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Alba C, Levy R, Hufft R. Combining botanical collections and ecological data to better describe plant community diversity. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244982. [PMID: 33411770 PMCID: PMC7790410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this age of rapid biodiversity loss, we must continue to refine our approaches to describing variation in life on Earth. Combining knowledge and research tools from multiple disciplines is one way to better describe complex natural systems. Understanding plant community diversity requires documenting both pattern and process. We must first know which species exist, and where (i.e., taxonomic and biogeographic patterns), before we can determine why they exist there (i.e., ecological and evolutionary processes). Floristic botanists often use collections-based approaches to elucidate biodiversity patterns, while plant ecologists use hypothesis-driven statistical approaches to describe underlying processes. Because of these different disciplinary histories and research goals, floristic botanists and plant ecologists often remain siloed in their work. Here, using a case study from an urban greenway in Colorado, USA, we illustrate that the collections-based, opportunistic sampling of floristic botanists is highly complementary to the transect- or plot-based sampling of plant ecologists. We found that floristic sampling captured a community species pool four times larger than that captured using ecological transects, with rarefaction and non-parametric species estimation indicating that it would be prohibitive to capture the "true" community species pool if constrained to sampling within transects. We further illustrate that the discrepancy in species pool size between approaches led to a different interpretation of the greenway's ecological condition in some cases (e.g., transects missed uncommon cultivated species escaping from nearby gardens) but not others (e.g., plant species distributions among functional groups were similar between species pools). Finally, we show that while using transects to estimate plant relative abundances necessarily trades off with a fuller assessment of the species pool, it is an indispensable indicator of ecosystem health, as evidenced by three non-native grasses contributing to 50% of plant cover along the highly modified urban greenway. We suggest that actively fostering collaborations between floristic botanists and ecologists can create new insights into the maintenance of species diversity at the community scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Alba
- Research & Conservation Department, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Richard Levy
- Research & Conservation Department, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Hufft
- Research & Conservation Department, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado, United States of America
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Avolio ML, Forrestel EJ, Chang CC, La Pierre KJ, Burghardt KT, Smith MD. Demystifying dominant species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1106-1126. [PMID: 30868589 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The pattern of a few abundant species and many rarer species is a defining characteristic of communities worldwide. These abundant species are often referred to as dominant species. Yet, despite their importance, the term dominant species is poorly defined and often used to convey different information by different authors. Based on a review of historical and contemporary definitions we develop a synthetic definition of dominant species. This definition incorporates the relative local abundance of a species, its ubiquity across the landscape, and its impact on community and ecosystem properties. A meta-analysis of removal studies shows that the loss of species identified as dominant by authors can significantly impact ecosystem functioning and community structure. We recommend two metrics that can be used jointly to identify dominant species in a given community and provide a roadmap for future avenues of research on dominant species. In our review, we make the case that the identity and effects of dominant species on their environments are key to linking patterns of diversity to ecosystem function, including predicting impacts of species loss and other aspects of global change on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
| | - Elisabeth J Forrestel
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Cynthia C Chang
- Division of Biology, University of Washington Bothell, 18807 Beardslee Blvd, Bothell, WA, 98011, USA
| | - Kimberly J La Pierre
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Karin T Burghardt
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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Henry HAL, Murphy SD, McFarlane ML, Barna H, Dunning K, Hood A, Crosthwaite JC. Evaluating outcomes of restoration ecology projects on limited budgets: assessment of variation in sampling intensity and sampling frequency for four habitat types. Restor Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hugh A. L. Henry
- Department of Biology; University of Western Ontario; London Ontario N6A 5B7 Canada
| | - Stephen D. Murphy
- Department of Environment and Resource Studies; University of Waterloo; Waterloo Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Mhairi L. McFarlane
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410; Toronto Ontario M4P 3J1 Canada
| | - Heather Barna
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410; Toronto Ontario M4P 3J1 Canada
| | - Katelyn Dunning
- Department of Environment and Resource Studies; University of Waterloo; Waterloo Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada
| | - Alexandra Hood
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410; Toronto Ontario M4P 3J1 Canada
| | - Jill C. Crosthwaite
- Nature Conservancy of Canada, 245 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 410; Toronto Ontario M4P 3J1 Canada
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Boeken BR. Competition for microsites during recruitment in semiarid annual plant communities. Ecology 2018; 99:2801-2814. [PMID: 30076603 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The concept of microsites for recruitment is central to plant ecology, but it is unclear whether these sites are abstract constructs or real entities. I hypothesize that, in generally microsite-limited communities, microsites comprise a limiting physical resource for which different species compete. I tested this hypothesis on winter-annual communities on biocrust in the semiarid Northern Negev of Israel, in which most species are microsite-limited, while the dominant grass (Stipa capensis) has overcome this limitation by efficient microsite acquisition and a lack of secondary seed dormancy. I tested whether the dominant suppresses the subordinate species, collectively, during recruitment, rather than during growth. To this end, I conducted a field experiment with three blocks of six plots (6 m × 6 m) with two treatments - mowing in spring 2006 (intershrub, intershrub + shrub patches, and none) and shrub-patch removal (0% or 50% of the patches). I collected data from four seed traps per plot before spring 2007 and from five plant samples per plot at the end of spring. Mowing significantly reduced both seed and plant density of the dominant species, reflecting seed-limited recruitment, and increased subordinate plant density by competitive release. Multiple regressions of per-plant and per-gram effects and responses showed that competition was a direct effect of the dominant's density. Total and per-group biomass was proportional to density, implying density-independent per capita growth. Subordinate species number also increased with their density, due to the sample-size effect. These findings indicate that the seed-limited dominant diffusely suppresses the subordinates during recruitment, supporting the microsite competition hypothesis. The shift from growth resources to microsites extends the role of inter-specific competition along productivity and disturbance gradients, and highlights the asymmetric relationship between the two kinds of competition, as microsite competition is only observable if initial abundances are not overshadowed by density-dependent growth and mortality. The findings also demonstrate that (1) lacking secondary seed dormancy is an evolutionarily stable strategy in dryland annuals, alongside seed dormancy in microsite-limited species, and (2) biomass removal (e.g., by herbivory) increases small-scale biodiversity, enhancing the sustainability of dryland grazing, but without compensatory growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand R Boeken
- Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Houadria M, Menzel F. What determines the importance of a species for ecosystem processes? Insights from tropical ant assemblages. Oecologia 2017; 184:885-899. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3900-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Sollenberger D, Kadlec C, O'Shaughnessy J, Egerton-Warburton L. Environmental filtering mediates grassland community assembly following restoration with soil carbon additions. Restor Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Cynthia Kadlec
- Chicago Botanic Garden; 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe IL 60022 U.S.A
- Elmhurst College; Elmhurst IL 60126 U.S.A
| | | | - Louise Egerton-Warburton
- Chicago Botanic Garden; 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe IL 60022 U.S.A
- Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; Northwestern University; Evanston IL 60208 U.S.A
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Cornell HV, Harrison SP. What Are Species Pools and When Are They Important? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Howard V. Cornell
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California 95616; ,
| | - Susan P. Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California 95616; ,
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Schultz NL, Reid N, Lodge G, Hunter JT. Broad-scale patterns in plant diversity vary between land uses in a variegated temperate Australian agricultural landscape. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick L. Schultz
- Ecosystem Management; School of Environmental and Rural Science; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Nick Reid
- Ecosystem Management; School of Environmental and Rural Science; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Greg Lodge
- Department of Primary Industries; Tamworth Agricultural Institute; Calala New South Wales Australia
| | - John T. Hunter
- School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences; University of New England; Armidale
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Evidence of Species and Functional Group Attrition in Shrub-encroached Prairie: Implications for Restoration. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2014. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-172.2.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Gooden B, French K. Non-interactive effects of plant invasion and landscape modification on native communities. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Gooden
- Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Northfields Avenue Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
| | - Kris French
- Institute for Conservation Biology and Environmental Management; School of Biological Sciences; University of Wollongong; Northfields Avenue Wollongong NSW 2522 Australia
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Nippert JB, Ocheltree TW, Orozco GL, Ratajczak Z, Ling B, Skibbe AM. Evidence of physiological decoupling from grassland ecosystem drivers by an encroaching woody shrub. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81630. [PMID: 24339950 PMCID: PMC3855384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Shrub encroachment of grasslands is a transformative ecological process by which native woody species increase in cover and frequency and replace the herbaceous community. Mechanisms of encroachment are typically assessed using temporal data or experimental manipulations, with few large spatial assessments of shrub physiology. In a mesic grassland in North America, we measured inter- and intra-annual variability in leaf δ13C in Cornus drummondii across a grassland landscape with varying fire frequency, presence of large grazers and topographic variability. This assessment of changes in individual shrub physiology is the largest spatial and temporal assessment recorded to date. Despite a doubling of annual rainfall (in 2008 versus 2011), leaf δ13C was statistically similar among and within years from 2008-11 (range of −28 to −27‰). A topography*grazing interaction was present, with higher leaf δ13C in locations that typically have more bare soil and higher sensible heat in the growing season (upland topographic positions and grazed grasslands). Leaf δ13C from slopes varied among grazing contrasts, with upland and slope leaf δ13C more similar in ungrazed locations, while slopes and lowlands were more similar in grazed locations. In 2011, canopy greenness (normalized difference vegetation index – NDVI) was assessed at the centroid of individual shrubs using high-resolution hyperspectral imagery. Canopy greenness was highest mid-summer, likely reflecting temporal periods when C assimilation rates were highest. Similar to patterns seen in leaf δ13C, NDVI was highest in locations that typically experience lowest sensible heat (lowlands and ungrazed). The ability of Cornus drummondii to decouple leaf physiological responses from climate variability and fire frequency is a likely contributor to the increase in cover and frequency of this shrub species in mesic grassland and may be generalizable to other grasslands undergoing woody encroachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse B. Nippert
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Troy W. Ocheltree
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Graciela L. Orozco
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Zak Ratajczak
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Bohua Ling
- Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Adam M. Skibbe
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
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Lehmkuhl JF, Lyons AL, Bracken E, Leingang J, Gaines WL, Dodson EK, Singleton PH. Forage Composition, Productivity, and Utilization in the Eastern Washington Cascade Range. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2013. [DOI: 10.3955/046.087.0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Fujita N, Amartuvshin N, Ariunbold E. Annual Production and Species Diversity of Mongolian Pasture Plants in Relation to Grazing Pressure by Livestock. THE MONGOLIAN ECOSYSTEM NETWORK 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-4-431-54052-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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McGranahan DA, Engle DM, Wilsey BJ, Fuhlendorf SD, Miller JR, Debinski DM. Grazing and an invasive grass confound spatial pattern of exotic and native grassland plant species richness. Basic Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2012.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Flohre A, Fischer C, Aavik T, Bengtsson J, Berendse F, Bommarco R, Ceryngier P, Clement LW, Dennis C, Eggers S, Emmerson M, Geiger F, Guerrero I, Hawro V, Inchausti P, Liira J, Morales MB, Oñate JJ, Pärt T, Weisser WW, Winqvist C, Thies C, Tscharntke T. Agricultural intensification and biodiversity partitioning in European landscapes comparing plants, carabids, and birds. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:1772-1781. [PMID: 21830717 DOI: 10.1890/10-0645.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Effects of agricultural intensification (AI) on biodiversity are often assessed on the plot scale, although processes determining diversity also operate on larger spatial scales. Here, we analyzed the diversity of vascular plants, carabid beetles, and birds in agricultural landscapes in cereal crop fields at the field (n = 1350), farm (n = 270), and European-region (n = 9) scale. We partitioned diversity into its additive components alpha, beta, and gamma, and assessed the relative contribution of beta diversity to total species richness at each spatial scale. AI was determined using pesticide and fertilizer inputs, as well as tillage operations and categorized into low, medium, and high levels. As AI was not significantly related to landscape complexity, we could disentangle potential AI effects on local vs. landscape community homogenization. AI negatively affected the species richness of plants and birds, but not carabid beetles, at all spatial scales. Hence, local AI was closely correlated to beta diversity on larger scales up to the farm and region level, and thereby was an indicator of farm- and region-wide biodiversity losses. At the scale of farms (12.83-20.52%) and regions (68.34-80.18%), beta diversity accounted for the major part of the total species richness for all three taxa, indicating great dissimilarity in environmental conditions on larger spatial scales. For plants, relative importance of alpha diversity decreased with AI, while relative importance of beta diversity on the farm scale increased with AI for carabids and birds. Hence, and in contrast to our expectations, AI does not necessarily homogenize local communities, presumably due to the heterogeneity of farming practices. In conclusion, a more detailed understanding of AI effects on diversity patterns of various taxa and at multiple spatial scales would contribute to more efficient agri-environmental schemes in agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Flohre
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Science, Georg-August-University, Waldweg 26, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
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The ecology of urban areas and their functions for species diversity. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11355-011-0153-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Leng X, Musters C, de Snoo GR. Spatiotemporal variation of plant diversity on ditch banks under different management regimes. Basic Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2010.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Rivers JW, Gipson PS, Althoff DP, Pontius JS. Long-term community dynamics of small landbirds with and without exposure to extensive disturbance from military training activities. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2010; 45:203-216. [PMID: 20084512 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-009-9421-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Military training activities are known to impact individual species, yet our understanding of how such activities influence animal communities is limited. In this study, we used long-term data in a case study approach to examine the extent to which the local small landbird community differed between a site in northeast Kansas that experienced intensive disturbance from military training activities (Ft. Riley Military Installation) and a similar, nearby site that experienced minimal human disturbance (Konza Prairie Biological Station). In addition, we characterized how the regional pool of potential colonizers influenced local community dynamics using Breeding Bird Survey data. From 1991 to 2001, most species of small terrestrial landbirds (73%) recorded during breeding surveys were found at both sites and the mean annual richness at Ft. Riley (39.0 +/- 2.86 [SD]) was very similar to that of Konza Prairie (39.4 +/- 2.01). Richness was maintained at relatively constant levels despite compositional changes because colonizations compensated local extinctions at both sites. These dynamics were driven primarily by woodland species that exhibited stochastic losses and gains and were present at a low local and regional abundance. Our results suggest that military training activities may mimic natural disturbances for some species in this area because the small landbird community did not differ markedly between sites with and sites without extensive human disturbance. Although our results suggest that military training is not associated with large changes in the avian community, additional studies are needed to determine if this pattern is found in other ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W Rivers
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
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Belote RT, Sanders NJ, Jones RH. Disturbance alters local–regional richness relationships in Appalachian forests. Ecology 2009; 90:2940-7. [PMID: 19886502 DOI: 10.1890/08-1908.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Travis Belote
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
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Howard DR, Hill PS. Grassland Botanical Structure Influences Lek Spatial Organization in Gryllotalpa major S. (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae). AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2009. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-161.2.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Klimek S, Marini L, Hofmann M, Isselstein J. Additive partitioning of plant diversity with respect to grassland management regime, fertilisation and abiotic factors. Basic Appl Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2007.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Hanson T, Sánchez-de León Y, Johnson-Maynard J, Brunsfeld S. Influence of Soil and Site Characteristics on Palouse Prairie Plant Communities. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2008. [DOI: 10.3398/1527-0904(2008)68[231:iosasc]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Piper JK, Schmidt ES, Janzen AJ. Effects of Species Richness on Resident and Target Species Components in a Prairie Restoration. Restor Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2007.00203.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
Diversity is a balance between processes that add and limit species (e.g., dispersal vs. competition), but reconciling their contributions remains a challenge. Recruit-ment-based models predict that dispersal barriers are most limiting for diversity, while competition-based models predict that dispersal matters only when competition is minimized. Testing these models is difficult because their influence varies with scale and site productivity. In a degraded oak savanna, we used plot-level (seed additions, burning) and site-level (proportions of regional functional groups found locally) analyses in areas with variable soil depth to examine how dispersal and competition influence diversity. At the plot level, added species persisted where they were formerly absent, but few established naturally despite fire-induced resource enrichment and nearby populations, revealing the importance of dispersal limitation for diversity. This result did not vary with soil depth or standing crop. Although competition could not prevent establishment in unburned plots, it significantly lowered survival, indicating that resource limitations exacerbate dispersal inefficiencies. At the site level, the concordance between regional and local diversity for native species was associated with soil depth heterogeneity, not dispersal or competition. This suggests that persistence is determined primarily by the influence of the environment on population demographics. Given that the formation of new populations is unlikely, those remaining appear to be confined to optimal habitat where they resist competitive or stochastic displacement, possibly explaining why species loss is rare despite substantial habitat loss and invasion. For exotics, there was no relationship between diversity and soil depth heterogeneity. Annuals with presumed dispersal capabilities were significantly overrepresented in all sites while perennial forbs, the largest regional functional group, were significantly underrepresented. We interpret the native-exotic discrepancies as reflecting the recent arrival of exotics (150 years ago), suggesting that local establishment occurs slowly even for species with regional prevalence. The accumulation lag may be explained by the need for founder populations to be demographically stable; otherwise persistence requires continual immigration favoring overrepresentation by dispersers. Our findings support the view that dispersal limitation restricts diversity within plant communities, but suggests that the impacts of environment on demographic performance ultimately determine the pattern and rate of community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S MacDougall
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Vandvik V, Goldberg DE. Sources of diversity in a grassland metacommunity: quantifying the contribution of dispersal to species richness. Am Nat 2006; 168:157-67. [PMID: 16874626 DOI: 10.1086/505759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2005] [Accepted: 04/27/2006] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Metacommunity theory suggests a potentially important role for dispersal in diversity maintenance at local, as well as regional, scales. In addition, propagule addition experiments have shown that dispersal often limits local diversity. However, actual dispersal rates into local communities and the contribution of immigrants to observed local diversity are poorly known. We present a new approach that partitions the diversity of a target community into dispersal-maintained and dispersal-independent components. Specifically, we quantify distances through space and time to the nearest potential seed source for naturally occurring recruits in target communities by using hierarchical data on species pools (local, site, region, and seed bank). Using this "recruit tag" approach, we found that dispersal contributed 29%-57% of the seedling diversity in perennial grasslands with different successional histories. However, both dispersal and seedling mortality remained remarkably constant, in absolute terms, over succession. The considerable loss of diversity over secondary succession (66%), therefore, could be understood only by considering how these processes interact with the decreasing disturbance rate (i.e., frequency of gaps) in later-successional sites. We conclude that a metacommunity perspective is relevant and necessary to understand the diversity and community assembly of this study system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigdis Vandvik
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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CHANDY SHIBI, GIBSON DAVIDJ, ROBERTSON PHILIPA. Additive partitioning of diversity across hierarchical spatial scales in a forested landscape. J Appl Ecol 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01178.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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W. Fox J, Srivastava D. Predicting local-regional richness relationships using island biogeography models. OIKOS 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14768.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Polley HW, Derner JD, Wilsey BJ. Patterns of Plant Species Diversity in Remnant and Restored Tallgrass Prairies. Restor Ecol 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2005.00060.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Joern A. DISTURBANCE BY FIRE FREQUENCY AND BISON GRAZING MODULATE GRASSHOPPER ASSEMBLAGES IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE. Ecology 2005. [DOI: 10.1890/04-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Goheen JR, White EP, Ernest SKM, Brown JH. INTRA-GUILD COMPENSATION REGULATES SPECIES RICHNESS IN DESERT RODENTS. Ecology 2005. [DOI: 10.1890/04-1475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Crawley MJ, Johnston AE, Silvertown J, Dodd M, de Mazancourt C, Heard MS, Henman DF, Edwards GR. Determinants of species richness in the Park Grass Experiment. Am Nat 2005; 165:179-92. [PMID: 15729649 DOI: 10.1086/427270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2004] [Accepted: 07/21/2004] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted in southeast England was started in 1856, making it the longest-running experiment in plant ecology anywhere in the world. Experimental inputs include a range of fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic manures) applied annually, with lime applied occasionally, and these have led to an increase in biomass and, where nitrogen was applied in the form of ammonium sulfate, to substantial decreases in soil pH. The number of species per plot varies from three to 44 per 200 m(2), affording a unique opportunity to study the determinants of plant species richness and to estimate the effect sizes attributable to different factors. The response of species richness to biomass depends on the amount and type of nitrogen applied; richness declined monotonically with increasing biomass on plots receiving no nitrogen or receiving nitrogen in the form of sodium nitrate, but there was no relationship between species richness and biomass on plots acidified by ammonium sulfate application. The response to lime also depended on the type of nitrogen applied; there was no relationship between lime treatment and species richness, except in plots receiving nitrogen in the form of ammonium sulfate, where species richness increased sharply with increasing soil pH. The addition of phosphorus reduced species richness, and application of potassium along with phosphorus reduced species richness further, but the biggest negative effects were when nitrogen and phosphorus were applied together. The analysis demonstrates how multiple factors contribute to the observed diversity patterns and how environmental regulation of species pools can operate at the same spatial and temporal scale as biomass effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Crawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom.
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Borges PAV, Brown VK. Arthropod community structure in pastures of an island archipelago (Azores): looking for local-regional species richness patterns at fine-scales. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2004; 94:111-121. [PMID: 15153294 DOI: 10.1079/ber2004289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The arthropod species richness of pastures in three Azorean islands was used to examine the relationship between local and regional species richness over two years. Two groups of arthropods, spiders and sucking insects, representing two functionally different but common groups of pasture invertebrates were investigated. The local-regional species richness relationship was assessed over relatively fine scales: quadrats (= local scale) and within pastures (= regional scale). Mean plot species richness was used as a measure of local species richness (= alpha diversity) and regional species richness was estimated at the pasture level (= gamma diversity) with the 'first-order-Jackknife' estimator. Three related issues were addressed: (i). the role of estimated regional species richness and variables operating at the local scale (vegetation structure and diversity) in determining local species richness; (ii). quantification of the relative contributions of alpha and beta diversity to regional diversity using additive partitioning; and (iii). the occurrence of consistent patterns in different years by analysing independently between-year data. Species assemblages of spiders were saturated at the local scale (similar local species richness and increasing beta-diversity in richer regions) and were more dependent on vegetational structure than regional species richness. Sucking insect herbivores, by contrast, exhibited a linear relationship between local and regional species richness, consistent with the proportional sampling model. The patterns were consistent between years. These results imply that for spiders local processes are important, with assemblages in a particular patch being constrained by habitat structure. In contrast, for sucking insects, local processes may be insignificant in structuring communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A V Borges
- Department of Biology and NERC Centre for Population Biology, Ascot Berks, UK.
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Hillebrand H. On the generality of the latitudinal diversity gradient. Am Nat 2004; 163:192-211. [PMID: 14970922 DOI: 10.1086/381004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 770] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2003] [Accepted: 08/08/2003] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The decline of biodiversity with latitude has received great attention, but both the concise pattern and the causes of the gradient are under strong debate. Most studies of the latitudinal gradient comprise only one or few organism types and are often restricted to certain region or habitat types. To test for significant variation in the gradient between organisms, habitats, or regions, a meta-analysis was conducted on nearly 600 latitudinal gradients assembled from the literature. Each gradient was characterized by two effect sizes, strength (correlation coefficient) and slope, and additionally by 14 variables describing organisms, habitats, and regions. The analysis corroborated the high generality of the latitudinal diversity decline. Gradients on regional scales were significantly stronger and steeper than on local scales, and slopes also varied with sampling grain. Both strength and slope increased with organism body mass, and strength increased with trophic level. The body mass-effect size relation varied for ecto- versus homeotherm organisms and for different dispersal types, suggesting allometric effects on energy use and dispersal ability as possible mechanisms for the body mass effect. Latitudinal gradients were weaker and less steep in freshwater than in marine or terrestrial environments and differed significantly between continents and habitat types. The gradient parameters were not affected by hemisphere or the latitudinal range covered. This analysis is the first to describe these general and significant patterns, which have important consequences for models aiming to explain the latitudinal gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Hillebrand
- Department of Limnology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, University of Uppsala, Norr Malma 4200, S-76173 Norrtalje, Sweden.
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