1
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Brown C, Rodriguez Buritica S, Goldberg DE, Reichenbacher F, Venable DL, Webb RH, Wilder BT. One hundred and six years of change in a Sonoran Desert plant community: Impact of climate anomalies and trends in species sensitivities. Ecology 2024; 105:e4194. [PMID: 37882101 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
A major restriction in predicting plant community response to future climate change is a lack of long-term data needed to properly assess species and community response to climate and identify a baseline to detect climate anomalies. Here, we use a 106-year dataset on a Sonoran Desert plant community to test the role of extreme temperature and precipitation anomalies on community dynamics at the decadal scale and over time. Additionally, we tested the climate sensitivity of 39 desert plant species and whether sensitivity was associated with growth form, longevity, geographic range, or local dominance. We found that desert plant communities had shifted directionally over the 106 years, but the climate had little influence on this directional change primarily due to nonlinear shifts in precipitation anomalies. Decadal-scale climate had the largest impact on species richness, species relative density, and total plant cover, explaining up to 26%, 45%, and 55% of the variance in each, respectively. Drought and the interaction between the frequency of freeze events and above-average summer precipitation were among the most influential climate factors. Increased drought frequency and wetter periods with frequent freeze events led to larger reductions in total plant cover, species richness, and the relative densities of dominant subshrubs Ambrosia deltoidea and Encelia farinosa. More than 80% of the tested species were sensitive to climate, but sensitivity was not associated with a species' local dominance, longevity, geographic range, or growth form. Some species appear to exhibit demographic buffering, where when they have a higher sensitivity to drought, they also tend to have a higher sensitivity to favorable (i.e., wetter and hotter) conditions. Overall, our results suggest that, while decadal-scale climate variation substantially impacts these desert plant communities, directional change in temperature over the last century has had little impact due to the relative importance of precipitation and drought. With projections of increased drought in this region, we may see reductions in total vegetation cover and species richness due to the loss of species, possibly through a breakdown in their ability to demographically buffer climatic variation, potentially changing community dynamics through a change in facilitative and competitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Brown
- Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Deborah E Goldberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Frank Reichenbacher
- Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - D Lawrence Venable
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Robert H Webb
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Benjamin T Wilder
- Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen), Tucson, Arizona, USA
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2
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Pérez-López AV, Lim SD, Cushman JC. Tissue succulence in plants: Carrying water for climate change. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 289:154081. [PMID: 37703768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Tissue succulence in plants involves the storage of water in one or more organs or tissues to assist in maintaining water potentials on daily or seasonal time scales. This drought-avoidance or drought-resistance strategy allows plants to occupy diverse environments including arid regions, regions with rocky soils, epiphytic habitats, and saline soils. Climate-resilient strategies are of increasing interest in the context of the global climate crisis, which is leading to hotter and drier conditions in many regions throughout the globe. Here, we describe a short history of succulent plants, the basic concepts of tissue succulence, the anatomical diversity of succulent morphologies and associated adaptive traits, the evolutionary, phylogenetic, and biogeographical diversity of succulent plants, extinction risks to succulents due to poaching from their natural environments, and the myriad uses and applications of economically important succulent species and the products derived from them. Lastly, we discuss current prospects for engineering tissue succulence to improve salinity and drought tolerance in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arely V Pérez-López
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557-0330, USA.
| | - Sung Don Lim
- Department of Plant Life and Resource Science, Sangji University, Gangwon-do, 26339, South Korea.
| | - John C Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557-0330, USA.
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3
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Bei Z, Zhang X, Tian X. The Mechanism by Which Umbrella-Shaped Ratchet Trichomes on the Elaeagnus angustifolia Leaf Surface Collect Water and Reflect Light. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1024. [PMID: 37508453 PMCID: PMC10376016 DOI: 10.3390/biology12071024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Leaves are essential for plants, enabling photosynthesis and transpiration. In arid regions, water availability limits plant growth. Some plants, like Elaeagnus angustifolia, a sandy sub-tree species widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions, have unique leaf structures to reduce water loss and solar radiation. Here, we describe the leaves of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., with special functioning trichomes. Through leaf submicroscopic structure observation, in situ water collection experiments, photosynthesis measurements, and reflection spectrum analysis, we investigated E. angustifolia leaves, focusing on their functioning trichomes. These trichomes capture water vapor, reflect UV and NIR light, and possess a 3D interface structure composed of 1D and 2D structures. The 1D conical structure captures water droplets, which are then gathered by the radial conical structure and guided towards the stomata through wedge-shaped grooves on the 2D umbrella structure. The trichomes also reflect sunlight, with micropapillae reflecting UV light and the umbrella structure reflecting NIR light. These mechanisms reduce leaf temperature, respiration, and water transpiration, protecting against solar radiation damage. This study provides insights into water collection and light-reflection mechanisms, revealing adaptive strategies of plants with large leaves in arid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanlin Bei
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Xingjun Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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4
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Ehleringer JR, Driscoll AW. Intrinsic water-use efficiency influences establishment in Encelia farinosa. Oecologia 2022; 199:563-578. [PMID: 35819533 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05217-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We describe establishment of Encelia farinosa, a drought-deciduous shrub common to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, based on annual observations of two populations between 1980 and 2020. Only 11 establishment events of 50 + yearlings (0.02-0.03 individuals m-2) occurred during this monitoring period; in 68% of the years fewer than 10 yearlings were established. Yearling survival to adulthood (age 4) ranged from 88 to 5% and was significantly related to cumulative precipitation. Juvenile survival rates were lowest during the current megadrought period. We calculated intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) and observed the widest variations in iWUE values among the youngest plants. Among juveniles, surviving yearlings with the lowest iWUE values exhibited upward ontogenetic shifts in iWUE values, whereas those yearlings with the highest initial iWUE values exhibited little if any change. Juvenile size, higher iWUE values, and greater likelihood of surviving were all positively related with each other over the past several decades. Furthermore, iWUE and photosynthetic capacity were positively related to each other, providing a mechanistic explanation for why increased iWUE values among juveniles could lead to greater survival rates and to larger plants under water-deficit conditions. We posit that there is bi-directional selection for genotypic variations in iWUE values among E. farinosa and that this variation is selected for because of interannual environmental heterogeneity in precipitation and VPD associated with both high- and low-frequency climate cycles. Extreme drought cycles may favor plants with higher iWUE values, whereas more mesic periods may allow for greater persistence of lower iWUE genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Ehleringer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| | - Avery W Driscoll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
- Present Address: Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, 301 University Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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5
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Bitter NQ, Ehleringer JR. Machine learning prediction of mortality in the common desert shrub Encelia farinosa. ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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6
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Urza AK, Weisberg PJ, Board D, Chambers JC, Kitchen SG, Roundy BA. Episodic occurrence of favourable weather constrains recovery of a cold desert shrubland after fire. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra K. Urza
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Reno NV USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program University of Nevada Reno NV USA
| | - Peter J. Weisberg
- Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Graduate Program University of Nevada Reno NV USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada Reno NV USA
| | - David Board
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Reno NV USA
| | | | | | - Bruce A. Roundy
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo UT USA
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7
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Félix-Burruel RE, Larios E, González EJ, Búrquez A. Episodic recruitment in the saguaro cactus is driven by multidecadal periodicities. Ecology 2021; 102:e03458. [PMID: 34171124 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Each year, an individual mature large saguaro cactus produces about one million seeds in attractive juicy fruits that lure seed predators and seed dispersers to a 3-month feast. From the million seeds produced, however, only a few will persist into mature saguaros. A century of research on saguaro population dynamics has led to the conclusion that saguaro recruitment is an episodic event that depends on the convergence of suitable conditions for survival during the critical early stages. Because most data have been collected in Arizona, particularly in the surroundings of Tucson, most research has relied on a limited amount of environmental variation. In this study, we upscaled this knowledge on saguaro recruitment to a regional scale with a new method that used the inverse-growth modeling of 1,487 saguaros belonging to 13 populations in a latitudinal gradient ranging from arid desert to tropical thornscrub forest in Sonora, Mexico. Using generalized linear and additive mixed models, we created two 110-yr-long saguaro recruitment curves: one driven only by previous size, and the second driven by size, drought, and soil structure. We found evidence that saguaro recruitment is indeed episodic, with periodicities of 20-30 yr, possibly related to strong El Niño Southern Oscillation events. Our results suggest that saguaros rely on multidecadal periodic pulses of good beneficial years to incorporate new individuals into their populations. Inverse-growth modeling can be used in a wide variety of plant species to study their recruitment dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo E Félix-Burruel
- Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.,Ecología para la Conservación del Gran Desierto, A.C., Hermosillo, Sonora, 83174, Mexico
| | - Eugenio Larios
- Ecología para la Conservación del Gran Desierto, A.C., Hermosillo, Sonora, 83174, Mexico.,Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000, Mexico
| | - Edgar J González
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Alberto Búrquez
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000, Mexico
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8
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Pérez‐Navarro MÁ, Serra‐Diaz JM, Svenning J, Esteve‐Selma MÁ, Hernández‐Bastida J, Lloret F. Extreme drought reduces climatic disequilibrium in dryland plant communities. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Josep M. Serra‐Diaz
- Univ. de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, Inra, Silva Nancy France
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Aarhus C Denmark
| | | | - Joaquin Hernández‐Bastida
- Dept of Agricultural Chemistry, Geology and Soil Science, Univ. of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo Murcia Spain
| | - Francisco Lloret
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès) Catalonia Spain
- Univ. Autonomous of Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cersanyola del Valès) Catalonia Spain
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9
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Coleman ML, Mayence CE, White MD, Jacobsen AL, Pratt RB. A seed–seedling conflict for
Atriplex polycarpa
shrubs competing with exotic grasses and their residual dry matter. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell L. Coleman
- Department of Biology California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield California93311USA
- Tejon Ranch Conservancy 637 San Emidio Way Frazier Park California93225USA
| | - C. Ellery Mayence
- Tejon Ranch Conservancy 637 San Emidio Way Frazier Park California93225USA
- New Zealand Department of Conservation Private Bag 4715 Christchurch8140New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia6005Australia
| | - Michael D. White
- Tejon Ranch Conservancy 637 San Emidio Way Frazier Park California93225USA
- Department of Biological Sciences San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego California92182USA
| | - Anna L. Jacobsen
- Department of Biology California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield California93311USA
| | - R. Brandon Pratt
- Department of Biology California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Highway Bakersfield California93311USA
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10
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Shryock DF, Washburn LK, DeFalco LA, Esque TC. Harnessing landscape genomics to identify future climate resilient genotypes in a desert annual. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:698-717. [PMID: 33007116 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Local adaptation features critically in shaping species responses to changing environments, complicating efforts to revegetate degraded areas. Rapid climate change poses an additional challenge that could reduce fitness of even locally sourced seeds in restoration. Predictive restoration strategies that apply seeds with favourable adaptations to future climate may promote long-term resilience. Landscape genomics is increasingly used to assess spatial patterns in local adaption and may represent a cost-efficient approach for identifying future-adapted genotypes. To demonstrate such an approach, we genotyped 760 plants from 64 Mojave Desert populations of the desert annual Plantago ovata. Genome scans on 5,960 SNPs identified 184 potentially adaptive loci related to climate and satellite vegetation metrics. Causal modelling indicated that variation in potentially adaptive loci was not confounded by isolation by distance or isolation by habitat resistance. A generalized dissimilarity model (GDM) attributed spatial turnover in potentially adaptive loci to temperature, precipitation and NDVI amplitude, a measure of vegetation green-up potential. By integrating a species distribution model (SDM), we find evidence that summer maximum temperature may both constrain the range of P. ovata and drive adaptive divergence in populations exposed to higher temperatures. Within the species' current range, warm-adapted genotypes are predicted to experience a fivefold expansion in climate niche by midcentury and could harbour key adaptations to cope with future climate. We recommend eight seed transfer zones and project each zone into its relative position in future climate. Prioritizing seed collection efforts on genotypes with expanding future habitat represents a promising strategy for restoration practitioners to address rapidly changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Shryock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV, USA
| | | | - Lesley A DeFalco
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV, USA
| | - Todd C Esque
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV, USA
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11
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Abernathy HN, Crawford DA, Garrison EP, Chandler RB, Conner ML, Miller KV, Cherry MJ. Deer movement and resource selection during Hurricane Irma: implications for extreme climatic events and wildlife. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192230. [PMID: 31771480 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme climatic events (ECEs) are increasing in frequency and intensity and this necessitates understanding their influence on organisms. Animal behaviour may mitigate the effects of ECEs, but field studies are rare because ECEs are infrequent and unpredictable. Hurricane Irma made landfall in southwestern Florida where we were monitoring white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus seminolus) with GPS collars. We report on an opportunistic case study of behavioural responses exhibited by a large mammal during an ECE, mitigation strategies for reducing the severity of the ECE effects, and the demographic effect of the ECE based on known-fate of individual animals. Deer altered resource selection by selecting higher elevation pine and hardwood forests and avoiding marshes. Most deer left their home ranges during Hurricane Irma, and the probability of leaving was inversely related to home range area. Movement rates increased the day of the storm, and no mortality was attributed to Hurricane Irma. We suggest deer mobility and refuge habitat allowed deer to behaviourally mitigate the negative effects of the storm, and ultimately, aid in survival. Our work contributes to the small but growing body of literature linking behavioural responses exhibited during ECEs to survival, which cumulatively will provide insight for predictions of a species resilience to ECEs and improve our understanding of how behavioural traits offset the negative impacts of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- H N Abernathy
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - D A Crawford
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.,Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA 39870, USA
| | - E P Garrison
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
| | - R B Chandler
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - M L Conner
- Jones Center at Ichauway, 3988 Jones Center Drive, Newton, GA 39870, USA
| | - K V Miller
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, 180 E Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - M J Cherry
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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12
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Winkler DE, Lin MYC, Delgadillo J, Chapin KJ, Huxman TE. Early life history responses and phenotypic shifts in a rare endemic plant responding to climate change. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz076. [PMID: 31687148 PMCID: PMC6822542 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Changes in species ranges are anticipated with climate change, where in alpine settings, fragmentation and contraction are likely. This is especially true in high altitude biodiversity hotspots, where warmer growing seasons and increased drought events may negatively impact populations by limiting regeneration. Here, we test for high-altitude species responses to the interactive effects of warming and drought in Heterotheca brandegeei, a perennial cushion plant endemic to alpine outcroppings in Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park, Baja California, México. We exposed H. brandegeei seedlings to experimental warming and drought conditions to document early life history responses and the species ability to tolerate climate change. Drought negatively influenced seedling growth, with overall reductions in above- and belowground biomass. Warming and drought each led to substantial reductions in leaf development. At the same time, individuals maintained high specific leaf area and carbon investment in leaves across treatments, suggesting that existing phenotypic variation within populations may be high enough to withstand climate change. However, warming and drought interacted to negatively influence leaf-level water-use efficiency (WUE). Seedling mortality rates were nearly three times higher in warming and drought treatments, suggesting bleak prospects for H. brandegeei populations in future climate conditions. Overall, our results suggest H. brandegeei populations may experience substantial declines under future warmer and drier conditions. Some individuals may be able to establish, albeit, as smaller, more stressed plants. These results further suggest that warming alone may not be as consequential to populations as drought will be in this already water-limited system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Winkler
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- United States Geological Survey, 2290 S West Resource Boulevard, Southwest Biological Science Center, UT, 84532, USA
| | | | - José Delgadillo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, 22800, México
| | - Kenneth J Chapin
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210088, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Travis E Huxman
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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13
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Peyre G, Balslev H, Font X, Tello JS. Fine-Scale Plant Richness Mapping of the Andean Páramo According to Macroclimate. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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14
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Winkler DE, Belnap J, Hoover D, Reed SC, Duniway MC. Shrub persistence and increased grass mortality in response to drought in dryland systems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3121-3135. [PMID: 31025434 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Droughts in the southwest United States have led to major forest and grassland die-off events in recent decades, suggesting plant community and ecosystem shifts are imminent as native perennial grass populations are replaced by shrub- and invasive plant-dominated systems. These patterns are similar to those observed in arid and semiarid systems around the globe, but our ability to predict which species will experience increased drought-induced mortality in response to climate change remains limited. We investigated meteorological drought-induced mortality of nine dominant plant species in the Colorado Plateau Desert by experimentally imposing a year-round 35% precipitation reduction for eight continuous years. We distributed experimental plots across numerous plant, soil, and parent material types, resulting in 40 distinct sites across a 4,500 km2 region of the Colorado Plateau Desert. For all 8 years, we tracked c. 400 individual plants and evaluated mortality responses to treatments within and across species, and through time. We also examined the influence of abiotic and biotic site factors in driving mortality responses. Overall, high mortality trends were driven by dominant grass species, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Responses varied widely from year to year and dominant shrub species were generally resistant to meteorological drought, likely due to their ability to access deeper soil water. Importantly, mortality increased in the presence of invasive species regardless of treatment, and native plant die-off occurred even under ambient conditions, suggesting that recent climate changes are already negatively impacting dominant species in these systems. Results from this long-term drought experiment suggest major shifts in community composition and, as a result, ecosystem function. Patterns also show that, across multiple soil and plant community types, native perennial grass species may be replaced by shrubs and invasive annuals in the Colorado Plateau Desert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Winkler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - David Hoover
- Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
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15
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Abella SR, Guida RJ, Roberts CL, Norman CM, Holland JS. Persistence and turnover in desert plant communities during a 37‐yr period of land use and climate change. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott R. Abella
- School of Life Sciences University of Nevada Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada 89154‐4004 USA
| | - Ross J. Guida
- Department of Geography and Geology Sam Houston State University Huntsville Texas 77431 USA
| | - Chris L. Roberts
- National Park Service Lake Mead National Recreation Area 601 Nevada Way Boulder City Nevada 89005 USA
| | - Carrie M. Norman
- National Park Service Lake Mead National Recreation Area 601 Nevada Way Boulder City Nevada 89005 USA
| | - James S. Holland
- National Park Service Lake Mead National Recreation Area 601 Nevada Way Boulder City Nevada 89005 USA
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16
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Chen N, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Zu J, Huang K, Li J, Liu Y, Cong N, Tang Z, Wang L, Zhu Y. Temperature-mediated responses of carbon fluxes to precipitation variabilities in an alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9005-9017. [PMID: 31462999 PMCID: PMC6706212 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of climate warming and changing precipitation on ecosystem carbon fluxes have been intensively studied. However, how they co-regulate carbon fluxes is still elusive for some understudied ecosystems. To fill the gap, we examined net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP,) and ecosystem respiration (ER) responses to multilevel of temperature increments (control, warming 1, warming 2, warming 3, warming 4) in three contrasting hydrological growing seasons in a typical semiarid alpine meadow. We found that carbon fluxes responded to precipitation variations more strongly in low-level warming treatments than in high-level ones. The distinct responses were attributable to different soil water conditions and community composition under low-level and high-level warming during the three growing seasons. In addition, carbon fluxes were much more sensitive to decreased than to increased precipitation in low-level warming treatments, but not in high-level ones. At a regional scale, this negative asymmetry was further corroborated. This study reveals that future precipitation changes, particularly decreased precipitation would induce significant change in carbon fluxes, and the effect magnitude is regulated by climate warming size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yangjian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth SciencesBeijingChina
- College of Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Juntao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiaxing Zu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ke Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Junxiang Li
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate SchoolShenzhenChina
| | - Yaojie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Nan Cong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ze Tang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Li Wang
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate SchoolShenzhenChina
| | - Yixuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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17
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Woods NN, McCarthy R, Miriti MN. Non‐hierarchical competition among co‐occurring woody seedlings in a resource‐limited environment. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha N. Woods
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University 318 W. 12th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43214 USA
| | - Ryan McCarthy
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University 318 W. 12th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43214 USA
| | - Maria N. Miriti
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University 318 W. 12th Avenue Columbus Ohio 43214 USA
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18
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Thomsen SK, Green DJ. Predator-mediated effects of severe drought associated with poor reproductive success of a seabird in a cross-ecosystem cascade. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1642-1652. [PMID: 30773758 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite the profound impacts of drought on terrestrial productivity in coastal arid ecosystems, only a few studies have addressed how drought can influence ecological cascades across ecosystem boundaries. In this study, we examine the consequences of rainfall pulses and drought that subsequently impact the breeding success of a threatened nocturnal seabird, the Scripps's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi). On an island off the coast of southern California, the main cause of reduced nest success for one of their largest breeding colonies is egg predation by an endemic deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus elusus). Mice on the island have an opportunistic diet of primarily terrestrial sources, but drastic declines in terrestrial productivity from drought might be expected to increase their reliance on marine resources, including murrelet eggs. We compiled data on terrestrial and marine productivity between 1983 and 2013 to determine how conditions in these ecosystems influence murrelet nest success. We found that the severity of drought had the strongest negative impact on murrelet nest success. We calculated that the reduction in fecundity during drought years due to increased egg predation by mice was substantial enough to produce a declining population growth rate. Nest success was much higher under normal or high rainfall conditions, depending on whether oceanic conditions were favorable to murrelets. Therefore, the more frequent and severe drought that is projected for this region could lead to an increased risk of murrelet population decline on this island. Our study highlights the need for understanding how species interactions will change through the effects of increasing drought and altered rainfall regimes under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Thomsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David J Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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19
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Porčová L, Smutný V. The Impact of Under-Vine Management on the Weed Seedbank in the Soil. ACTA UNIVERSITATIS AGRICULTURAE ET SILVICULTURAE MENDELIANAE BRUNENSIS 2018. [DOI: 10.11118/actaun201866051165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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20
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Huang CY, Archer SR, McClaran MP, Marsh SE. Shrub encroachment into grasslands: end of an era? PeerJ 2018; 6:e5474. [PMID: 30202645 PMCID: PMC6129137 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shifts in the abundance of grasses and woody plants in drylands have occurred several times during the Holocene. However, our understanding of the rates and dynamics of this state-change in recent decades is limited to scattered studies conducted at disparate spatial and temporal scales; the potential misperceptions of shrub cover change could be remedied using cross spatiotemporal scale analyses that link field observations, repeat ground-level photography and remote sensing perspectives. The study was conducted across a semi-arid landscape in southern Arizona. Local data from long-term transects revealed three distinct chronological phases of shrub cover change: expansion (1961-1991, 0.7% y-1), decline (1992-1997, -2.3% y-1) and stabilization (1998-2012, 22-25% with no net cover change). Twenty-eight years (1984-2011) of broad-scale Landsat Thematic Mapper assessments confirm that shrub cover has been relatively stable in recent decades regardless of grazing regimes and landforms with the exception of the proliferation of succulents at lower elevations (verified by repeat photography acquired in 1987 and 2015) where the physical environment is the harshest, reflecting elevated temperature and winter precipitation deficit. Warmer, drier future climates are predicted to reduce woody plant carrying capacity and promote a shift to xerophytic succulents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho-Ying Huang
- Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Research Center for Future Earth, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Steven R Archer
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Mitchel P McClaran
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Stuart E Marsh
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
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21
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Abella SR, Chiquoine LP. The good with the bad: when ecological restoration facilitates native and non-native species. Restor Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott R. Abella
- School of Life Sciences; University of Nevada Las Vegas; Las Vegas NV 89154-4004 U.S.A
| | - Lindsay P. Chiquoine
- School of Life Sciences; University of Nevada Las Vegas; Las Vegas NV 89154-4004 U.S.A
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22
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Li S, Dong S, Zhang X, Liu S, Shi J, Gao X, Swift D, Xu Y, Shen H, Yang M, Margarida CCA. Evolutionary history and functional traits determine the spatial pattern of multifaceted plant diversity in a typical temperate desert disturbed by an expressway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 635:972-983. [PMID: 29710619 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Temperate desert is one of the globally important biomes with unique and valuable biodiversity, which might be threatened by environmental stresses and human disturbance associated with rapid development. However, few studies have documented the spatial distribution of the multifaceted plant diversity of the temperate desert and their relationships with external impacting factors. We sampled multifaceted plant species diversity including taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity in the Alashan Desert along Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway (G6) in Northern China to identify the key factors and process which regulate the multifaceted plant diversity of the temperate desert. We found that the dynamics of species richness, functional richness, and phylogenetic richness along the elevational gradient corresponded to the unimodal model. Species phylogenetic development shifted from aggregation to divergence, while species functional traits were the opposite along the elevational gradient. The sites at an elevation around 1200-1400 m were the key habitats for the occurrence of high plant diversity including species richness, functional richness and phylogenetic richness. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in plant diversity at different distances from the road (500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m) and human disturbances (the distance from the nearest human settlements). Temperature, temperature variability, precipitation, precipitation variability, soil physical and chemistry properties showed no significant effects on plant diversity. It was concluded that evolutionary history and functional traits, not environmental or anthropogenic factors were the key determinants of the pattern of multifaceted plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Xiangfeng Zhang
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shiliang Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jianbin Shi
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xiaoxia Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - David Swift
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499, USA
| | - Yudan Xu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hao Shen
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mingyue Yang
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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23
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A tale of ENSO, PDO, and increasing aridity impacts on drought-deciduous shrubs in the Death Valley region. Oecologia 2018; 187:879-895. [PMID: 29955998 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4200-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Germination, establishment, phenology, and death among three drought-deciduous shrubs were influenced by ENSO/PDO and precipitation, based on 37 years of annual surveys. Encelia farinosa forms near monospecific stands on slopes, whereas E. frutescens and Ambrosia salsola dominate wash habitats. All shrubs exhibited phenological coherence. While germination, establishment, and mortality patterns were similar among wash species, these dynamics contrasted with E. farinosa on slopes. Germination was associated with El Niño years. Slope plant establishment was dependent on precipitation in the subsequent year, but not evidently so in wash species. Major mortality events were episodic, with Encelia mortality just as likely to occur in years with below or above average precipitation. In both Encelia species, mortality was associated with transitions to a cold PDO phase. In E. frutescens this response was more rapid, whereas in E. farinosa mortality lagged 1 year, resulting in contrasting slope-wash mortality patterns. 50% of newly established shrubs died within 5, 5, and 18 years for E. frutescens, E. farinosa, and A. salsola, respectively. The 90% mortality ages were 26 years for E. frutescens, 24 years for E. farinosa, and 51 years for A. salsola. While maximum life expectancies are unknown, estimated maximum life expectancies were 56, 66, and 86 years for E. frutescens, E. farinosa, and A. salsola, respectively. Overall, as the climate has become more arid over the past four decades, the populations in both slope and wash habitats have exhibited similar responses: reduced shrub abundances and reduced total supportable leaf areas.
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24
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Roeder KA, Roeder DV, Kaspari M. Disturbance Mediates Homogenization of Above and Belowground Invertebrate Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:545-550. [PMID: 29554242 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Natural disturbances can occur stochastically with profound impacts on fauna and flora. Here we quantified the impact of a one in 100-yr flood on terrestrial invertebrate communities in south central Oklahoma. Before the flood, we observed 4,082 individuals from 92 species weighing a total of 18.61 g that belonged to compositionally different above or belowground communities. One year after the initial sampling period and 9 mo post-flood, we measured a 93% decrease in abundance, a 60% decrease in species richness, and a 64% decrease in biomass as well as increased compositional similarity between the above and belowground communities. Of the eight insect orders that were present before the flood, only the Coleoptera and Orthoptera increased immediately after the flood. Of these, only the Orthoptera remained at an elevated level across all post-flood sampling periods, specifically due to an increase in crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). As we enter an era of global change, using natural perturbation experiments will improve our knowledge about the ecological processes that shape patterns of community assembly and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl A Roeder
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
| | - Diane V Roeder
- Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences, Cameron University, Lawton, OK
| | - Michael Kaspari
- Department of Biology, Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
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25
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Can heat waves change the trophic role of the world's most invasive crayfish? Diet shifts in Procambarus clarkii. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183108. [PMID: 28873401 PMCID: PMC5584761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Mediterranean basin, the globally increasing temperatures are expected to be accompanied by longer heat waves. Commonly assumed to benefit cold-limited invasive alien species, these climatic changes may also change their feeding preferences, especially in the case of omnivorous ectotherms. We investigated heat wave effects on diet choice, growth and energy reserves in the invasive red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. In laboratory experiments, we fed juvenile and adult crayfish on animal, plant or mixed diets and exposed them to a short or a long heat wave. We then measured crayfish survival, growth, body reserves and Fulton’s condition index. Diet choices of the crayfish maintained on the mixed diet were estimated using stable isotopes (13C and 15N). The results suggest a decreased efficiency of carnivorous diets at higher temperatures, as juveniles fed on the animal diet were unable to maintain high growth rates in the long heat wave; and a decreased efficiency of herbivorous diets at lower temperatures, as juveniles in the cold accumulated less body reserves when fed on the plant diet. Heat wave treatments increased the assimilation of plant material, especially in juveniles, allowing them to sustain high growth rates in the long heat wave. Contrary to our expectations, crayfish performance decreased in the long heat wave, suggesting that Mediterranean summer heat waves may have negative effects on P. clarkii and that they are unlikely to boost its populations in this region. Although uncertain, it is possible that the greater assimilation of the plant diet resulted from changes in crayfish feeding preferences, raising the hypotheses that i) heat waves may change the predominant impacts of this keystone species and ii) that by altering species’ trophic niches, climate change may alter the main impacts of invasive alien species.
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26
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Feng X, Dawson TE, Ackerly DD, Santiago LS, Thompson SE. Reconciling seasonal hydraulic risk and plant water use through probabilistic soil-plant dynamics. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3758-3769. [PMID: 28132414 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Current models used for predicting vegetation responses to climate change are often guided by the dichotomous needs to resolve either (i) internal plant water status as a proxy for physiological vulnerability or (ii) external water and carbon fluxes and atmospheric feedbacks. Yet, accurate representation of fluxes does not always equate to accurate predictions of vulnerability. We resolve this discrepancy using a hydrodynamic framework that simultaneously tracks plant water status and water uptake. We couple a minimalist plant hydraulics model with a soil moisture model and, for the first time, translate rainfall variability at multiple timescales - with explicit descriptions at daily, seasonal, and interannual timescales - into a physiologically meaningful metric for the risk of hydraulic failure. The model, parameterized with measured traits from chaparral species native to Southern California, shows that apparently similar transpiration patterns throughout the dry season can emerge from disparate plant water potential trajectories, and vice versa. The parsimonious set of parameters that captures the role of many traits across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum is then used to establish differences in species sensitivities to shifts in seasonal rainfall statistics, showing that co-occurring species may diverge in their risk of hydraulic failure despite minimal changes to their seasonal water use. The results suggest potential shifts in species composition in this region due to species-specific changes in hydraulic risk. Our process-based approach offers a quantitative framework for understanding species sensitivity across multiple timescales of rainfall variability and provides a promising avenue toward incorporating interactions of temporal variability and physiological mechanisms into drought response models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Feng
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Todd E Dawson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - David D Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Louis S Santiago
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Sally E Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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27
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French K, Robinson SA, Lia J. Thermotolerance capacities of native and exotic coastal plants will lead to changes in species composition under increased heat waves. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox029. [PMID: 28491321 PMCID: PMC5419204 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
With an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, plants are likely to reach their thermal limits and show slower growth or increased mortality. We investigated differences amongst coastal native and invasive shrubs and grasses to investigate if particular species might be more at risk in the future. Using an ecologically relevant experimental set of heat waves over a month, we assessed changes in biomass and photosynthetic efficiency in a laboratory setting using 25 coastal Australian species divided into native and exotic shrubs, and native and exotic grasses. We also compared three C3 and three C4 grasses within the native and exotic groups. Overall, native shrubs suffered higher mortality, lower growth and increased photosynthetic stress. There was some evidence that C3 grasses, had lower growth with heat waves, compared to C4 species although, in general, grasses showed evidence of photosynthetic acclimation over the month. Increases in leaf abscission suggest that part of the acclimation process was to develop new, thermally tolerant leaves. Our results indicate that in the future we would expect an increase in exotic shrubs and grasses occupying spaces in coastal plant communities that arise from native mortality following extreme heat events. Management of these coastal communities will need to focus strongly on maintaining a diverse native shrub composition that can resist climate-based disturbances (such as wildfire), as well as controlling the extent and biomass of exotic species, if coastal communities are to remain healthy and diverse in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris French
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
| | - Jodie Lia
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
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28
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Shryock DF, Havrilla CA, DeFalco LA, Esque TC, Custer NA, Wood TE. Landscape genetic approaches to guide native plant restoration in the Mojave Desert. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:429-445. [PMID: 28135767 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Restoring dryland ecosystems is a global challenge due to synergistic drivers of disturbance coupled with unpredictable environmental conditions. Dryland plant species have evolved complex life-history strategies to cope with fluctuating resources and climatic extremes. Although rarely quantified, local adaptation is likely widespread among these species and potentially influences restoration outcomes. The common practice of reintroducing propagules to restore dryland ecosystems, often across large spatial scales, compels evaluation of adaptive divergence within these species. Such evaluations are critical to understanding the consequences of large-scale manipulation of gene flow and to predicting success of restoration efforts. However, genetic information for species of interest can be difficult and expensive to obtain through traditional common garden experiments. Recent advances in landscape genetics offer marker-based approaches for identifying environmental drivers of adaptive genetic variability in non-model species, but tools are still needed to link these approaches with practical aspects of ecological restoration. Here, we combine spatially explicit landscape genetics models with flexible visualization tools to demonstrate how cost-effective evaluations of adaptive genetic divergence can facilitate implementation of different seed sourcing strategies in ecological restoration. We apply these methods to Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers genotyped in two Mojave Desert shrub species of high restoration importance: the long-lived, wind-pollinated gymnosperm Ephedra nevadensis, and the short-lived, insect-pollinated angiosperm Sphaeralcea ambigua. Mean annual temperature was identified as an important driver of adaptive genetic divergence for both species. Ephedra showed stronger adaptive divergence with respect to precipitation variability, while temperature variability and precipitation averages explained a larger fraction of adaptive divergence in Sphaeralcea. We describe multivariate statistical approaches for interpolating spatial patterns of adaptive divergence while accounting for potential bias due to neutral genetic structure. Through a spatial bootstrapping procedure, we also visualize patterns in the magnitude of model uncertainty. Finally, we introduce an interactive, distance-based mapping approach that explicitly links marker-based models of adaptive divergence with local or admixture seed sourcing strategies, promoting effective native plant restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Shryock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 North Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada, 89074, USA
| | | | - Lesley A DeFalco
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 North Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada, 89074, USA
| | - Todd C Esque
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 North Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada, 89074, USA
| | - Nathan A Custer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 North Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada, 89074, USA
| | - Troy E Wood
- U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Plateau Research Station, Southwest Biological Science Center, PO Box 5614, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
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29
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López RP, Squeo FA, Gutiérrez JR. Differential effect of shade, water and soil type on emergence and early survival of three dominant species of the Atacama Desert. AUSTRAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Enhancing and Restoring Habitat for the Desert Tortoise. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.3996/052015-jfwm-046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Habitat has changed unfavorably during the past 150 y for the desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii, a federally threatened species with declining populations in the Mojave Desert and western Sonoran Desert. To support recovery efforts, we synthesized published information on relationships of desert tortoises with three habitat features (cover sites, forage, and soil) and candidate management practices for improving these features for tortoises. In addition to their role in soil health and facilitating recruitment of annual forage plants, shrubs are used by desert tortoises for cover and as sites for burrows. Outplanting greenhouse-grown seedlings, protected from herbivory, has successfully restored (>50% survival) a variety of shrubs on disturbed desert soils. Additionally, salvaging and reapplying topsoil using effective techniques is among the more ecologically beneficial ways to initiate plant recovery after severe disturbance. Through differences in biochemical composition and digestibility, some plant species provide better-quality forage than others. Desert tortoises selectively forage on particular annual and herbaceous perennial species (e.g., legumes), and forage selection shifts during the year as different plants grow or mature. Nonnative grasses provide low-quality forage and contribute fuel to spreading wildfires, which damage or kill shrubs that tortoises use for cover. Maintaining a diverse “menu” of native annual forbs and decreasing nonnative grasses are priorities for restoring most desert tortoise habitats. Reducing herbivory by nonnative animals, carefully timing herbicide applications, and strategically augmenting annual forage plants via seeding show promise for improving tortoise forage quality. Roads, another disturbance, negatively affect habitat in numerous ways (e.g., compacting soil, altering hydrology). Techniques such as recontouring road berms to reestablish drainage patterns, vertical mulching (“planting” dead plant material), and creating barriers to prevent trespasses can assist natural recovery on decommissioned backcountry roads. Most habitat enhancement efforts to date have focused on only one factor at a time (e.g., providing fencing) and have not included proactive restoration activities (e.g., planting native species on disturbed soils). A research and management priority in recovering desert tortoise habitats is implementing an integrated set of restorative habitat enhancements (e.g., reducing nonnative plants, improving forage quality, augmenting native perennial plants, and ameliorating altered hydrology) and monitoring short- and long-term indicators of habitat condition and the responses of desert tortoises to habitat restoration.
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31
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Landscape genomics of Sphaeralcea ambigua in the Mojave Desert: a multivariate, spatially-explicit approach to guide ecological restoration. CONSERV GENET 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0741-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Enhancing Quality of Desert Tortoise Habitat: Augmenting Native Forage and Cover Plants. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.3996/022015-jfwm-013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Vegetation in habitat of the federally listed desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii in the Mojave and western Sonoran Desert is now partly or mostly dominated by nonnative annual plants. To improve forage quality and augment availability of perennial cover plants, we tested seeding (pelletized or bare seeding), watering, and fencing for increasing a native annual forage species (desert plantain Plantago ovata), a perennial forage species (desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua), and two shrub species (cheesebush Hymenoclea salsola and winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata) that provide cover in desert tortoise habitat of southern Nevada. Treatments were ineffective at establishing the perennial species, even though greenhouse assays confirmed that some bare and pelletized seeds were germinable. In contrast, pelletized seeding quadrupled the density of desert plantain compared with not seeding or seeding untreated seed by the end of the first year (autumn 2013). Fencing tripled density of desert plantain to 17 plants/m2. Pelletized seeding plus fencing produced a desert plantain density of 39 plants/m2, the highest average density among all treatment combinations. The positive effect of fencing persisted until at least the second year after treatment (autumn 2014). Augmenting native annual forage plants favored by desert tortoises is feasible.
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Drake KK, Esque TC, Nussear KE, Defalco LA, Scoles-Sciulla SJ, Modlin AT, Medica PA. Desert tortoise use of burned habitat in the Eastern Mojave desert. J Wildl Manage 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Kristina Drake
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
| | - Todd C. Esque
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
| | | | - Lesley A. Defalco
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
| | - Sara J. Scoles-Sciulla
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
| | - Andrew T. Modlin
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
| | - Philip A. Medica
- United States Geological Survey; Western Ecological Research Center; 160 North Stephanie Street; Henderson NV 89074 USA
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Mandujano MC, Bravo Y, Verhulst J, Carrillo-Angeles I, Golubov J. The population dynamics of an endemic collectible cactus. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Esque TC, Medica PA, Shryock DF, DeFalco LA, Webb RH, Hunter RB. Direct and indirect effects of environmental variability on growth and survivorship of pre-reproductive Joshua trees, Yucca brevifolia Engelm. (Agavaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:85-91. [PMID: 25587151 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF STUDY Accurate demographic information about long-lived plant species is important for understanding responses to large-scale disturbances, including climate change. It is challenging to obtain these data from desert perennial plants because seedling establishment is exceptionally rare, and estimates of survival are lacking for their vulnerable early stages. Desert wildfires, urbanization, and climate change influence the persistence of the long-lived Yucca brevifolia. Quantitative demographic attributes are crucial for understanding how populations will respond to disturbances and where populations will recede or advance under future climate scenarios.• METHODS We measured survival in a cohort of 53 pre-reproductive Y. brevifolia at Yucca Flat, Nevada, USA, for 22 yr and recorded their growth, nurse-plant relationships, and herbivory.• KEY RESULTS Herbivory by black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) caused severe losses of plants during the first and second years (45% and 31%, respectively). Surviving plants experienced <2.5% annual mortality. Survival for the population was 19% over 22 yr. Plants <25 cm in height had lower life expectancy. Average growth rate (± SD) for plants that survived to the last census was 3.12 ± 1.96 cm yr(-1), and growth rates were positively associated with precipitation. Thirty-year-old Y. brevifolia had not yet reproduced.• CONCLUSIONS A rare establishment event for Y. brevifolia during 1983-1984, triggered by above-average summer rainfall, provided a unique opportunity to track early survival and growth. Infrequent but acute episodes of herbivory during drought influenced demography for decades. Variability in survival among young Y. brevifolia indicates that size-dependent demographic variables will improve forecasts for this long-lived desert species under predicted regional climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd C Esque
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, Nevada 89074 USA
| | - Philip A Medica
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, Nevada 89074 USA
| | - Daniel F Shryock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, Nevada 89074 USA
| | - Lesley A DeFalco
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, Nevada 89074 USA
| | - Robert H Webb
- School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85719 USA
| | - Richard B Hunter
- Salisbury University, Department of Biological Sciences, Salisbury, Maryland 21801 USA
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Shryock DF, Esque TC, Hughes L. Population viability of Pediocactus bradyi (Cactaceae) in a changing climate. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2014; 101:1944-1953. [PMID: 25366859 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY A key question concerns the vulnerability of desert species adapted to harsh, variable climates to future climate change. Evaluating this requires coupling long-term demographic models with information on past and projected future climates. We investigated climatic drivers of population growth using a 22-yr demographic model for Pediocactus bradyi, an endangered cactus in northern Arizona. METHODS We used a matrix model to calculate stochastic population growth rates (λs) and the relative influences of life-cycle transitions on population growth. Regression models linked population growth with climatic variability, while stochastic simulations were used to (1) understand how predicted increases in drought frequency and extreme precipitation would affect λs, and (2) quantify variability in λs based on temporal replication of data. KEY RESULTS Overall λs was below unity (0.961). Population growth was equally influenced by fecundity and survival and significantly correlated with increased annual precipitation and higher winter temperatures. Stochastic simulations increasing the probability of drought and extreme precipitation reduced λs, but less than simulations increasing the probability of drought alone. Simulations varying the temporal replication of data suggested 14 yr were required for accurate λs estimates. CONCLUSIONS Pediocactus bradyi may be vulnerable to increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, particularly drought. Biotic interactions resulting in low survival during drought years outweighed increased seedling establishment following heavy precipitation. Climatic extremes beyond historical ranges of variability may threaten rare desert species with low population growth rates and therefore high susceptibility to stochastic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Shryock
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada 89014 USA
| | - Todd C Esque
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie Street, Henderson, Nevada 89014 USA
| | - Lee Hughes
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management, AZ Strip Field Office, St. George, Utah 84790 USA
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Newingham BA, Vanier CH, Kelly LJ, Charlet TN, Smith SD. Does a decade of elevated [CO2] affect a desert perennial plant community? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 201:498-504. [PMID: 24117700 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of elevated [CO2 ] on plant community structure is crucial to predicting ecosystem responses to global change. Early predictions suggested that productivity in deserts would increase via enhanced water-use efficiency under elevated [CO2], but the response of intact arid plant communities to elevated [CO2 ] is largely unknown. We measured changes in perennial plant community characteristics (cover, species richness and diversity) after 10 yr of elevated [CO2] exposure in an intact Mojave Desert community at the Nevada Desert Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) Facility. Contrary to expectations, total cover, species richness, and diversity were not affected by elevated [CO2]. Over the course of the experiment, elevated [CO2] had no effect on changes in cover of the evergreen C3 shrub, Larrea tridentata; alleviated decreases in cover of the C4 bunchgrass, Pleuraphis rigida; and slightly reduced the cover of C3 drought-deciduous shrubs. Thus, we generally found no effect of elevated [CO2] on plant communities in this arid ecosystem. Extended drought, slow plant growth rates, and highly episodic germination and recruitment of new individuals explain the lack of strong perennial plant community shifts after a decade of elevated [CO2].
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Newingham
- College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, PO Box 441133, Moscow, ID, 83844-1133, USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Cheryl H Vanier
- Public Lands Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-2040, USA
| | - Lauren J Kelly
- College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, PO Box 441133, Moscow, ID, 83844-1133, USA
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Therese N Charlet
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Stanley D Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
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Newingham BA, Vanier CH, Charlet TN, Ogle K, Smith SD, Nowak RS. No cumulative effect of 10 years of elevated [CO2 ] on perennial plant biomass components in the Mojave Desert. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:2168-81. [PMID: 23505209 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2 ]) generally increase primary production of terrestrial ecosystems. Production responses to elevated [CO2 ] may be particularly large in deserts, but information on their long-term response is unknown. We evaluated the cumulative effects of elevated [CO2 ] on primary production at the Nevada Desert FACE (free-air carbon dioxide enrichment) Facility. Aboveground and belowground perennial plant biomass was harvested in an intact Mojave Desert ecosystem at the end of a 10-year elevated [CO2 ] experiment. We measured community standing biomass, biomass allocation, canopy cover, leaf area index (LAI), carbon and nitrogen content, and isotopic composition of plant tissues for five to eight dominant species. We provide the first long-term results of elevated [CO2 ] on biomass components of a desert ecosystem and offer information on understudied Mojave Desert species. In contrast to initial expectations, 10 years of elevated [CO2 ] had no significant effect on standing biomass, biomass allocation, canopy cover, and C : N ratios of above- and belowground components. However, elevated [CO2 ] increased short-term responses, including leaf water-use efficiency (WUE) as measured by carbon isotope discrimination and increased plot-level LAI. Standing biomass, biomass allocation, canopy cover, and C : N ratios of above- and belowground pools significantly differed among dominant species, but responses to elevated [CO2 ] did not vary among species, photosynthetic pathway (C3 vs. C4 ), or growth form (drought-deciduous shrub vs. evergreen shrub vs. grass). Thus, even though previous and current results occasionally show increased leaf-level photosynthetic rates, WUE, LAI, and plant growth under elevated [CO2 ] during the 10-year experiment, most responses were in wet years and did not lead to sustained increases in community biomass. We presume that the lack of sustained biomass responses to elevated [CO2 ] is explained by inter-annual differences in water availability. Therefore, the high frequency of low precipitation years may constrain cumulative biomass responses to elevated [CO2 ] in desert environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth A Newingham
- College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
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Herrero A, Castro J, Zamora R, Delgado-Huertas A, Querejeta JI. Growth and stable isotope signals associated with drought-related mortality in saplings of two coexisting pine species. Oecologia 2013; 173:1613-24. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2707-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2010] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Minckley RL, Roulston TH, Williams NM. Resource assurance predicts specialist and generalist bee activity in drought. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20122703. [PMID: 23536593 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many short-lived desert organisms remain in diapause during drought. Theoretically, the cues desert species use to continue diapause through drought should differ depending on the availability of critical resources, but the unpredictability and infrequent occurrence of climate extremes and reduced insect activity during such events make empirical tests of this prediction difficult. An intensive study of a diverse bee-plant community through a drought event found that bee specialists of a drought-sensitive host plant were absent in the drought year in contrast to generalist bees and to specialist bees of a drought-insensitive host plant. Different responses of bee species to drought indicate that the diapause cues used by bee species allow them to reliably predict host availability. Species composition of the bee community in drought shifted towards mostly generalist species. However, we predict that more frequent and extended drought, predicted by climate change models for southwest North America, will result in bee communities that are species-poor and dominated by specialist species, as found today in the most arid desert region of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Minckley
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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Salguero-Gómez R, Siewert W, Casper BB, Tielbörger K. A demographic approach to study effects of climate change in desert plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 367:3100-14. [PMID: 23045708 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Desert species respond strongly to infrequent, intense pulses of precipitation. Consequently, indigenous flora has developed a rich repertoire of life-history strategies to deal with fluctuations in resource availability. Examinations of how future climate change will affect the biota often forecast negative impacts, but these-usually correlative-approaches overlook precipitation variation because they are based on averages. Here, we provide an overview of how variable precipitation affects perennial and annual desert plants, and then implement an innovative, mechanistic approach to examine the effects of precipitation on populations of two desert plant species. This approach couples robust climatic projections, including variable precipitation, with stochastic, stage-structured models constructed from long-term demographic datasets of the short-lived Cryptantha flava in the Colorado Plateau Desert (USA) and the annual Carrichtera annua in the Negev Desert (Israel). Our results highlight these populations' potential to buffer future stochastic precipitation. Population growth rates in both species increased under future conditions: wetter, longer growing seasons for Cryptantha and drier years for Carrichtera. We determined that such changes are primarily due to survival and size changes for Cryptantha and the role of seed bank for Carrichtera. Our work suggests that desert plants, and thus the resources they provide, might be more resilient to climate change than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Salguero-Gómez
- Evolutionary Biodemography Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
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Teixidó N, Casas E, Cebrián E, Linares C, Garrabou J. Impacts on coralligenous outcrop biodiversity of a dramatic coastal storm. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53742. [PMID: 23326496 PMCID: PMC3542355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme events are rare, stochastic perturbations that can cause abrupt and dramatic ecological change within a short period of time relative to the lifespan of organisms. Studies over time provide exceptional opportunities to detect the effects of extreme climatic events and to measure their impacts by quantifying rates of change at population and community levels. In this study, we show how an extreme storm event affected the dynamics of benthic coralligenous outcrops in the NW Mediterranean Sea using data acquired before (2006-2008) and after the impact (2009-2010) at four different sites. Storms of comparable severity have been documented to occur occasionally within periods of 50 years in the Mediterranean Sea. We assessed the effects derived from the storm comparing changes in benthic community composition at sites exposed to and sheltered from this extreme event. The sites analyzed showed different damage from severe to negligible. The most exposed and impacted site experienced a major shift immediately after the storm, represented by changes in the species richness and beta diversity of benthic species. This site also showed higher compositional variability immediately after the storm and over the following year. The loss of cover of benthic species resulted between 22% and 58%. The damage across these species (e.g. calcareous algae, sponges, anthozoans, bryozoans, tunicates) was uneven, and those with fragile forms were the most impacted, showing cover losses up to 50 to 100%. Interestingly, small patches survived after the storm and began to grow slightly during the following year. In contrast, sheltered sites showed no significant changes in all the studied parameters, indicating no variations due to the storm. This study provides new insights into the responses to large and rare extreme events of Mediterranean communities with low dynamics and long-lived species, which are among the most threatened by the effects of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Teixidó
- Ecology Department, Biology Faculty, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Vincenzi S, De Leo GA, Bellingeri M. Consequences of extreme events on population persistence and evolution of a quantitative trait. ECOL INFORM 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Deblauwe V, Couteron P, Bogaert J, Barbier N. Determinants and dynamics of banded vegetation pattern migration in arid climates. ECOL MONOGR 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/11-0362.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Olano JM, Caballero I, Escudero A. Soil seed bank recovery occurs more rapidly than expected in semi-arid Mediterranean gypsum vegetation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2012; 109:299-307. [PMID: 22003238 PMCID: PMC3241582 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Seed banks are critical in arid ecosystems and ensure the persistence of species. Despite the importance of seed banks, knowledge about their formation and the extent to which a seed bank can recover after severe perturbation remains scarce. If undisturbed, soil seed banks reflect a long vegetation history; therefore, we would expect that new soil seed banks and those of undisturbed soils require long periods to become similar with respect to both density and composition. In contrast, if soil seed banks are only a short- to mid-term reservoir in which long-term accumulation constitutes only a tiny fraction, they will recover rapidly from the vegetation. To shed light on this question, we evaluated seed bank formation in a semi-arid gypsum community. METHODS Soils from 300 plots were replaced with sterilized soil in an undisturbed semi-arid Mediterranean community. Seasonal changes in seed bank density and composition were monitored for 3 years by comparing paired sterilized and control soil samples at each plot. KEY RESULTS Differences in seed bank density between sterilized and control soil disappeared after 18 months. The composition of sterilized seed banks was correlated with that of the control plots from the first sampling date, and both were highly correlated with vegetation. Nearly 24 % of the seed bank density could be attributed to secondary dispersal. Most seeds died before emergence (66·41-71·33 %), whereas the rest either emerged (14·08-15·48 %) or persisted in the soil (14·59-18·11 %). CONCLUSIONS Seed banks can recover very rapidly even under the limiting and stressful conditions of semi-arid environments. This recovery is based mainly on the seed rain at small scales together with secondary dispersal from intact seed banks in the vicinity. These results emphasize the relevance of processes occurring on short spatial scales in determining community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Olano
- Área de Botánica, Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, Escuela de Ingenierías Agrarias, Univ. de Valladolid, Los Pajaritos s/n, ES-42003 Soria, Spain.
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Jiménez MA, Jaksic FM, Armesto JJ, Gaxiola A, Meserve PL, Kelt DA, Gutiérrez JR. Extreme climatic events change the dynamics and invasibility of semi-arid annual plant communities. Ecol Lett 2011; 14:1227-35. [PMID: 21988736 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01693.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Extreme climatic events represent disturbances that change the availability of resources. We studied their effects on annual plant assemblages in a semi-arid ecosystem in north-central Chile. We analysed 130 years of precipitation data using generalised extreme-value distribution to determine extreme events, and multivariate techniques to analyse 20 years of plant cover data of 34 native and 11 exotic species. Extreme drought resets the dynamics of the system and renders it susceptible to invasion. On the other hand, by favouring native annuals, moderately wet events change species composition and allow the community to be resilient to extreme drought. The probability of extreme drought has doubled over the last 50 years. Therefore, investigations on the interaction of climate change and biological invasions are relevant to determine the potential for future effects on the dynamics of semi-arid annual plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milagros A Jiménez
- Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology & Biodiversity (CASEB), Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
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JACOBSEN ANNAL, ROETS FRANCOIS, JACOBS SHAYNEM, ESLER KARENJ, PRATT RBRANDON. Dieback and mortality of South African fynbos shrubs is likely driven by a novel pathogen and pathogen-induced hydraulic failure. AUSTRAL ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2011.02268.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hall SJ, Sponseller RA, Grimm NB, Huber D, Kaye JP, Clark C, Collins SL. Ecosystem response to nutrient enrichment across an urban airshed in the Sonoran Desert. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:640-660. [PMID: 21639034 DOI: 10.1890/10-0758.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Rates of nitrogen (N) deposition have increased in arid and semiarid ecosystems, but few studies have examined the impacts of long-term N enrichment on ecological processes in deserts. We conducted a multiyear, nutrient-addition study within 15 Sonoran Desert sites across the rapidly growing metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona (USA). We hypothesized that desert plants and soils would be sensitive to N enrichment, but that these effects would vary among functional groups that differ in terms of physiological responsiveness, proximity to surface N sources, and magnitude of carbon (C) or water limitation. Inorganic N additions augmented net potential nitrification in soils, moreso than net potential N mineralization, highlighting the important role of nitrifying microorganisms in the nitrate economy of drylands. Winter annual plants were also responsive to nutrient additions, exhibiting a climate-driven cascade of resource limitation, from little to no production in seasons of low rainfall (winter 2006 and 2007), to moderate N limitation with average precipitation (winter 2009), to limitation by both N and P in a season of above-normal rainfall (winter 2008). Herbaceous production is a potentially important mechanism of N retention in arid ecosystems, capable of immobilizing an amount equal to or greater than that deposited annually to soils in this urban airshed. However, interannual variability in precipitation and abiotic processes that limit the incorporation of detrital organic matter into soil pools may limit this role over the long term. In contrast, despite large experimental additions of N and P over four years, growth of Larrea tridentata, the dominant perennial plant of the Sonoran Desert, was unresponsive to nutrient enrichment, even during wet years. Finally, there did not appear to be strong ecological interactions between nutrient addition and location relative to the city, despite the nearby activity of nearly four million people, perhaps due to loss or transfer pathways that limit long-term N enrichment of ecosystems by the urban atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon J Hall
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-4501, USA.
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Hargrove L, Rotenberry JT. Breeding success at the range margin of a desert species: implications for a climate-induced elevational shift. OIKOS 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19284.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Bowling DR, Bethers-Marchetti S, Lunch CK, Grote EE, Belnap J. Carbon, water, and energy fluxes in a semiarid cold desert grassland during and following multiyear drought. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jg001322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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