Yang Bai, Wenjun Wang, Zhenyu Luo, Tong'an Wei, Pengfei Zhang
Questions
Community-level stability includes both temporal and spatial dimensions, yet most research has focused on temporal aspects. While considerable progress has been made in understanding community-level temporal stability (α temporal stability), including its interactions with temporal stability at smaller scales (e.g., population or species level) and broader spatial scales (β and γ temporal stability), our understanding of spatial stability at the same community level (α spatial stability or spatial autocorrelation) and its connections to species-level spatial stability and spatial asynchrony remains limited.
Location
An alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, China.
Methods
Using 5 years of data from a nitrogen addition experiment conducted in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, we examine the impacts of nitrogen addition on both temporal and spatial stabilities of community biomass, considering species richness, asynchrony, and stability of all species, as well as of dominant and other non-dominant species.
Results
Nitrogen addition influenced the temporal and spatial stability of community biomass by altering the temporal and spatial asynchrony of dominant species and of the overall species level. In this alpine meadow with high species richness, temporal stability of community biomass increased despite a decline in species richness, while spatial stability of community biomass remained unaffected. These results suggest that dominant species dynamics can enhance temporal stability under nutrient enrichment, even as diversity decreases.
Conclusion
Dominant species play a key role in regulating the temporal and spatial stability of community biomass, and the two dimensions of stability respond differently to nitrogen addition. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating both spatial and temporal facets of stability into ecological theory and ecosystem management under global change.
{"title":"Differential Response of Community Biomass Temporal- and Spatial- Stabilities to Nitrogen Addition in an Alpine Meadow on the Tibetan Plateau","authors":"Yang Bai, Wenjun Wang, Zhenyu Luo, Tong'an Wei, Pengfei Zhang","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70046","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Community-level stability includes both temporal and spatial dimensions, yet most research has focused on temporal aspects. While considerable progress has been made in understanding community-level temporal stability (<i>α</i> temporal stability), including its interactions with temporal stability at smaller scales (e.g., population or species level) and broader spatial scales (<i>β</i> and <i>γ</i> temporal stability), our understanding of spatial stability at the same community level (<i>α</i> spatial stability or spatial autocorrelation) and its connections to species-level spatial stability and spatial asynchrony remains limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, China.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Using 5 years of data from a nitrogen addition experiment conducted in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, we examine the impacts of nitrogen addition on both temporal and spatial stabilities of community biomass, considering species richness, asynchrony, and stability of all species, as well as of dominant and other non-dominant species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Nitrogen addition influenced the temporal and spatial stability of community biomass by altering the temporal and spatial asynchrony of dominant species and of the overall species level. In this alpine meadow with high species richness, temporal stability of community biomass increased despite a decline in species richness, while spatial stability of community biomass remained unaffected. These results suggest that dominant species dynamics can enhance temporal stability under nutrient enrichment, even as diversity decreases.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dominant species play a key role in regulating the temporal and spatial stability of community biomass, and the two dimensions of stability respond differently to nitrogen addition. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating both spatial and temporal facets of stability into ecological theory and ecosystem management under global change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70046","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473118","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}
Allan H. de Almeida Souza, Arnildo Pott, Francielli Bao, Geraldo Alves Damasceno-Junior
Question
How do fire and flooding, acting as ecological filters separately and in combination, influence species richness, taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity in tree communities along a flood gradient with varying fire histories?
Location
Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Methods
We sampled trees in 45 forest patches along a flood gradient, assessing species richness, alpha and beta taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity. Fire histories were categorized as 25, 13, and 2 years without fire (1997, 2009, 2020, respectively). Alpha diversity was estimated using Hill numbers, beta diversity via the Sørensen Index, and functional and phylogenetic diversity through the standardized effect size of mean pairwise distance (SES-MPD). A total of 321 plots were analyzed.
Results
Functional diversity increased along the flood gradient, promoting environmental heterogeneity. However, in recently burned areas, species richness, alpha taxonomic diversity, and functional diversity declined. The positive effect of flooding on functional diversity was reduced in recently burned areas, suggesting fire selectively removes flood-adapted but fire-sensitive species. Beta diversity analysis revealed a nested pattern, with species in recently burned areas forming subsets of older communities, indicating strong environmental filtering. Phylogenetic diversity remained stable across fire and flood gradients, suggesting fire filters species within lineages rather than altering evolutionary relationships.
Conclusions
Fire and flooding shape species richness, taxonomic diversity, and functional diversity in the Pantanal. Flooding enhances functional diversity, while fire reduces alpha and functional diversity, leading to species loss and functional homogenization. Strong adaptive trade-offs limit species' tolerance to both disturbances. Recently burned areas contain subsets of older communities, emphasizing the role of fire-free intervals in biodiversity recovery. As fire frequency increases due to climate change and human activity, conservation strategies should prioritize fire management and integrate hydrological dynamics into conservation planning to maintain wetland resilience.
{"title":"Diversity Patterns of Tree Communities Across Multiple Flood Gradients With Separate Fire Histories: Unveiling Patterns in a Wetland Ecosystem","authors":"Allan H. de Almeida Souza, Arnildo Pott, Francielli Bao, Geraldo Alves Damasceno-Junior","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>How do fire and flooding, acting as ecological filters separately and in combination, influence species richness, taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity in tree communities along a flood gradient with varying fire histories?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We sampled trees in 45 forest patches along a flood gradient, assessing species richness, alpha and beta taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity. Fire histories were categorized as 25, 13, and 2 years without fire (1997, 2009, 2020, respectively). Alpha diversity was estimated using Hill numbers, beta diversity via the Sørensen Index, and functional and phylogenetic diversity through the standardized effect size of mean pairwise distance (SES-MPD). A total of 321 plots were analyzed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Functional diversity increased along the flood gradient, promoting environmental heterogeneity. However, in recently burned areas, species richness, alpha taxonomic diversity, and functional diversity declined. The positive effect of flooding on functional diversity was reduced in recently burned areas, suggesting fire selectively removes flood-adapted but fire-sensitive species. Beta diversity analysis revealed a nested pattern, with species in recently burned areas forming subsets of older communities, indicating strong environmental filtering. Phylogenetic diversity remained stable across fire and flood gradients, suggesting fire filters species within lineages rather than altering evolutionary relationships.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Fire and flooding shape species richness, taxonomic diversity, and functional diversity in the Pantanal. Flooding enhances functional diversity, while fire reduces alpha and functional diversity, leading to species loss and functional homogenization. Strong adaptive trade-offs limit species' tolerance to both disturbances. Recently burned areas contain subsets of older communities, emphasizing the role of fire-free intervals in biodiversity recovery. As fire frequency increases due to climate change and human activity, conservation strategies should prioritize fire management and integrate hydrological dynamics into conservation planning to maintain wetland resilience.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144314964","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}
Félix Manuel Medina, María Guerrero-Campos, Guillermo Hernández Martín, Thomas Boulesteix, Frank Weiser, Anna Walentowitz, Anke Jentsch, Carl Beierkuhnlein, Patricia Marrero, Christopher Shatto, Víctor Chano, Manuel Nogales
<div> <section> <h3> Question</h3> <p>Tephra deposition is one of the most critical sudden alterations caused by volcanic eruptions in ecosystems. Tephra accumulation on the ground decreases with distance from the crater. The effect of ash deposition on the seed bank and its subsequent germination success has previously been studied by removing the tephra from the soil. However, conducting controlled experiments on the effect of tephra thickness on the seed bank and its seedling emergence capacity is a new approach to tackle and quantify recruitment mechanisms. Here, we present the first experimental study of the impact of tephra layer thickness on the seed bank combined with field surveys on seedling emergence.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Location</h3> <p>Tajogaite volcano, Cumbre Vieja Ridge, La Palma, Canary Islands.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Methods</h3> <p>The study includes a controlled experiment and a field survey along a gradient from the volcano crater to the perimeter within the Canary Island's pine forest. In the experiment, six tephra thickness categories were used to bury seeds (1, 5, 10, 45, 75 and 150 cm) based on observatory evidence corresponding to the distance away from the crater (7, 4, 2, 1.5, 0.75 and 0.15 km, respectively). Seeds were collected from the four most characteristic endemic pine forest species, representing different seed sizes and growth forms: <i>Pinus canariensis</i> (Pinaceae, tree), <i>Chamaecytisus proliferus</i> (Fabaceae, shrub), <i>Lotus campylocladus</i> (Fabaceae, forb) and <i>Cistus symphytifolius</i> (Cystaceae, shrub). One hundred seeds of each species were used per treatment (2800 seeds). In the field survey, we randomly established six quadrats (30 × 30 m) at the same distance from the crater as indicated above. Seedlings (< 5 cm in height) from natural regeneration were counted every three months.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Results</h3> <p>After 18 months under ash, germination in the experiment was only detected in the treatments of control (germination rate of <i>P. canariensis</i> = 71%, <i>Ch. proliferus</i> = 13%, <i>L. campylocladus</i> = 24%, <i>C. symphytifolius</i> = 1%), and at 1 cm (51%, 18%, 11%, 1%) and 5 cm (5%, 4%, 0%, 0%) of ash depth.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Conclusions</h3> <p>The massive ashfall during this eruption completely and suddenly dysfunctionalized the seed bank as a reservoir of recruitment in areas within a radius of approximately 5 km from the crat
火山沉积是由火山爆发引起的生态系统中最重要的突然变化之一。在地面上的Tephra堆积随着离火山口的距离而减少。灰沉降对种子库及其随后发芽成功的影响已经通过从土壤中除去麻黄进行了研究。然而，通过对照试验研究麻黄厚度对种子库及其出苗能力的影响，是研究和量化种子库招募机制的新途径。本文首次结合田间出苗调查，进行了麻黄层厚度对种子库影响的实验研究。地点：Tajogaite火山，Cumbre Vieja Ridge, La Palma, Canary Islands。方法本研究包括对照实验和沿着从火山口到加那利岛松林周边的梯度进行实地调查。在实验中，根据距离陨石坑的距离（分别为7、4、2、1.5、0.75和0.15 km）对应的观测证据，采用6种tephra厚度类别（1、5、10、45、75和150 cm）进行种子埋地。本研究收集了4种最具特色的松林特有物种的种子，它们分别是：Pinus canariensis（松科，乔木）、Chamaecytisus proliferus（豆科，灌木）、lotuscampylocladus（豆科，灌木）和Cistus symphytifolius（囊科，灌木），具有不同的种子大小和生长形式。每处理各树种种子100粒（2800粒）。在野外调查中，我们如上所示，在距离陨石坑相同的距离上随机建立了6个30 × 30 m的样方。每三个月对自然再生的幼苗（5厘米高）进行计数。结果灰处理18个月后，只有对照处理（canariensis = 71%, Ch. proliferus = 13%， L. campylocladus = 24%， C. symphytifolius = 1%）和1 cm（51%, 18%, 11%, 1%）和5 cm（5%, 4%, 0%, 0%）的灰处理能检测到发芽率。火山喷发期间的大量火山灰突然完全破坏了火山口半径约5公里范围内的种子库（至今仍埋在5厘米厚的火山灰层下）作为补充水库的功能。因此，我们为最近的火山喷发将深刻改变加那利岛大片松林内植物群落动态和组成的假设提供了证据。
{"title":"Seed Bank and Ashfalls: The Ecological Resetting Effect of the Recent Tajogaite Volcano Eruption in the Canary Pine Forest (La Palma, Spain)","authors":"Félix Manuel Medina, María Guerrero-Campos, Guillermo Hernández Martín, Thomas Boulesteix, Frank Weiser, Anna Walentowitz, Anke Jentsch, Carl Beierkuhnlein, Patricia Marrero, Christopher Shatto, Víctor Chano, Manuel Nogales","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tephra deposition is one of the most critical sudden alterations caused by volcanic eruptions in ecosystems. Tephra accumulation on the ground decreases with distance from the crater. The effect of ash deposition on the seed bank and its subsequent germination success has previously been studied by removing the tephra from the soil. However, conducting controlled experiments on the effect of tephra thickness on the seed bank and its seedling emergence capacity is a new approach to tackle and quantify recruitment mechanisms. Here, we present the first experimental study of the impact of tephra layer thickness on the seed bank combined with field surveys on seedling emergence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tajogaite volcano, Cumbre Vieja Ridge, La Palma, Canary Islands.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study includes a controlled experiment and a field survey along a gradient from the volcano crater to the perimeter within the Canary Island's pine forest. In the experiment, six tephra thickness categories were used to bury seeds (1, 5, 10, 45, 75 and 150 cm) based on observatory evidence corresponding to the distance away from the crater (7, 4, 2, 1.5, 0.75 and 0.15 km, respectively). Seeds were collected from the four most characteristic endemic pine forest species, representing different seed sizes and growth forms: <i>Pinus canariensis</i> (Pinaceae, tree), <i>Chamaecytisus proliferus</i> (Fabaceae, shrub), <i>Lotus campylocladus</i> (Fabaceae, forb) and <i>Cistus symphytifolius</i> (Cystaceae, shrub). One hundred seeds of each species were used per treatment (2800 seeds). In the field survey, we randomly established six quadrats (30 × 30 m) at the same distance from the crater as indicated above. Seedlings (< 5 cm in height) from natural regeneration were counted every three months.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>After 18 months under ash, germination in the experiment was only detected in the treatments of control (germination rate of <i>P. canariensis</i> = 71%, <i>Ch. proliferus</i> = 13%, <i>L. campylocladus</i> = 24%, <i>C. symphytifolius</i> = 1%), and at 1 cm (51%, 18%, 11%, 1%) and 5 cm (5%, 4%, 0%, 0%) of ash depth.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The massive ashfall during this eruption completely and suddenly dysfunctionalized the seed bank as a reservoir of recruitment in areas within a radius of approximately 5 km from the crat","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308917","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}
Annamária Fenesi, Lilla Szőcs, Péter Török, Eszter Ruprecht
Question
Native and invasive species interact simultaneously with each other and with their species-specific soil biota, yet the relative importance of native plant–soil feedback (PSF) on the outcome of competition between these species with different origins is poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the influence of native PSF on the performance of two invasive and two native target species in two situations: (1) when the species were grown alone, and (2) when the target species were grown in pairwise competitive setup with the native conditioning species. We also tested the importance of phylogenetic relatedness between target and conditioning species on the simultaneous effect of PSF and competition.
Location
Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Methods
We used native species from a semi-dry grassland dominated by Brachypodium pinnatum and Festuca rupicola to study how their species-specific PSFs affect the performance of invasive (Solidago canadensis, Erigeron canadensis) and native (Centaurea jacea, Crepis foetida) Asteraceae species. In the first year, soil was conditioned by six native grassland species (three Asteraceae and three species from other families); while in the second year, we performed a pairwise competition experiment in pots between the four target and six native species in conditioned and control soils.
Results
We found that although the native species exerted a strong negative PSF on the performance of the target species, this effect mostly disappeared in the real presence of the native competitors. We also showed that the identity of native resident species is more important in determining PSF and competitive outcome than whether it is dominant or subordinate, or whether it is phylogenetically related to the target species.
Conclusions
We showed that PSF of native species may not influence the competitive outcome between invasive and resident native species, thus PSF does not significantly contribute to the invasion resistance of the studied grassland community.
{"title":"Plant–Soil Feedback Does Not Contribute to the Competitive Outcome Between Invasive and Resident Native Species in a Species-Rich Grassland","authors":"Annamária Fenesi, Lilla Szőcs, Péter Török, Eszter Ruprecht","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Native and invasive species interact simultaneously with each other and with their species-specific soil biota, yet the relative importance of native plant–soil feedback (PSF) on the outcome of competition between these species with different origins is poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the influence of native PSF on the performance of two invasive and two native target species in two situations: (1) when the species were grown alone, and (2) when the target species were grown in pairwise competitive setup with the native conditioning species. We also tested the importance of phylogenetic relatedness between target and conditioning species on the simultaneous effect of PSF and competition.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cluj-Napoca, Romania.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used native species from a semi-dry grassland dominated by <i>Brachypodium pinnatum</i> and <i>Festuca rupicola</i> to study how their species-specific PSFs affect the performance of invasive (<i>Solidago canadensis, Erigeron canadensis</i>) and native (<i>Centaurea jacea, Crepis foetida</i>) Asteraceae species. In the first year, soil was conditioned by six native grassland species (three Asteraceae and three species from other families); while in the second year, we performed a pairwise competition experiment in pots between the four target and six native species in conditioned and control soils.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found that although the native species exerted a strong negative PSF on the performance of the target species, this effect mostly disappeared in the real presence of the native competitors. We also showed that the identity of native resident species is more important in determining PSF and competitive outcome than whether it is dominant or subordinate, or whether it is phylogenetically related to the target species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We showed that PSF of native species may not influence the competitive outcome between invasive and resident native species, thus PSF does not significantly contribute to the invasion resistance of the studied grassland community.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144281483","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}
Vladimir G. Onipchenko, Alii M. Kipkeev, Asem A. Akhmetzhanova, Natália Maximová, Eva Klemmová-Gregušková, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen, Richard S. P. van Logtestijn, Vadim E. Smirnov, Tatiana G. Elumeeva, Zuzana Kompišová Ballová, Marián Janiga
Aims
The overall balance of multiple chemical elements in plant tissue has likely great adaptive significance for species in natural environments. By using alpine plants as a study system, we examined the relationship between a species' position within the Competitiveness–Stress–Tolerance–Ruderal (CSR) strategy scheme and the chemical elemental composition in its leaves.
Location
Alpine meadows in the Caucasus (Karachai-Cherkess Republic, Russia) and Tatra mountains (Slovakia).
Methods
We collected leaf material from 50 species in the Caucasus and 23 species in the High Tatras, with some species sampled in both regions. Macro and micronutrient as well as heavy metal contents were measured in leaf biomass. For each species, we calculated a CSR strategy based on its measured leaf traits.
Results
A wide spectrum of CSR strategies was found across the studied species. Competitiveness (C strategy) dominated in Veratrum album, Polygonum bistorta, and Gentiana punctata from the Tatras. The most significant differences in element concentrations were observed between stress-tolerant (S) and ruderal (R) strategies. K, S, Mg, Ca, Cl, Rb, Zn, Cu, Sr, and Na (for Tatra and Caucasian) and N and P (for Caucasian) plants showed a significant negative relationship with proportional adherence to the S strategy, with only Si exhibiting a positive correlation with the S strategy. Meanwhile, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mo, N, Na, P, S, and Zn showed positive proportional adherence to the R strategy. The C strategy was positively correlated with K, Mg, and Rb for all species as well as with N and P for Caucasian plants, but negatively correlated with Fe, Cr, Mo, and Si.
Conclusions
Overall, CSR strategies had a close relation with macro- and micro-nutrient concentrations in leaves of alpine plants. Plants from different regions (Caucasus and Tatras) showed similar trends.
{"title":"CSR Strategies Are Associated With Elemental Leaf Chemistry in Alpine Plants","authors":"Vladimir G. Onipchenko, Alii M. Kipkeev, Asem A. Akhmetzhanova, Natália Maximová, Eva Klemmová-Gregušková, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen, Richard S. P. van Logtestijn, Vadim E. Smirnov, Tatiana G. Elumeeva, Zuzana Kompišová Ballová, Marián Janiga","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The overall balance of multiple chemical elements in plant tissue has likely great adaptive significance for species in natural environments. By using alpine plants as a study system, we examined the relationship between a species' position within the Competitiveness–Stress–Tolerance–Ruderal (CSR) strategy scheme and the chemical elemental composition in its leaves.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alpine meadows in the Caucasus (Karachai-Cherkess Republic, Russia) and Tatra mountains (Slovakia).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We collected leaf material from 50 species in the Caucasus and 23 species in the High Tatras, with some species sampled in both regions. Macro and micronutrient as well as heavy metal contents were measured in leaf biomass. For each species, we calculated a CSR strategy based on its measured leaf traits.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A wide spectrum of CSR strategies was found across the studied species. Competitiveness (C strategy) dominated in <i>Veratrum album, Polygonum bistorta</i>, and <i>Gentiana punctata</i> from the Tatras. The most significant differences in element concentrations were observed between stress-tolerant (S) and ruderal (R) strategies. K, S, Mg, Ca, Cl, Rb, Zn, Cu, Sr, and Na (for Tatra and Caucasian) and N and P (for Caucasian) plants showed a significant negative relationship with proportional adherence to the S strategy, with only Si exhibiting a positive correlation with the S strategy. Meanwhile, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mo, N, Na, P, S, and Zn showed positive proportional adherence to the R strategy. The C strategy was positively correlated with K, Mg, and Rb for all species as well as with N and P for Caucasian plants, but negatively correlated with Fe, Cr, Mo, and Si.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, CSR strategies had a close relation with macro- and micro-nutrient concentrations in leaves of alpine plants. Plants from different regions (Caucasus and Tatras) showed similar trends.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197028","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}
Eugenia Siccardi, Mariasole Calbi, Bruno Foggi, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Alice Misuri, Virginia Amanda Volanti, Lorella Dell'Olmo, Daniele Viciani, Michele Mugnai
Questions
The resurvey of historical vegetation plots has become a fundamental methodology in ecological research, as it provides a unique opportunity to estimate vegetation and environmental changes over time. Small islands are among the ecosystems where the effects of anthropogenic processes may be more detectable and less predictable. This research aimed to evaluate how the different vegetation types of a small Mediterranean island have changed over the last 15 years, both in terms of species and function and to relate these changes to the dominant land cover dynamics.
Location
Island of Pianosa, Tuscan Archipelago, Italy.
Methods
Revisiting 63 georeferenced vegetation plots in spring 2023, ensuring a close adherence to historical methodology and plot location. For each plot, vegetation changes related to processes detectable in the field (regression, dynamics, alien species or none) were assessed, and taxonomic and functional turnover was calculated. In parallel, NDVI changes were assessed on satellite images acquired during the two periods. In addition, two high-resolution orthophotos from 2007 and 2023 were used to classify land cover types into three classes: bare soil, grass and woody vegetation, and to assess changes in land cover types within a 20-m buffer around the plots.
Results
We assessed differences between vegetation types and the type of process detected for taxonomic and functional turnover, NDVI distances and land cover changes. The main drivers of taxonomic and functional turnover were the encroachment of typical shrub species into grasslands and a shift towards higher leaf area and height in rocky cliff communities, probably driven by higher levels of disturbance.
Conclusions
Our results shed light on the main drivers of change in small island contexts over a short time. These findings could provide crucial information for the conservation of Mediterranean habitats and the adequate representation of reliable climate change scenarios.
{"title":"Revisiting a Small Mediterranean Island: How Vegetation has Changed in the Last 15 Years","authors":"Eugenia Siccardi, Mariasole Calbi, Bruno Foggi, Lorenzo Lazzaro, Alice Misuri, Virginia Amanda Volanti, Lorella Dell'Olmo, Daniele Viciani, Michele Mugnai","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The resurvey of historical vegetation plots has become a fundamental methodology in ecological research, as it provides a unique opportunity to estimate vegetation and environmental changes over time. Small islands are among the ecosystems where the effects of anthropogenic processes may be more detectable and less predictable. This research aimed to evaluate how the different vegetation types of a small Mediterranean island have changed over the last 15 years, both in terms of species and function and to relate these changes to the dominant land cover dynamics.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Island of Pianosa, Tuscan Archipelago, Italy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Revisiting 63 georeferenced vegetation plots in spring 2023, ensuring a close adherence to historical methodology and plot location. For each plot, vegetation changes related to processes detectable in the field (regression, dynamics, alien species or none) were assessed, and taxonomic and functional turnover was calculated. In parallel, NDVI changes were assessed on satellite images acquired during the two periods. In addition, two high-resolution orthophotos from 2007 and 2023 were used to classify land cover types into three classes: bare soil, grass and woody vegetation, and to assess changes in land cover types within a 20-m buffer around the plots.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We assessed differences between vegetation types and the type of process detected for taxonomic and functional turnover, NDVI distances and land cover changes. The main drivers of taxonomic and functional turnover were the encroachment of typical shrub species into grasslands and a shift towards higher leaf area and height in rocky cliff communities, probably driven by higher levels of disturbance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results shed light on the main drivers of change in small island contexts over a short time. These findings could provide crucial information for the conservation of Mediterranean habitats and the adequate representation of reliable climate change scenarios.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70038","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179217","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}
Maximiliano Bustos, Irene A. Garibotti, Adela Bernardis, Agustina C. Cottet, Mariana Tadey
Question
Vascular plants and biocrusts are the main ground cover in drylands. Interaction between these components regulates a wide range of ecosystem functions. However, little is known about biocrusts associated with different vascular plant species, and understanding the interactions between them remains a challenge. We ask: Is biocrust community structure predicted by vascular plant species? Which vascular plant traits influence biocrust community structure and help to explain biocrust-plant interactions? Does the interaction between biocrusts and vascular plants vary across landforms?
Location
Arid shrubland in Patagonia, Argentina.
Methods
We measured the composition and cover of biocrusts growing in open interspaces and beneath different vascular plant species, and quantified canopy and root traits of the eight most abundant vascular plant species in two different landforms. We explored the specificity of biocrust-plant interactions by evaluating differences in biocrust structure in relation to multiple vascular plant traits.
Results
Biocrust cover was higher beneath vascular plant canopies than in open interspaces and increased with vegetation cover at the landscape scale. Different vascular plant species hosted different biocrust assemblages, which were partially explained by plant canopy architecture traits. However, relevant vascular plant traits differed in relation to biocrust composition or total cover. Whereas loose, large, and inverted cone-shaped canopies provided a canopy service for the development of biocrust cover, vascular plant height was strongly correlated to a gradient in biocrust composition from ruderal to slow-colonizer species.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrates that vascular plants greatly contribute to increasing biocrust heterogeneity, evidencing that biocrust-plant interaction should be accounted for in the assessment of dryland ecology and management. In addition, our results suggest trait-specificity of vascular plant-biocrust interactions, so that further field vascular plant trait-based studies have the potential to contribute to the search for general patterns of biocrust-plant interactions.
{"title":"Vascular Plant Traits Shape Biocrust Community Structure in a Diverse Arid Shrubland","authors":"Maximiliano Bustos, Irene A. Garibotti, Adela Bernardis, Agustina C. Cottet, Mariana Tadey","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Question</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Vascular plants and biocrusts are the main ground cover in drylands. Interaction between these components regulates a wide range of ecosystem functions. However, little is known about biocrusts associated with different vascular plant species, and understanding the interactions between them remains a challenge. We ask: Is biocrust community structure predicted by vascular plant species? Which vascular plant traits influence biocrust community structure and help to explain biocrust-plant interactions? Does the interaction between biocrusts and vascular plants vary across landforms?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Arid shrubland in Patagonia, Argentina.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We measured the composition and cover of biocrusts growing in open interspaces and beneath different vascular plant species, and quantified canopy and root traits of the eight most abundant vascular plant species in two different landforms. We explored the specificity of biocrust-plant interactions by evaluating differences in biocrust structure in relation to multiple vascular plant traits.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Biocrust cover was higher beneath vascular plant canopies than in open interspaces and increased with vegetation cover at the landscape scale. Different vascular plant species hosted different biocrust assemblages, which were partially explained by plant canopy architecture traits. However, relevant vascular plant traits differed in relation to biocrust composition or total cover. Whereas loose, large, and inverted cone-shaped canopies provided a canopy service for the development of biocrust cover, vascular plant height was strongly correlated to a gradient in biocrust composition from ruderal to slow-colonizer species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our study demonstrates that vascular plants greatly contribute to increasing biocrust heterogeneity, evidencing that biocrust-plant interaction should be accounted for in the assessment of dryland ecology and management. In addition, our results suggest trait-specificity of vascular plant-biocrust interactions, so that further field vascular plant trait-based studies have the potential to contribute to the search for general patterns of biocrust-plant interactions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144179245","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}
Felipe Zuñe, Márcia Gonçalves Rogério, Ruy José Válka Alves, Nílber Gonçalves da Silva
Aims
Islands harbor crucial ecosystems that face expressive threats from invasive species, including goats, which have dramatically altered the vegetation dynamics of Trindade Island since their introduction in the 1700s. This study aimed to assess the effects of goats, as a primary biotic factor, alongside many abiotic factors influencing vegetation dynamics over time.
Location
Trindade Island, South Atlantic Ocean.
Methods
We analyzed vegetation cover changes from 1994 to 2024 using remote sensing data. We also evaluated the relationship between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and vegetation cover, and compared vegetation data obtained from fieldwork and remote sensing for 1994 and 2010.
Results
A supervised classification approach was applied to identify vegetation types, achieving an overall accuracy of 89% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.8. The NDVI analysis explained 77% of the variation in vegetation cover, revealing increases in forest (65.06 ha) and grassland (325.14 ha) by 2024. No significant differences were found between fieldwork and remote sensing data (p > 0.05) for the earlier years analyzed. Although goats had a notable impact on vegetation (D2 ≥ 0.75), their influence was amplified by abiotic factors, producing statistically significant correlations (D2 ≥ 0.91) in generalized linear models. Incorporating both biotic and abiotic variables yielded models with higher explanatory power.
Conclusions
Our findings underscore the complex interplay between goats and abiotic factors shaping vegetation dynamics on Trindade Island. The study highlights the necessity of targeted conservation strategies to mitigate the impact of invasive species on island ecosystems.
{"title":"From Disturbance to Recovery: Unveiling the Role of Goats and Ecological Drivers on Vegetation Dynamics of Trindade Island, South Atlantic, Brazil","authors":"Felipe Zuñe, Márcia Gonçalves Rogério, Ruy José Válka Alves, Nílber Gonçalves da Silva","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Islands harbor crucial ecosystems that face expressive threats from invasive species, including goats, which have dramatically altered the vegetation dynamics of Trindade Island since their introduction in the 1700s. This study aimed to assess the effects of goats, as a primary biotic factor, alongside many abiotic factors influencing vegetation dynamics over time.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Trindade Island, South Atlantic Ocean.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analyzed vegetation cover changes from 1994 to 2024 using remote sensing data. We also evaluated the relationship between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and vegetation cover, and compared vegetation data obtained from fieldwork and remote sensing for 1994 and 2010.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A supervised classification approach was applied to identify vegetation types, achieving an overall accuracy of 89% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.8. The NDVI analysis explained 77% of the variation in vegetation cover, revealing increases in forest (65.06 ha) and grassland (325.14 ha) by 2024. No significant differences were found between fieldwork and remote sensing data (<i>p</i> > 0.05) for the earlier years analyzed. Although goats had a notable impact on vegetation (<i>D</i><sup>2</sup> ≥ 0.75), their influence was amplified by abiotic factors, producing statistically significant correlations (<i>D</i><sup>2</sup> ≥ 0.91) in generalized linear models. Incorporating both biotic and abiotic variables yielded models with higher explanatory power.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our findings underscore the complex interplay between goats and abiotic factors shaping vegetation dynamics on Trindade Island. The study highlights the necessity of targeted conservation strategies to mitigate the impact of invasive species on island ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70039","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144148422","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}
<div> <section> <h3> Aim</h3> <p>Dry grasslands are vulnerable to climate and land-use change. Increasing temperatures, drought, grazing cessation and nitrogen deposition can all result in shifts in grasslands' taxonomic and functional composition. We tested the hypotheses that both species richness and diversity are decreasing at the scales of both the regional species pool of dry grasslands and for individual communities, with functional composition shifting towards more competitive traits and shortened live spans, and that these responses depend on species' functional characteristics and on drought stress levels to which communities are exposed.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Location</h3> <p>Semi-natural dry grasslands north-west of Halle (Saale), Central Germany.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Methods</h3> <p>In 2021/2022, a resurvey of vegetation was conducted in 131 relevés surveyed in 1992/1993 on 51 rocky hills, on which our focus was on six common grassland communities found along a gradient of increasing drought stress from harsh to more favourable conditions. Drought stress levels were quantified using slope, aspect, soil depth and soil texture, resulting in a sequence of communities on sun-exposed shallow soils to moister and deeper soils. Changes in taxonomic and functional composition were analysed and explored with paired <i>t</i>-tests, linear models, principal component analysis and (distance-based) redundancy analysis.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Results</h3> <p>The size of the regional species pool of the dry grasslands did not decrease over the last 30 years. Its functional turnover points to declining precipitation, longer growing seasons and an increasing frequency of drought events. In the resurveyed pool, a lower number of species flowering in mid summer and a higher number of early flowering species suggest a trend to avoidance of summer droughts and a response to warmer and moister spring conditions. At the community scale, species richness and alpha diversity increased, in spite of a decreasing plant cover over the investigation period. These increases were mainly caused by an increased abundance of annual plant species, as a response to cleared space through the decreasing cover of perennial plant species, pointing to drought avoidance as a successful survival strategy. The studied community types varied in the magnitude of diversity changes as well as in their species and functional responses, where changes in trait composition increased with increasing heat load on two of the community types.</p> </sect
{"title":"Diversity Increases but Community Specialists Decline Over Three Decades in Dry Grassland Communities of Central Germany","authors":"Susanne Horka, Ute Jandt, Helge Bruelheide","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dry grasslands are vulnerable to climate and land-use change. Increasing temperatures, drought, grazing cessation and nitrogen deposition can all result in shifts in grasslands' taxonomic and functional composition. We tested the hypotheses that both species richness and diversity are decreasing at the scales of both the regional species pool of dry grasslands and for individual communities, with functional composition shifting towards more competitive traits and shortened live spans, and that these responses depend on species' functional characteristics and on drought stress levels to which communities are exposed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Semi-natural dry grasslands north-west of Halle (Saale), Central Germany.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In 2021/2022, a resurvey of vegetation was conducted in 131 relevés surveyed in 1992/1993 on 51 rocky hills, on which our focus was on six common grassland communities found along a gradient of increasing drought stress from harsh to more favourable conditions. Drought stress levels were quantified using slope, aspect, soil depth and soil texture, resulting in a sequence of communities on sun-exposed shallow soils to moister and deeper soils. Changes in taxonomic and functional composition were analysed and explored with paired <i>t</i>-tests, linear models, principal component analysis and (distance-based) redundancy analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The size of the regional species pool of the dry grasslands did not decrease over the last 30 years. Its functional turnover points to declining precipitation, longer growing seasons and an increasing frequency of drought events. In the resurveyed pool, a lower number of species flowering in mid summer and a higher number of early flowering species suggest a trend to avoidance of summer droughts and a response to warmer and moister spring conditions. At the community scale, species richness and alpha diversity increased, in spite of a decreasing plant cover over the investigation period. These increases were mainly caused by an increased abundance of annual plant species, as a response to cleared space through the decreasing cover of perennial plant species, pointing to drought avoidance as a successful survival strategy. The studied community types varied in the magnitude of diversity changes as well as in their species and functional responses, where changes in trait composition increased with increasing heat load on two of the community types.</p>\u0000 </sect","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70036","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125837","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}
Cord Peppler-Lisbach, Anselm Kratochwil, Leonie Mazalla, Gert Rosenthal, Angelika Schwabe, Joachim Schwane, Nils Stanik
<div> <section> <h3> Questions</h3> <p>How have <i>Nardus</i> grasslands (i.e., unfertilised grassland on acid soils) in Germany changed in recent decades? What are the ecological drivers of these changes? Were the changes in species composition caused by the decrease in atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) and mediated by the recovery of soil pH? Have climate change and changes in management contributed to changes in species composition?</p> </section> <section> <h3> Location</h3> <p>Six regions within the German low mountain range and the northern Alps (230 m—2120 m a.s.l.).</p> </section> <section> <h3> Methods</h3> <p>For a synoptic analysis of vegetation change, we compiled vegetation and soil data (pH, C:N ratio) of 375 quasi-permanent plots in <i>Nardus</i> grassland sampled between 1971–1989 and 2012–2021. We analysed changes in different species groups, mean ecological indicator values and soil parameters and tested for effects of time and elevation with mixed effect models. Path analyses and redundancy analysis were used to identify the drivers of vegetation change, including data on N and S deposition, annual temperature, annual precipitation and management.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Results</h3> <p>Soil pH increased and C:N ratio decreased across study regions in Germany. We also found overall increases in mean Ellenberg indicator values for N and soil reaction. Species of nutrient-rich grasslands increased, as did total species richness. In contrast, character species of <i>Nardus</i> grassland and dwarf shrubs decreased. However, these patterns were less pronounced at high elevations. Declining total N and S deposition was associated with higher pH values and lower C:N ratios, which had positive effects on nutrient-demanding grassland species and negative effects on cover of <i>Nardus</i> grassland character species and on dwarf shrubs. We also found indications for effects of climate warming, for example, increased mean Ellenberg indicator values for temperature and a negative effect on character species. Management compared with abandonment had negative effects on woody species, including dwarf shrubs and favoured low-growing herbaceous species. In addition, management effects contributed indirectly to eutrophication.</p> </section> <section> <h3> Conclusion</h3> <p><i>Nardus</i> grasslands across Germany are affected by a decline in floristic quality associated with eutrophication (e.g., increase in nutrient i
{"title":"Synopsis of Nardus Grassland Resurveys Across Germany: Is Eutrophication Driven by a Recovery of Soil pH After Acidification?","authors":"Cord Peppler-Lisbach, Anselm Kratochwil, Leonie Mazalla, Gert Rosenthal, Angelika Schwabe, Joachim Schwane, Nils Stanik","doi":"10.1111/jvs.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>How have <i>Nardus</i> grasslands (i.e., unfertilised grassland on acid soils) in Germany changed in recent decades? What are the ecological drivers of these changes? Were the changes in species composition caused by the decrease in atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) and mediated by the recovery of soil pH? Have climate change and changes in management contributed to changes in species composition?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Six regions within the German low mountain range and the northern Alps (230 m—2120 m a.s.l.).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>For a synoptic analysis of vegetation change, we compiled vegetation and soil data (pH, C:N ratio) of 375 quasi-permanent plots in <i>Nardus</i> grassland sampled between 1971–1989 and 2012–2021. We analysed changes in different species groups, mean ecological indicator values and soil parameters and tested for effects of time and elevation with mixed effect models. Path analyses and redundancy analysis were used to identify the drivers of vegetation change, including data on N and S deposition, annual temperature, annual precipitation and management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Soil pH increased and C:N ratio decreased across study regions in Germany. We also found overall increases in mean Ellenberg indicator values for N and soil reaction. Species of nutrient-rich grasslands increased, as did total species richness. In contrast, character species of <i>Nardus</i> grassland and dwarf shrubs decreased. However, these patterns were less pronounced at high elevations. Declining total N and S deposition was associated with higher pH values and lower C:N ratios, which had positive effects on nutrient-demanding grassland species and negative effects on cover of <i>Nardus</i> grassland character species and on dwarf shrubs. We also found indications for effects of climate warming, for example, increased mean Ellenberg indicator values for temperature and a negative effect on character species. Management compared with abandonment had negative effects on woody species, including dwarf shrubs and favoured low-growing herbaceous species. In addition, management effects contributed indirectly to eutrophication.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Nardus</i> grasslands across Germany are affected by a decline in floristic quality associated with eutrophication (e.g., increase in nutrient i","PeriodicalId":49965,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Vegetation Science","volume":"36 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvs.70040","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126023","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}
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