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Chen J, Liu Z, Cui H, Song H, Wang J, Gao H, Chen S, Liu K, Yang Z, Wang Y, Wang X, Yang X, Meng L, An L, Xiao S, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y. Direct and indirect effects of dominant plants on ecosystem multifunctionality. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1117903. [PMID: 36938009 PMCID: PMC10017997 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1117903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is essential for the provision of multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously (ecosystem multifunctionality EMF). Yet, it remains unclear whether and how dominant plant species impact EMF. Here, we aimed at disentangling the direct from indirect above- and belowground pathways by which dominant plant species influence EMF. We evaluated the effects of two dominant plant species (Dasiphora fruticosa, and the toxic perennial plant Ligularia virgaurea) with expected positive and negative impacts on the abiotic environment (soil water content and pH), surrounding biological communities (plant and nematode richness, biomass, and abundance in the vicinity), and on the EMF of alpine meadows, respectively. We found that the two dominant plants enhanced EMF, with a positive effect of L. virgaurea on EMF greater than that of D. fruticosa. We also observed that dominant plants impacted on EMF through changes in soil water content and pH (indirect abiotic effects), but not through changes in biodiversity of surrounding plants and nematodes (indirect biotic pathway). Our study suggests that dominant plants may play an important role in promoting EMF, thus expanding the pervasive mass-ratio hypothesis originally framed for individual functions, and could mitigate the negative impacts of vegetation changes on EMF in the alpine meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Ziyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hanwen Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxian Song
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Haining Gao
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Hexi University, Zhangye, Gansu, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Zi Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiangtai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaoli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lihua Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lizhe An
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Avignon Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Écologie marine et continentale, Technopôle Arbois-Méditerranée, Aix-en-Provence, France
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Li X, Song X, Zhao J, Lu H, Qian C, Zhao X. Shifts and plasticity of plant leaf mass per area and leaf size among slope aspects in a subalpine meadow. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14042-14055. [PMID: 34707838 PMCID: PMC8525184 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The composition of vegetation on a slope frequently changes substantially owing to the different micro-environments of various slope aspects. To understand how the slope aspect affects the vegetation changes, we examined the variations in leaf mass per area (LMA) and leaf size (LS) within and among populations for 66 species from 14 plots with a variety of slope aspects in a subalpine meadow. LMA is a leaf economic trait that is tightly correlated with plant physiological traits, while the LS shows a tight correlation with leaf temperature, indicating the strategy of plants to self-adjust in different thermal and hydraulic conditions. In this study, we compared the two leaf traits between slope aspects and between functional types and explored their correlation with soil variables and heat load. Our results showed that high-LMA, small-leaved species were favored in south-facing slopes, while the reverse was true in north-facing areas. In detail, small dense-leaved graminoids dominated the south slopes, while large thin-leaved forbs dominated the north slopes. Soil moisture and the availability of soil P were the two most important soil factors that related to both LMA and LS, and heat load also contributed substantially. Moreover, we disentangled the relative importance of intraspecific trait variation and species turnover in the trait variation among plots and found that the intraspecific variation contributed 98% and 56% to LMA and LS variation among communities, respectively, implying a large contribution of intraspecific trait plasticity. These results indicate that LMA and LS are two essential leaf traits that affect the adaptation or acclimation of plants underlying the vegetation composition changes in different slope aspects in the subalpine meadow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin’e Li
- Division of Grassland ScienceCollege of Animal Science and TechnologyYangzhou UniversityYangzhouChina
| | - Xiaoyu Song
- Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of life sciencesLvliang UniversityLvliangChina
| | - Haifeng Lu
- Division of Grassland ScienceCollege of Animal Science and TechnologyYangzhou UniversityYangzhouChina
| | - Cheng Qian
- Division of Grassland ScienceCollege of Animal Science and TechnologyYangzhou UniversityYangzhouChina
| | - Xin Zhao
- Division of Grassland ScienceCollege of Animal Science and TechnologyYangzhou UniversityYangzhouChina
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3
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Six-year removal of co-dominant grasses alleviated competitive pressure on subdominant grasses but dominant shrub removal had neutral effects in a subalpine ecosystem. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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4
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Liu M, Che Y, Jiao J, Li L, Jiang X. Exploring the community phylogenetic structure along the slope aspect of subalpine meadows in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5270-5280. [PMID: 31110678 PMCID: PMC6509553 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploring the community assembly has been important for explaining the maintenance mechanisms of biodiversity and species coexistence, in that it is a central issue in community ecology. Here, we examined patterns of the community phylogenetic structure of the subalpine meadow plant community along the slope gradient in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. We surveyed all species and constructed the phylogenetic tree of the plant community based on data from the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III. We selected the net relative index (NRI) and evaluated the community phylogenetic structure along the five slope plants communities. We found that the phylogenetic structure varied from phylogenetic clustering to phylogenetic overdispersion with the slope aspect from north to south. In the north slope, the community phylogenetically cluster indicated that the limiting similarity played a leading role in the community assembly and the maintenance of biodiversity. Community phylogenetic overdispersion in the east, southeast, and south slopes indicated that habitat filtration was the driving force for community assembly. The NRI index of the northeast slope was close to zero, implying random dispersion. But it may be driven by the neutral process or limiting similarity, in that the community assembly process was the result of a combination of several ecological factors and thus required further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minxia Liu
- College of Geography and Environment ScienceNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Yingdi Che
- College of Geography and Environment ScienceNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Jiao Jiao
- College of Geography and Environment ScienceNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Lirong Li
- College of Geography and Environment ScienceNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Xiaoxuan Jiang
- College of Geography and Environment ScienceNorthwest Normal UniversityLanzhouChina
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5
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Zhang H, John R, Liu K, Qi W, Long W. Using Functional Trait Diversity Patterns to Disentangle the Processes Influencing the Recovery of Subalpine Grasslands Following Abandonment of Agricultural Use. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gonzalez SL, Ghermandi L. Dwarf shrub facilitates seedling recruitment and plant diversity in semiarid grasslands. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212058. [PMID: 30730964 PMCID: PMC6366867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The facilitation mechanism maintains ecosystem richness by increasing seedling recruitment. Overgrazed grasslands of northwestern Patagonia are invaded by shrubs that could promote the seedling recruitment of forage species. We investigated the role of Acaena splendens shrubs on the maintenance of diversity and its usefulness as a nurse shrub in the recruitment of Festuca pallescens, a grass of high forage value present with a low cover in degraded grasslands. To test the performance of A.splendens as a nurse plant in non-degraded grassland, we recorded the species richness four years inside of A. splendens senescent shrubs and in gaps among dominant tussock grasses. Species were grouped in four functional groups: annual and biannual herbs and grasses, perennial herbs, perennial grasses and shrubs. To test the usefulness of A. splendens in the restoration of degraded grassland, we monitored the seedling emergence and survival of F. pallescens inside A. splendens and in gaps. We related seedling survival to meteorological and microenvironmental conditions. Species richness was higher in Acaena nurse plants than in gaps. The frequency of functional groups, with exception of annual and biannual herbs and grasses, were higher in Acaena than in gaps. Seedling emergence and survival of F. pallescens were higher in Acaena, but the seedlings died in summer in both microsites. Mean maximum temperature was higher and mean minimum humidity lower in gaps than in Acaena during spring. However, the spring-summer season in which we monitored F. pallescens survival, was exceptionally dry and hot, affecting the survival of F. pallescens seedlings. Our results show that A. splendens act as a nurse species increasing the richness in the non-degraded grassland and facilitating the seedling recruitment of an important forage species in the degraded grassland. Nevertheless, the facilitation mechanism will fail in drought conditions, indicating that this restoration tool is limited by climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía L. Gonzalez
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
- * E-mail:
| | - Luciana Ghermandi
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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7
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Du N, Wu P, Eller F, Zhou D, Liu J, Gan W, Yang R, Dai M, Chen Y, Wang R, Guo W. Facilitation or Competition? The Effects of the Shrub Species Tamarix chinensis on Herbaceous Communities are Dependent on the Successional Stage in an Impacted Coastal Wetland of North China. WETLANDS 2017; 37:899-911. [DOI: 10.1007/s13157-017-0923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
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8
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Yu D, Pu W, Li D, Wang D, Liu Q, Wang Y. Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Different Organs ofPotentilla fruticosaL. from Two Main Production Areas of China. Chem Biodivers 2016; 13:1140-1148. [DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201500512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Danmeng Yu
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
| | - Wenjun Pu
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
| | - Dengwu Li
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
| | - Qiaoxiao Liu
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- College of Forestry; Northwest A&F University; Yangling Shaanxi 712100 P. R. China
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Yang R, Guo F, Li J, Su N, Shao Z, Zan S. Effect of copper tolerant Elsholtzia splendens on bacterial community associated with Commelina communis on a copper mine spoil. J Environ Sci (China) 2016; 46:165-173. [PMID: 27521948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2015.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Facilitation, or positive plant-plant interaction, has received increasing concern from ecologists over the last two decades. Facilitation may occur through direct mitigation of severe environments or indirect mediation by a third participant from the same or different trophic levels. The copper (Cu) tolerant species Elsholtzia splendens facilitates the establishment and growth of co-occurring Commelina communis through indirect enrichment of microbial activity. However, whether and how E. splendens impacts the microbial community that is associated with C. communis is less known. We characterized the soil bacterial community in the rhizosphere of C. communis in the absence and presence of E. splendens using PCR-DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) and sequencing. The result showed that the richness of the bacterial community increased, but diversity and evenness remained similar, in the presence of E. splendens. Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria were the most dominant bacteria. The relative abundance of dominant and minor bacterial groups showed distinctly different responses to E. splendens. Principal component analysis and redundancy analysis indicated that variation of the bacterial community was determined by multiple factors and might be driven by the tested soil parameters collectively, or alternatively changed through plant root exudates or other microorganisms. Our results enhance the understanding of how the bacterial community associated with a beneficiary plant responds to a benefactor plant and suggests that the changes of bacterial community composition may have far-reaching influence on plant-soil feedback and the aboveground plant community in the long run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China.
| | - Fuyu Guo
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Nannan Su
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Zongyuan Shao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Shuting Zan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
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10
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Dorji T, Moe SR, Klein JA, Wang S, Totland Ø. Performance of two alpine plant species along environmental gradients in an alpine meadow ecosystem in central Tibet. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1350-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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11
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Wang Y, Yang Z, Zhou S, Soininen J, Ai D, Li Y, Chu C. The effect of positive interactions on temporal turnover of community composition along an environmental gradient. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78698. [PMID: 24265708 PMCID: PMC3827060 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that the interplay between negative and positive interactions simultaneously shapes community structure and composition. However, few studies have attempted to examine the effect of facilitation on compositional changes in communities through time. Additionally, due to the difficulties in collecting the long-term data, it would be useful to indicate the rate of temporal turnover using a readily obtainable metric. Using an individual-based model incorporating plant strategies, we examined the role of facilitation on the temporal turnover of communities located at different positions along an environmental gradient for three model scenarios: CM without facilitation; CFM-U, a unimodal relationship between facilitation and environmental severity; and CFM-L, a positively linear relationship between facilitation and environmental severity. Our results demonstrated that facilitation could increase, decrease or have no remarkable effect on temporal turnover. The specific outcome depended on the location of the focal community across the environmental gradient and the model employed. Compared with CM, the inclusion of positive interactions (i.e. CFM-U and CFM-L), at intermediate environmental stress levels (such as S = 0.7 and 0.8) resulted in lower Bray-Curtis similarity values; at other severity levels, facilitation slowed down (such as S = 0.3 and 0.4 at low to medium stress levels, and S = 0.9 at high stress levels) or had only a subtle effect (such as at S = 0.1) on temporal turnover. We also found that the coefficient of variation (CV) in species abundances and the rate of temporal variability showed a significant quadratic relationship. Our theoretical analysis contributes to the understanding of factors driving temporal turnover in biotic communities, and presents a potential metric (i.e. CV in species abundances) assessing the consequences of ongoing environmental change on community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youshi Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Research School of Arid Environment and Climate Change, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhiyong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shurong Zhou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dexiecuo Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yali Li
- Xikehe Sire Breeding Farm of Euler Sheep of Maqu County in the Gansu Province, Maqu, China
| | - Chengjin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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12
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Climate and grazing control nurse effects in an Ecuadorian dry shrubby community. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467413000692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Positive plant interactions have strong effects on plant diversity at several spatial scales, expanding species distribution under stressful conditions. We evaluated the joint effect of climate and grazing on the nurse effect of Croton wagneri, by monitoring several community attributes at two spatial scales: microhabitat and plant community. Two very close locations that only differed in grazing intensity were surveyed in an Ecuadorian dry scrub ecosystem. At each location, two 30 × 30-m plots were established at four altitudinal levels (1500, 2630, 1959 and 2100 m asl) and 40 microsites were surveyed in each plot. Croton wagneri acted as community hubs, increasing species richness and plant cover at both scales. Beneath nurses mean richness and cover values were 3.4 and 21.9%, and in open areas 2.3 and 4.5%, respectively. Magnitude of nurse effect was dependent on climate and grazing conditions. In ungrazed locations, cover increased and diversity reduced with altitude, while grazed locations showed the opposite trend. In ungrazed plots the interactions shifted from positive to negative with altitude, in grazed locations interactions remained positive. We conclude that the nurse effect is a key mechanism regulating community properties not only at microsite but also at the entire community scale.
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Molenda O, Reid A, Lortie CJ. The alpine cushion plant Silene acaulis as foundation species: a bug's-eye view to facilitation and microclimate. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37223. [PMID: 22655035 PMCID: PMC3360034 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpine ecosystems are important globally with high levels of endemic and rare species. Given that they will be highly impacted by climate change, understanding biotic factors that maintain diversity is critical. Silene acaulis is a common alpine nurse plant shown to positively influence the diversity and abundance of organisms–predominantly other plant species. The hypothesis that cushion or nurse plants in general are important to multiple trophic levels has been proposed but rarely tested. Alpine arthropod diversity is also largely understudied worldwide, and the plant-arthropod interactions reported are mostly negative, that is,. herbivory. Plant and arthropod diversity and abundance were sampled on S. acaulis and at paired adjacent microsites with other non-cushion forming vegetation present on Whistler Mountain, B.C., Canada to examine the relative trophic effects of cushion plants. Plant species richness and abundance but not Simpson’s diversity index was higher on cushion microsites relative to other vegetation. Arthropod richness, abundance, and diversity were all higher on cushion microsites relative to other vegetated sites. On a microclimatic scale, S. acaulis ameliorated stressful conditions for plants and invertebrates living inside it, but the highest levels of arthropod diversity were observed on cushions with tall plant growth. Hence, alpine cushion plants can be foundation species not only for other plant species but other trophic levels, and these impacts are expressed through both direct and indirect effects associated with altered environmental conditions and localized productivity. Whilst this case study tests a limited subset of the membership of alpine animal communities, it clearly demonstrates that cushion-forming plant species are an important consideration in understanding resilience to global changes for many organisms in addition to other plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Molenda
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anya Reid
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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