","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The relative importance of abiotic versus biotic factors on structuring plant communities is debated, especially in the Arctic tundra where the harsh environment is limiting together with the effects of grazing by reindeer. To understand the relative and interactive effect of abiotic (bottom-up) and biotic (top-down) factors on vegetation in the Swedish mountain tundra, we ask how do bottom-up factors and their interaction affect reindeer grazing activity and vegetation composition?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Summer pastures of Gran reindeer herding district, in Vindelfjällen mountain tundra (northern Sweden).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We surveyed the composition of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens across 34 sites (17 north-facing and 17 south-facing) along a grazing duration gradient based on data collected from accelerometers collared on reindeer. Data on the bottom-up factors slope, soil wetness, soil depth, primary productivity and the top-down factor grazing duration were extracted for each of our sampled plots (<i>n</i> = 102). The additive and interactive relation between all factors and vegetation composition and species richness was analyzed using generalized linear models.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Reindeer grazed for a longer time in drier than wetter sites, indicating an important interaction between grazing and soil wetness. Bottom-up factors prevailed as the dominant driver of local vegetation patterns, while grazing duration had weak effects on the vegetation. Wetter sites with longer grazing duration had more graminoid species, whereas drier sites with shorter grazing duration had more shrub and lichen species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study shows that species richness of vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes is related to soil wetness but is also influenced by reindeer grazing intensity. Based on these results, we stress the importance of further investigating the interaction between grazing and soil wetness in order to foresee changes in the tundra vegetation, especially as plant communities might change under altered grazing regimes and future hydrological conditions as an effect of predicted climate change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70073","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145272078","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}

引用次数: 0

Soil Fertility and Leaf Traits Drive Insect Herbivory Variation Across a Tropical Grassland-Savanna-Forest Gradient 土壤肥力和叶片性状驱动昆虫食草性在热带草原-稀树草原-森林梯度上的变化

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-10-02 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70074

Carolina S. Oliveira, João V. S. Messeder, Tatiana Cornelissen, Fernando A. O. Silveira

Question

Understanding the interplay between plant functional traits and abiotic factors in shaping observed differences in herbivory across broad environmental gradients remains a central challenge in plant community ecology. We assessed the relative contributions of environmental factors, such as soil properties and nutrient availability, and leaf functional traits in governing insect herbivory levels across a tropical grassland-savanna-forest gradient.

Location

Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil.

Methods

We sampled soils and leaf functional traits in 72 species from 30 families in campo rupestre grassland, cerrado, and gallery forests during the end of the rainy season. Our design provides a useful model to study herbivory along environmental gradients because it accounts for and corrects for variations in climate, latitude, and elevation. In each site, 2500 sampled leaves were collected, pressed, oven-dried at 70°C for 72 h, and scanned to obtain the percentage of leaf area removed by chewing insects.

Results

Grassland species showed the lowest SLA values, followed by the cerrado, while forest plants had the highest values. SLA correlated positively with soil fertility (PC1: high soil N, P, organic matter, and cation-exchange capacity) and negatively with PC2 (associated with lower Ca and base saturation). Consistently, forest plants showed higher insect herbivory compared to those from the cerrado and the grassland, and herbivory levels were also correlated with soil characteristics.

Conclusions

Among-habitat differences highlight the influence of soil fertility on plant functional traits and herbivory levels, indicating that plants on more fertile soils, such as in forests, are more likely to grow fast but also experience higher levels of herbivory compared to those in less fertile environments. This relationship underscores the importance of considering soil fertility in studies of plant–herbivore interactions and highlights the role of environmental gradients in shaping these dynamics.

了解植物功能性状和非生物因子之间的相互作用，在广泛的环境梯度中形成观察到的草食差异，仍然是植物群落生态学的核心挑战。我们评估了环境因子，如土壤性质和养分有效性，以及叶片功能性状在控制热带草原-稀树草原-森林梯度昆虫食草水平中的相对贡献。地理位置：巴西东南部埃斯帕拉索山脉。方法在雨季结束时，对campo rupestre草原、cerrado和廊道林30科72种植物的土壤和叶片功能性状进行取样。我们的设计为沿环境梯度研究草食提供了一个有用的模型，因为它考虑并校正了气候、纬度和海拔的变化。每个站点采集2500个叶片样品，在70°C下进行压榨、烘箱干燥72 h，并进行扫描，获得被昆虫咀嚼的叶片面积百分比。结果草地植物的SLA值最低，塞拉多次之，森林植物的SLA值最高。SLA与土壤肥力（PC1：高土壤N、P、有机质和阳离子交换容量）呈正相关，与PC2（与低钙和碱饱和度相关）负相关。森林植物的昆虫食草性高于塞拉多和草原植物，且食草性水平与土壤特征相关。生境间差异突出了土壤肥力对植物功能性状和草食水平的影响，表明土壤肥力较好的植物（如森林）比土壤肥力较差的植物生长更快，但草食水平也更高。这种关系强调了在植物-食草动物相互作用研究中考虑土壤肥力的重要性，并强调了环境梯度在形成这些动态中的作用。

{"title":"Soil Fertility and Leaf Traits Drive Insect Herbivory Variation Across a Tropical Grassland-Savanna-Forest Gradient","authors":"Carolina S. Oliveira, João V. S. Messeder, Tatiana Cornelissen, Fernando A. O. Silveira","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Understanding the interplay between plant functional traits and abiotic factors in shaping observed differences in herbivory across broad environmental gradients remains a central challenge in plant community ecology. We assessed the relative contributions of environmental factors, such as soil properties and nutrient availability, and leaf functional traits in governing insect herbivory levels across a tropical grassland-savanna-forest gradient.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled soils and leaf functional traits in 72 species from 30 families in <i>campo rupestre</i> grassland, cerrado, and gallery forests during the end of the rainy season. Our design provides a useful model to study herbivory along environmental gradients because it accounts for and corrects for variations in climate, latitude, and elevation. In each site, 2500 sampled leaves were collected, pressed, oven-dried at 70°C for 72 h, and scanned to obtain the percentage of leaf area removed by chewing insects.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grassland species showed the lowest SLA values, followed by the cerrado, while forest plants had the highest values. SLA correlated positively with soil fertility (PC1: high soil N, P, organic matter, and cation-exchange capacity) and negatively with PC2 (associated with lower Ca and base saturation). Consistently, forest plants showed higher insect herbivory compared to those from the cerrado and the grassland, and herbivory levels were also correlated with soil characteristics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among-habitat differences highlight the influence of soil fertility on plant functional traits and herbivory levels, indicating that plants on more fertile soils, such as in forests, are more likely to grow fast but also experience higher levels of herbivory compared to those in less fertile environments. This relationship underscores the importance of considering soil fertility in studies of plant–herbivore interactions and highlights the role of environmental gradients in shaping these dynamics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145224105","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}

引用次数: 0

Does Water Stress Affect Community Invasibility in a SubHumid Temperate Grassland? 水分胁迫是否影响亚湿润温带草原的群落入侵性？

IF 2.7 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY

Journal of Vegetation Science

Pub Date : 2025-09-26 DOI: 10.1111/jvs.70067

Maira Soares de Lima, Luis López-Mársico, Micaela Abrigo, Anaclara Guido

Aim

Under climate change scenarios, droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe in some regions, influencing the likelihood of successful biological invasion in ecosystems. We evaluate the effect of water stress on the invasibility of different Uruguayan grassland communities, focusing on the potential invasion of Eragrostis plana.

Location

Eastern Uruguay grasslands, Campos of Río de la Plata grasslands.

Methods

Monoliths from three grassland communities (sparsely, densely, and tall densely vegetated communities), which differ in soil characteristics and species diversity, were collected in the field. These monoliths were transported to a growth chamber, where they were subjected to a water stress experiment consisting of two treatments: with and without water stress. Water stress involved the suspension of irrigation for 20 days. Subsequently, each monolith was sown with seeds of E. plana. Community characteristics and seedling emergence were assessed. Seedling emergence and survival of E. plana were compared across water stress treatments and communities, and relationships with functional groups cover, standing dead biomass, bare soil, and species richness were analyzed.

Results

Differences in E. plana germination and survival were primarily associated with grassland community type rather than the effect of water stress. The sparsely vegetated community exhibited the highest levels of invasion, regardless of water stress, compared with densely and tall densely vegetated communities. The invasion of E. plana was negatively associated with the cover of erect grasses (its own functional group) and with species richness, both variables that decreased with water stress.

Conclusions

The germination of E. plana was mainly limited by biotic factors that varied among grassland communities, particularly the cover of erect grasses and species richness, both of which can decline under water stress. Management of E. plana should consider the heterogeneity of grassland communities in eastern Uruguay, especially the high invasibility of the sparsely vegetated community.

在气候变化情景下，干旱预计将在某些地区变得更加频繁和严重，从而影响生物成功入侵生态系统的可能性。本研究评估了水分胁迫对乌拉圭不同草地群落入侵性的影响，重点研究了乌拉哥丝草（Eragrostis plana）的潜在入侵。位置：乌拉圭东部草原，坎波斯Río拉普拉塔草原。方法野外采集土壤特征和物种多样性不同的3种草地群落（稀疏、密集和高密植被群落）的单块石。这些巨石被运送到一个生长室，在那里它们受到水胁迫实验，包括两种处理：有和没有水胁迫。水分胁迫包括暂停灌溉20天。随后，在每一块巨石上撒上plana的种子。评价群落特征和幼苗出苗情况。比较了不同水分胁迫处理和不同群落的平叶青苗出苗和成活率，并分析了其与功能基盖度、枯死生物量、裸土和物种丰富度的关系。结果禾草萌发和成活率的差异主要与草地群落类型有关，而与水分胁迫无关。在不考虑水分胁迫的情况下，植被稀疏群落的入侵程度高于植被密集和高密的群落。平泻草的入侵与直立草的盖度（其自身的功能群）和物种丰富度呈负相关，这两个变量都随着水分胁迫而降低。结论平顶草的萌发主要受不同草地群落间生物因子的限制，其中直立草盖度和物种丰富度在水分胁迫下均会下降。在乌拉圭东部地区，平棘草的管理应考虑到草原群落的异质性，特别是植被稀疏群落的高入侵性。

{"title":"Does Water Stress Affect Community Invasibility in a SubHumid Temperate Grassland?","authors":"Maira Soares de Lima, Luis López-Mársico, Micaela Abrigo, Anaclara Guido","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Under climate change scenarios, droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe in some regions, influencing the likelihood of successful biological invasion in ecosystems. We evaluate the effect of water stress on the invasibility of different Uruguayan grassland communities, focusing on the potential invasion of <i>Eragrostis plana</i>.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Eastern Uruguay grasslands, <i>Campos</i> of Río de la Plata grasslands.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Monoliths from three grassland communities (sparsely, densely, and tall densely vegetated communities), which differ in soil characteristics and species diversity, were collected in the field. These monoliths were transported to a growth chamber, where they were subjected to a water stress experiment consisting of two treatments: with and without water stress. Water stress involved the suspension of irrigation for 20 days. Subsequently, each monolith was sown with seeds of <i>E. plana</i>. Community characteristics and seedling emergence were assessed. Seedling emergence and survival of <i>E. plana</i> were compared across water stress treatments and communities, and relationships with functional groups cover, standing dead biomass, bare soil, and species richness were analyzed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Differences in <i>E. plana</i> germination and survival were primarily associated with grassland community type rather than the effect of water stress. The sparsely vegetated community exhibited the highest levels of invasion, regardless of water stress, compared with densely and tall densely vegetated communities. The invasion of <i>E. plana</i> was negatively associated with the cover of erect grasses (its own functional group) and with species richness, both variables that decreased with water stress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The germination of <i>E. plana</i> was mainly limited by biotic factors that varied among grassland communities, particularly the cover of erect grasses and species richness, both of which can decline under water stress. Management of <i>E. plana</i> should consider the heterogeneity of grassland communities in eastern Uruguay, especially the high invasibility of the sparsely vegetated community.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145146451","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}

引用次数: 0