1
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Ossanna LQR, Guglielmo J, Miller M, Davis R, Gornish ES. Dryland rock detention structures increase herbaceous vegetation cover and stabilize shrub cover over 10 years but do not directly affect soil fertility. Sci Total Environ 2024; 917:170194. [PMID: 38280600 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Rock detention structures (RDS) such as check dams, gabions, and one rock dams are commonly used to mitigate erosion impacts in dryland ephemeral stream channels. RDS increase local water infiltration and floodplain connectivity, reduce sediment transport, and enhance vegetation growth and establishment. In addition to increasing overall vegetation cover, RDS may also buffer against a cycle of vegetation growth and collapse during years of extremely variable precipitation, helping to maintain stable cover. Although widely employed by land managers, success as reported in scientific literature varies, especially with regard to RDS effects on vegetation and soil fertility. We present the results of a 10-year field experiment in southeastern Arizona, USA, designed in collaboration with local land practitioners to measure local in-channel effects of RDS. Over 10 years, cover of herbaceous vegetation (forbs and grasses) doubled from 11 % to 22 % in channels treated with RDS, but did not significantly increase in untreated control channels. Shrub cover in treated channels was significantly less variable than in control channels over time. We analyzed the complex relationships between RDS, vegetation cover, and soil fertility using structural equation modeling (SEM), which represented conditions of the tenth year alone. SEM revealed that RDS did not directly affect soil fertility, as measured by total soil nitrogen, total soil carbon, soil organic matter, microbial richness, and potential nutrient cycling capacity. Notably, SEM did not yield the same trends as temporal monitoring, possibly because our structural equation models could not capture change over time. This discrepancy highlights the need for long-term, frequent monitoring of aboveground and belowground conditions to evaluate treatment success on a management scale. Overall, installing rock detention structures in ephemeral channels in arid and semiarid regions is a low-cost, feasible way to increase channel sediment aggradation, forb, and grass cover; stabilize shrub cover; and combat dryland degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Q R Ossanna
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, 1064 E Lowell St, University of Arizona, Tucson 85719, AZ, USA.
| | - Julia Guglielmo
- Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, 14990 S Sasabe Road, Tucson 85736, AZ, USA
| | - Mary Miller
- Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, 14990 S Sasabe Road, Tucson 85736, AZ, USA
| | | | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, 1064 E Lowell St, University of Arizona, Tucson 85719, AZ, USA.
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2
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Romanelli JP, Piana MR, Klaus VH, Brancalion PHS, Murcia C, Cardou F, Wallace KJ, Adams C, Martin PA, Burton PJ, Diefenderfer HL, Gornish ES, Stanturf J, Beyene M, Santos JPB, Rodrigues RR, Cadotte MW. Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:295-312. [PMID: 37813383 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Forest restoration has never been higher on policymakers' agendas. Complex and multi-dimensional arrangements across the urban-rural continuum challenge restorationists and require integrative approaches to strengthen environmental protection and increase restoration outcomes. It remains unclear if urban and rural forest restoration are moving towards or away from each other in practice and research, and whether comparing research outcomes can help stakeholders to gain a clearer understanding of the interconnectedness between the two fields. This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for enhancing forest restoration in both urban and rural systems by reviewing the scientific evidence, engaging with key stakeholders and using an urban-rural forest restoration framework. Using the Society for Ecological Restoration's International Principles as discussion topics, we highlight aspects of convergence and divergence between the two fields to broaden our understanding of forest restoration and promote integrative management approaches to address future forest conditions. Our findings reveal that urban and rural forest restoration have convergent and divergent aspects. We emphasise the importance of tailoring goals and objectives to specific contexts and the need to design different institutions and incentives based on the social and ecological needs and goals of stakeholders in different regions. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of achieving high levels of ecological restoration and the need to go beyond traditional ecology to plan, implement, monitor, and adaptively manage restored forests. We suggest that rivers and watersheds could serve as a common ground linking rural and urban landscapes and that forest restoration could interact with other environmental protection measures. We note the potential for expanding the creative vision associated with increasing tree-containing environments in cities to generate more diverse and resilient forest restoration outcomes in rural settings. This study underscores the value of integrative management approaches in addressing future forest conditions across the urban-rural continuum. Our framework provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and decision-makers to advance the field of forest restoration and address the challenges of restoration across the urban-rural continuum. The rural-urban interface serves as a convergence point for forest restoration, and both urban and rural fields can benefit from each other's expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- João P Romanelli
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Max R Piana
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Universitätstr. 2, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Pedro H S Brancalion
- Department of Forest Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Carolina Murcia
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Françoise Cardou
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Kiri Joy Wallace
- Te Tumu Whakaora Taiao - Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Cristina Adams
- Forest Governance Research Group (GGF), Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE), University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 1289, São Paulo, SP, 05508-010, Brazil
| | - Philip A Martin
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Edificio sede no 1, planta 1, Parque científico UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, Bizkaia, 48940, Spain
| | - Philip J Burton
- Department of Ecosystem Science & Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Symbios Research & Restoration, Smithers, BC, V0J 2N4, Canada
| | - Heida L Diefenderfer
- University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 1529 West Sequim Bay Road, Sequim, WA, 98382, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - John Stanturf
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
| | - Menilek Beyene
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - João Paulo Bispo Santos
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo R Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration (LERF), Department of Biological Sciences, 'Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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Farrell HL, Munson SM, Butterfield BJ, Duniway MC, Faist AM, Gornish ES, Havrilla CA, Larios L, Reed SC, Rowe HI, Laushman KM, McCormick ML. Soil surface treatments and precipitation timing determine seedling development across southwestern US restoration sites. Ecol Appl 2023; 33:e2834. [PMID: 36864737 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Restoration in dryland ecosystems often has poor success due to low and variable water availability, degraded soil conditions, and slow plant community recovery rates. Restoration treatments can mitigate these constraints but, because treatments and subsequent monitoring are typically limited in space and time, our understanding of their applicability across broader environmental gradients remains limited. To address this limitation, we implemented and monitored a standardized set of seeding and soil surface treatments (pits, mulch, and ConMod artificial nurse plants) designed to enhance soil moisture and seedling establishment across RestoreNet, a growing network of 21 diverse dryland restoration sites in the southwestern USA over 3 years. Generally, we found that the timing of precipitation relative to seeding and the use of soil surface treatments were more important in determining seeded species emergence, survival, and growth than site-specific characteristics. Using soil surface treatments in tandem with seeding promoted up to 3× greater seedling emergence densities compared with seeding alone. The positive effect of soil surface treatments became more prominent with increased cumulative precipitation since seeding. The seed mix type with species currently found within or near a site and adapted to the historical climate promoted greater seedling emergence densities compared with the seed mix type with species from warmer, drier conditions expected to perform well under climate change. Seed mix and soil surface treatments had a diminishing effect as plants developed beyond the first season of establishment. However, we found strong effects of the initial period seeded and of the precipitation leading up to each monitoring date on seedling survival over time, especially for annual and perennial forbs. The presence of exotic species exerted a negative influence on seedling survival and growth, but not initial emergence. Our findings suggest that seeded species recruitment across drylands can generally be promoted, regardless of location, by (1) incorporation of soil surface treatments, (2) employment of near-term seasonal climate forecasts, (3) suppression of exotic species, and (4) seeding at multiple times. Taken together, these results point to a multifaceted approach to ameliorate harsh environmental conditions for improved seeding success in drylands, both now and under expected aridification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Farrell
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Seth M Munson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Bradley J Butterfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Akasha M Faist
- College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Caroline A Havrilla
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Loralee Larios
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Helen I Rowe
- School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
- McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Molly L McCormick
- Southwest Fire Science Consortium and School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Gornish ES, Campbell C, Svejcar L, Munson S, Vaughn K, Spaeth MK, Yelenik SG, Wolf A, Mitchell R. Functional traits are used in restoration practice: a response to Merchant et al. 2022. Restor Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lauren Svejcar
- USDA‐ARS, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center Burns OR 97720
| | - Seth Munson
- USGS, Southwest Biological Science Center Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | - Kurt Vaughn
- Borderlands Restoration Network Patagonia AZ 85624
| | | | | | - Ashlee Wolf
- Institute for Applied Ecology Santa Fe NM 87505
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5
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Shaw JA, Roche LM, Gornish ES, Rayburn AP, Zamora AJ, Laca E. Efficacy of strip seeding to restore grassland plant communities. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julea A. Shaw
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis
| | | | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona
| | | | | | - Emilio Laca
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis
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6
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Ossanna LQR, Gornish ES. Efficacy of labile carbon addition to reduce fast‐growing, invasive non‐native plants: A review and meta‐analysis. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lia Q. R. Ossanna
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
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Martyn TE, Kwapich CL, Kline A, Gornish ES. Granivorous ants prefer small and unprotected seeds ‐ Implications for restoration in arid ecosystems. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Trace E. Martyn
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment The University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Christina L. Kwapich
- Department of Biological Sciences The University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell MA 01854 USA
| | - Albert Kline
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment The University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment The University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 USA
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8
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Martyn TE, Barberán A, Blankinship JC, Miller M, Yang B, Kline A, Gornish ES. Rock structures improve seedling establishment, litter catchment, fungal richness, and soil moisture in the first year after installation. Environ Manage 2022; 70:134-145. [PMID: 35487980 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands are essential natural and agricultural ecosystems that encompass over one-third of global lands. However, land conversion and poor management have caused losses of these systems which contributed to a 10% reduction of net primary production, a 4% increase in carbon emissions, and a potential loss of US $42 billion a year. It is, therefore, important to restore, enhance and conserve these grasslands to sustain natural plant communities and the livelihoods of those that rely on them. We installed low cost rock structures (media lunas) to assess their ability to restore grasslands by slowing water flow, reducing erosion and improving plant establishment. Our treatments included sites with small and large rock structures that were seeded with a native seed mix as well as sites with no seed or rock and sites with only seed addition. We collected summer percent cover for plants, litter, and rock and spring seedling count data. We also collected soil for nutrient, moisture, and microbial analysis. Within the first year, we found no change in plant cover between rock structures of two rock sizes. We did find, however, an increase in soil moisture, litter, fungal richness, and spring seedling germination within the rock structures, despite a historic drought. This work demonstrates that rock structures can positively impact plants and soils of grasslands even within the first year. Our results suggest that managers should seriously consider employing these low-cost structures to increase short-term plant establishment and possibly, soil health, in grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trace E Martyn
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
| | - Albert Barberán
- Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Joseph C Blankinship
- Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Mary Miller
- Elkhorn Ranch, Tucson, AZ, 85736, USA
- Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, Tucson, AZ, 85736, USA
| | - Ben Yang
- Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Albert Kline
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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Nsikani MM, Anderson P, Bouragaoui Z, Geerts S, Gornish ES, Kairo JG, Khan N, Madikizela B, Mganga KZ, Ntshotsho P, Okafor‐Yarwood I, Webster KM, Peer N. UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: key considerations for Africa. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mlungele M. Nsikani
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Kirstenbosch Research Centre Claremont South Africa
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Pippin Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Geographical Science University of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Zakher Bouragaoui
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis University of Tunis El‐Manar Tunis Tunisia
| | - Sjirk Geerts
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Conservation and Marine Sciences Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 652 Cape Town 8000 South Africa
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment Tucson AZ 85721 United States of America
| | - James G. Kairo
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box 81651‐80100, Silos Road, English Point, Mkomani Mombasa Kenya
| | - Nasreen Khan
- Island Conservation Society (ICS), Head Office: Pointe Larue. P.O. Box 775 Victoria, Mahé Seychelles
| | - Bonani Madikizela
- Water Research Commission, Private Bag X03, Gezina 0031 South Africa
| | - Kevin Z. Mganga
- Department of Agricultural Sciences South Eastern Kenya University, P.O. Box 170‐90200 Kitui Kenya
- Department of Forest Sciences University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 7 00790 Helsinki Finland
| | - Phumza Ntshotsho
- Sustainable Ecosystems Impact Area Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Ifesinachi Okafor‐Yarwood
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development University of St Andrews Scotland United Kingdom
- Centre for Strategic Research and Studies National Defence College Abuja Nigeria
| | - Kayla M.E. Webster
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7700 South Africa
| | - Nasreen Peer
- Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
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Gill AS, Fehmi JS, Gornish ES. Biotic and Abiotic Factors Important for Palmer’s Agave Restoration in Lehmann Lovegrass Dominated Areas. ECOL RESTOR 2022. [DOI: 10.3368/er.40.1.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Gill AS, Oliver JC, Fitting H, Kubby BK, Gornish ES. Restoring Palmer's agave in a Lehmann lovegrass dominated grassland in Southeastern Arizona. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy S. Gill
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona, PO Box 210137 Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Oliver
- Research Engagement University Libraries, University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85719 USA
| | - Helen Fitting
- Chiricahua National Monument National Park Service USA
| | | | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona, PO Box 210137 Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
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12
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Yang B, Balazs KR, Butterfield BJ, Laushman KM, Munson SM, Gornish ES, Barberán A. Does restoration of plant diversity trigger concomitant soil microbiome changes in dryland ecosystems? J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Yang
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
| | - Kathleen R. Balazs
- Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Bradley J. Butterfield
- Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | | | - Seth M. Munson
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- University of Arizona School of Natural Resources and the Environment Tucson AZ USA
| | - Albert Barberán
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
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Farrell HL, Funk J, Law D, Gornish ES. Impacts of drought and native grass competition on buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare). Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02671-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Williams JP, Gornish ES, Barberán A. Effects of buffelgrass removal and nitrogen addition on soil microbial communities during an extreme drought in the Sonoran Desert. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jared P. Williams
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Albert Barberán
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85711, U.S.A
| | - Molly McCormick
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, U.S.A
| | - Marquel Begay
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85711, U.S.A
| | - Mlungele M. Nsikani
- South African National Biodiversity Institute Kirstenbosch Research Centre Claremont South Africa
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
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16
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Farrell HL, Fehmi JS, Gornish ES. The effects of site preparation equal those of seeding at a dryland restoration site: 6 years of plant community development. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L. Farrell
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137, Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Fehmi
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137, Tucson AZ 85721 USA
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137, Tucson AZ 85721 USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Hasbagan Ganjurjav
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing 100081 China
| | - Maowei Liang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | | | - Mitchel P. McClaran
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
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Liang M, Smith NG, Chen J, Wu Y, Guo Z, Gornish ES, Liang C. Shifts in plant composition mediate grazing effects on carbon cycling in grasslands. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maowei Liang
- Institute of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Science Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resources Use of the Mongolian Plateau School of Ecology and Environment Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Nicholas G. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Lubbock TX USA
| | - Jiquan Chen
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Yantao Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resources Use of the Mongolian Plateau School of Ecology and Environment Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Zhiwei Guo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resources Use of the Mongolian Plateau School of Ecology and Environment Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
| | - Cunzhu Liang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resources Use of the Mongolian Plateau School of Ecology and Environment Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- Maowei Liang
- Institute of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing China
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
| | - Xiao Feng
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Institute of the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
- Department of Geography Florida State University Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L. Farrell
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 1064 E Lowell Street Tucson AZ 85721‐0001 U.S.A
| | - Ariel Léger
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona 1177 E 4th St Tucson AZ 85721‐0001 U.S.A
| | - Martin F. Breed
- College of Science and Engineering Flinders University Adelaide South Australia 5001 Australia
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 1064 E Lowell Street Tucson AZ 85721‐0001 U.S.A
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21
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Li YM, Gornish ES. General attributes and practice of ecological restoration in Arizona and California,
U.S.A.,
revealed by restoration stakeholder surveys. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yue M. Li
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona 1064 E Lowell Street Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
- Arizona‐Sonora Desert Museum 2021 N. Kinney Road Tucson AZ 85743 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona 1064 E Lowell Street Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Julea A. Shaw
- University of California, One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 U.S.A
| | - Leslie M. Roche
- University of California, One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street Tucson Arizona 85721 U.S.A
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23
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24
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Farrell HL, Barberán A, Danielson RE, Fehmi JS, Gornish ES. Disturbance is more important than seeding or grazing in determining soil microbial communities in a semiarid grassland. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L. Farrell
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137 Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Albert Barberán
- Department of Environmental Science University of Arizona PO Box 210038 Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Rachel E. Danielson
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources University of California Davis CA U.S.A
| | - Jeffrey S. Fehmi
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137 Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona PO Box 210137 Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
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25
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Schohr TK, Gornish ES, Woodmansee G, Shaw J, Tate KW, Roche LM. Practitioner Insights into Weed Management on California's Rangelands and Natural Areas. Environ Manage 2020; 65:212-219. [PMID: 31838568 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01238-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Working rangelands and natural areas span diverse ecosystems and face both ecological and economic threats from weed invasion. Restoration practitioners and land managers hold a voluminous cache of place-based weed management experience and knowledge that has largely been untapped by the research community. We surveyed 260 California rangeland managers and restoration practitioners to investigate invasive and weedy species of concern, land management goals, perceived effectiveness of existing practices (i.e., prescribed fire, grazing, herbicide use, and seeding), and barriers to practice implementation. Respondents identified 196 problematic plants, with yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) and medusahead (Elymus caput-medusae L.) most commonly listed. Reported adoption and effectiveness of weed management practices varied regionally, but the most highly rated practice in general was herbicide use; however, respondents identified considerable challenges including nontarget effects, cost, and public perception. Livestock forage production was the most commonly reported management goals (64% of respondents), and 25% of respondents were interested in additional information on using grazing to manage invasive and weedy species; however, 19% of respondents who had used grazing for weed management did not perceive it to be an effective tool. Across management practices, we also found common barriers to implementation, including operational barriers (e.g., permitting, water availability), potential adverse impacts, actual effectiveness, and public perception. Land manager and practitioner identified commonalities of primary weeds, management goals, perceived practice effectiveness, and implementation barriers across diverse bioregions highlight major needs that could be immediately addressed through management-science partnerships across the state's expansive rangelands and natural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy K Schohr
- University of California Cooperative Extension, Quincy, CA, 95971, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Grace Woodmansee
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Julea Shaw
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Kenneth W Tate
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Leslie M Roche
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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26
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Ganjurjav H, Zhang Y, Gornish ES, Hu G, Li Y, Wan Y, Gao Q. Differential resistance and resilience of functional groups to livestock grazing maintain ecosystem stability in an alpine steppe on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. J Environ Manage 2019; 251:109579. [PMID: 31563601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem stability is one of the main factors maintaining ecosystem functioning and is closely related to temporal variability in productivity. Resistance and resilience reflect tolerance and recovering ability, respectively, of a plant community under perturbation, which are important for maintaining the stability of ecosystems. Generally, heavy grazing reduces the stability of grassland ecosystems, causing grassland degradation. However, how livestock grazing affects ecosystem stability is unclear in alpine steppe ecosystems. We conducted a five-year grazing experiment with Tibetan sheep in a semi-arid alpine steppe on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. The experimental treatments included no grazing (NG), light grazing (LG, 2.4 sheep per ha), moderate grazing (MG, 3.6 sheep per ha) and heavy grazing (HG, 6.0 sheep ha). We calculated resistance and resilience of three plant functional groups and ecosystem stability under the three grazing intensities using aboveground primary productivity. The results showed that with increasing grazing intensity, aboveground biomass of each functional group significantly decreased. As grazing intensity increased, the resistance of forbs first increased then decreased. The resilience of graminoids in HG was significantly lower than in LG plots, but the resilience of legumes in HG was higher than in LG and MG plots. The resilience of graminoids was significantly higher than legume and forbs under LG and MG treatments. In HG treatments, resilience of legumes was higher than graminoids and forbs. Ecosystem stability did not change under different grazing intensities, because of dissimilar performance of the resilience and resistance of functional groups. Our results highlight how the differential resistance and resilience of different function groups facilitate the tolerance of alpine steppe to grazing under even a heavy intensity. However, the degradation risk of alpine steppe under heavy grazing still needs to be considered in grassland management due to sharp decreases of productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasbagan Ganjurjav
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, College of Wetlands, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85821, USA
| | - Guozheng Hu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yue Li
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yunfan Wan
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qingzhu Gao
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of Arizona, Tucson Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Julea Shaw
- Plant SciencesUniversity of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Breahna M. Gillespie
- Plant SciencesUniversity of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
- Department of BiologySan Diego State University San Diego CA 92182 U.S.A
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28
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James JJ, Sheley RL, Leger EA, Adler PB, Hardegree SP, Gornish ES, Rinella MJ. Increased soil temperature and decreased precipitation during early life stages constrain grass seedling recruitment in cold desert restoration. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J. James
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Browns Valley CA USA
| | | | | | - Peter B. Adler
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT USA
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29
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Silva AD, Roche LM, Gornish ES. The use of strip-seeding for management of two late-season invasive plants. Heliyon 2019; 5:e01772. [PMID: 31193533 PMCID: PMC6535581 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread and persistence of weedy plants in rangelands highlight the need for refinement of existing management techniques and development of novel strategies to address invasions. Strip-seeding – the strategic seeding of a portion of an invaded area to reduce costs and enhance success – is an underutilized management approach that holds promise for reducing weed dominance in grassland habitats. A strip-seeding experiment was established in 2011 in a California grassland where portions (between 0-100%) of invaded plots were seeded with native grasses. In 2016, we assessed the height, above-ground biomass and flower production of two late-season invasive plants: field bindweed and prickly lettuce. We found significant reductions in plant height and flower production (for both target invasives), and biomass (for field bindweed) in many of the seeded strips compared to the unseeded strips. Smaller seed applications demonstrated similar or better utility for weed control compared to greater seed applications, suggesting that this approach can be effective while reducing labor and materials cost of typical restoration management approaches. We did not find evidence that seeded strips provided invasion resistance to unseeded strips. This is possibly due to the lag in native species dispersal and establishment into contiguous unseeded strips, and suggests that strip-seeding might not provide invasion resistance to unseeded strips on timescales that are relevant to managers. However, this work does suggest that strip-seeding native species that overlap in phenology with target invasives can reduce late-season weed dominance on rangelands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Dechen Silva
- Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Rua da Reitoria 109, Cidade Universitaria São Paulo, 05508-900 Brazil
| | - Leslie M Roche
- University of California, Davis. One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Elise S Gornish
- University of Arizona, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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30
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Ganjurjav H, Gornish ES, Hu G, Wan Y, Li Y, Danjiu L, Gao Q. Temperature leads to annual changes of plant community composition in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Environ Monit Assess 2018; 190:585. [PMID: 30209621 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6964-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In most grassland ecosystems, the effects of mean temperature increase on plant communities have been investigated; however, the effects of climate fluctuations on local plant community metrics are much less well understood. We conducted a nine-year survey in alpine meadow and alpine steppe to investigate the effects of inter-annual temperature and precipitation variation on plant community composition, species richness, and species diversity on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. We unexpectedly found that annual variability of growing season temperature, and not precipitation, is a driver of plant composition and species diversity in both habitats. Generally, increasing temperature had a negative effect on species diversity in meadow (r2 = 0.94) and steppe (r2 = 0.95). In the meadow habitat, the proportion of grass decreased with increasing temperature and ultimately had positive impacts on the proportion of sedges. In steppe habitat, legumes increased and forbs decreased with the increase of growing season temperature; both legumes and forbs negatively affected proportion of grass and resulted in grass remaining stable under temperature change. Our results provide evidence that responses of functional group composition and species richness to temporal change of temperature are very different from those responses to mean temperature increase on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. In our results, temperature is a main regulator for annual variation of functional group composition and species richness, while soil water content is a dominant regulator for community responses in other experimental warming studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasbagan Ganjurjav
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CAAS. No. 12 South Street Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85821, USA
| | - Guozheng Hu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CAAS. No. 12 South Street Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunfan Wan
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CAAS. No. 12 South Street Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Li
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CAAS. No. 12 South Street Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Luobu Danjiu
- Nagqu Grassland Station, Nagqu, 852100, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingzhu Gao
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, CAAS. No. 12 South Street Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory for Agro-Environment & Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; 1064 E Lowell Street, Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Leslie M. Roche
- University of California Davis; One Shields Avenue, Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
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32
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Liang M, Chen J, Gornish ES, Bai X, Li Z, Liang C. Grazing effect on grasslands escalated by abnormal precipitations in Inner Mongolia. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8187-8196. [PMID: 30250694 PMCID: PMC6144992 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Grazing effects on arid and semi-arid grasslands can be constrained by aridity. Plant functional groups (PFGs) are the most basic component of community structure (CS) and biodiversity & ecosystem function (BEF). They have been suggested as identity-dependent in quantifying the response to grazing intensity and drought severity. Here, we examine how the relationships among PFGs, CS, BEF, and grazing intensity are driven by climatic drought. We conducted a manipulative experiment with three grazing intensities in 2012 (nondrought year) and 2013 (drought year). We classified 62 herbaceous plants into four functional groups based on their life forms. We used the relative species abundance of PFGs to quantify the effects of grazing and drought, and to explore the mechanisms for the pathway correlations using structural equation models (SEM) among PFGs, CS, and BEF directly or indirectly. Grazers consistently favored the perennial forbs (e.g., palatable or nutritious plants), decreasing the plants' relative abundance by 23%-38%. Drought decreased the relative abundance of ephemeral plants by 42 ± 13%; and increased perennial forbs by 20 ± 7% and graminoids by 80 ± 31%. SEM confirmed that annuals and biennials had negative correlations with the other three PFGs, with perennial bunchgrasses facilitated by perennial rhizome grass. Moreover, the contributions of grazing to community structure (i.e., canopy height) were 1.6-6.1 times those from drought, whereas drought effect on community species richness was 3.6 times of the grazing treatment. Lastly, the interactive effects of grazing and drought on BEF were greater than either alone; particularly, drought escalated grazing damage on primary production. Synthesis. The responses of PFGs, CS, and BEF to grazing and drought were identity-dependent, suggesting that grazing and drought regulation of plant functional groups might be a way to shape ecosystem structure and function in grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maowei Liang
- School of Ecology and EnvironmentInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial SciencesCenter for Global Change and Earth ObservationsMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
| | - Jiquan Chen
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial SciencesCenter for Global Change and Earth ObservationsMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichigan
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentThe University of ArizonaTucsonArizona
| | - Xue Bai
- School of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MaineOronoMaine
| | - Zhiyong Li
- School of Ecology and EnvironmentInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Cunzhu Liang
- School of Ecology and EnvironmentInner Mongolia UniversityHohhotChina
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33
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Eastburn DJ, Roche LM, Doran MP, Blake PR, Bouril CS, Gamble G, Gornish ES. Seeding plants for long-term multiple ecosystem service goals. J Environ Manage 2018; 211:191-197. [PMID: 29408066 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The historical management of agroecological systems, such as California's rangelands, have received criticism for a singular focus on agricultural production goals, while society has shifting expectations to the supply of multiple ecosystem services from these working landscapes. The sustainability and the multiple benefits derived from these complex social-ecological systems is increasingly threatened by weed invasion, extreme disturbance, urban development, and the impacts of a rapidly changing and increasingly variable climate. California's grasslands, oak savannas, and oak woodlands are among the most invaded ecosystems in the world. Weed eradication efforts are rarely combined with seeding on these landscapes despite support for the inclusion of the practice in a weed management program. Depending on seed mix choice, cost and long-term uncertainty, especially for native seed, is an impediment to adoption by land managers. We investigated four seeding mixes (forage annual, native perennial, exotic perennial, and exotic-native perennial) to evaluate how these treatments resist reinvasion and support the delivery of simultaneous multiple ecosystem services (invasion resistance, native richness, nitrogen fixing plants, pollinator food sources, plant community diversity, forage quality, and productivity). We found the increase of exotic and native perennial cover will drive resistance to an invading weedy summer flowering forb Centaurea solstitialis but provides a mixed response to resisting invasive annual grasses. The resistance to invasion is coupled with little tradeoff in forage productivity and quality and gains in plant diversity and native cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Eastburn
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA.
| | - Leslie M Roche
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; University of California Cooperative Extension, USA
| | | | - Philip R Blake
- United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USA
| | - Chip S Bouril
- United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USA
| | | | - Elise S Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, USA
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Gornish ES, Eastburn DJ, Oneto S, Roche LM. Livestock grazing and topographic site effects on grassland plant communities after long-term grazing cessation. Rangel J 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/rj18020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Ranchers are increasingly expected to manage grasslands for forage production and native biodiversity enhancement goals. However, longstanding relationships between grazing and plant species are often understudied because elucidating effects of grazing absence and presence often requires experimental opportunities that are difficult to establish, such as the introduction of grazing to long-term ungrazed pastures. Addressing this knowledge gap is critical for heterogeneous landscapes where site-specific properties might interact with grazing effects to ultimately structure plant communities. We conducted vegetation surveys for 3 years after grazing was reintroduced to an annual California grassland that was not grazed for more than 60 years. We investigated how grazing affected plant communities in terms of cover and richness of native and invasive species and how topographic sites of summit, backslope and toeslope altered these relationships. The plant communities were affected by the independent effects of grazing, site and year. Across years, native cover was 39% greater in grazed plots compared with ungrazed plots. Native species richness was slightly lower in ungrazed compared with grazed plots for toeslope sites relative to the other topographic positions. Invasive species cover was 17% lower in grazed plots compared with ungrazed plots and no predictors were found to contribute to significant differences across plots. Although we generally did not find expected relationships between site and plant response to grazing, this work demonstrates how managers can use livestock to quickly modify plant communities in areas with a long history of grazing absence.
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35
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Matzek
- Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences; Santa Clara University; Santa Clara CA 95053 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and Environment; University of Arizona; Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
| | - Kristin B. Hulvey
- Department of Wildland Resources; Utah State University; Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
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36
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Hulvey KB, Leger EA, Porensky LM, Roche LM, Veblen KE, Fund A, Shaw J, Gornish ES. Restoration islands: a tool for efficiently restoring dryland ecosystems? Restor Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristin B. Hulvey
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
- The Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth A. Leger
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia Street Reno NV 89557 U.S.A
| | - Lauren M. Porensky
- Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit USDA‐ARS 1701 Centre Avenue Fort Collins CO 80526 U.S.A
| | - Leslie M. Roche
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Kari E. Veblen
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
- The Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
| | - Adam Fund
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
- The Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT 84322 U.S.A
| | - Julea Shaw
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Elise S. Gornish
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 U.S.A
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Gornish ES, Lennox MS, Lewis D, Tate KW, Jackson RD. Comparing herbaceous plant communities in active and passive riparian restoration. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176338. [PMID: 28448544 PMCID: PMC5407843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the efficacy of passive (reduction or cessation of environmental stress) and active (typically involving planting or seeding) restoration strategies is important for the design of successful revegetation of degraded riparian habitat, but studies explicitly comparing restoration outcomes are uncommon. We sampled the understory herbaceous plant community of 103 riparian sites varying in age since restoration (0 to 39 years) and revegetation technique (active, passive, or none) to compare the utility of different approaches on restoration success across sites. We found that landform type, percent shade, and summer flow helped explain differences in the understory functional community across all sites. In passively restored sites, grass and forb cover and richness were inversely related to site age, but in actively restored sites forb cover and richness were inversely related to site age. Native cover and richness were lower with passive restoration compared to active restoration. Invasive species cover and richness were not significantly different across sites. Although some of our results suggest that active restoration would best enhance native species in degraded riparian areas, this work also highlights some of the context-dependency that has been found to mediate restoration outcomes. For example, since the effects of passive restoration can be quite rapid, this approach might be more useful than active restoration in situations where rapid dominance of pioneer species is required to arrest major soil loss through erosion. As a result, we caution against labeling one restoration technique as better than another. Managers should identify ideal restoration outcomes in the context of historic and current site characteristics (as well as a range of acceptable alternative states) and choose restoration approaches that best facilitate the achievement of revegetation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael S. Lennox
- University of California Cooperative Extension, Marin/Sonoma/Mendocino Counties, Novato, CA, United States of America
| | - David Lewis
- University of California Cooperative Extension, Marin/Sonoma/Mendocino Counties, Novato, CA, United States of America
| | - Kenneth W. Tate
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Randall D. Jackson
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
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Gornish ES, Ambrozio dos Santos P. Invasive species cover, soil type, and grazing interact to predict long-term grassland restoration success. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- Department of Plant Sciences; University of California; Davis, One Shields Avenue, Mail Stop 1 Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Patrícia Ambrozio dos Santos
- Department of Forestry; Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ); Rodovia BR 465 Seropedica RJ 23851-970 Brazil
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Abstract
Local ecological communities represent the scale at which species coexist and share resources, and at which diversity has been experimentally shown to underlie stability, productivity, invasion resistance, and other desirable community properties. Globally, community diversity shows a mixture of increases and decreases over recent decades, and these changes have relatively seldom been linked to climatic trends. In a heterogeneous California grassland, we documented declining plant diversity from 2000 to 2014 at both the local community (5 m(2)) and landscape (27 km(2)) scales, across multiple functional groups and soil environments. Communities became particularly poorer in native annual forbs, which are present as small seedlings in midwinter; within native annual forbs, community composition changed toward lower representation of species with a trait indicating drought intolerance (high specific leaf area). Time series models linked diversity decline to the significant decrease in midwinter precipitation. Livestock grazing history, fire, succession, N deposition, and increases in exotic species could be ruled out as contributing causes. This finding is among the first demonstrations to our knowledge of climate-driven directional loss of species diversity in ecological communities in a natural (nonexperimental) setting. Such diversity losses, which may also foreshadow larger-scale extinctions, may be especially likely in semiarid regions that are undergoing climatic trends toward higher aridity and lower productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan P Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616;
| | - Elise S Gornish
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Stella Copeland
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
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Gornish ES, Leuzinger S. Introduction to the Special Issue: Across the horizon: scale effects in global change research. AoB Plants 2015; 7:plv079. [PMID: 26174145 PMCID: PMC4564050 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
As a result of the increasing speed and magnitude in which habitats worldwide are experiencing environmental change, making accurate predictions of the effects of global change on ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them have become an important goal for ecologists. Experimental and modelling approaches aimed at understanding the linkages between factors of global change and biotic responses have become numerous and increasingly complex in order to adequately capture the multifarious dynamics associated with these relationships. However, constrained by resources, experiments are often conducted at small spatiotemporal scales (e.g. looking at a plot of a few square metres over a few years) and at low organizational levels (looking at organisms rather than ecosystems) in spite of both theoretical and experimental work that suggests ecological dynamics across scales can be dissimilar. This phenomenon has been hypothesized to occur because the mechanisms that drive dynamics across scales differ. A good example is the effect of elevated CO2 on transpiration. While at the leaf level, transpiration can be reduced, at the stand level, transpiration can increase because leaf area per unit ground area increases. The reported net effect is then highly dependent on the spatiotemporal scale. This special issue considers the biological relevancy inherent in the patterns associated with the magnitude and type of response to changing environmental conditions, across scales. This collection of papers attempts to provide a comprehensive treatment of this phenomenon in order to help develop an understanding of the extent of, and mechanisms involved with, ecological response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Gornish
- Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Gornish ES, Miller TE. Plant community responses to simultaneous changes in temperature, nitrogen availability, and invasion. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123715. [PMID: 25879440 PMCID: PMC4400009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing rates of change in climate have been observed across the planet and have contributed to the ongoing range shifts observed for many species. Although ecologists are now using a variety of approaches to study how much and through what mechanisms increasing temperature and nutrient pollution may influence the invasions inherent in range shifts, accurate predictions are still lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we conducted a factorial experiment, simultaneously manipulating warming, nitrogen addition and introduction of Pityopsis aspera, to determine how range-shifting species affect a plant community. We quantified the resident community using ordination scores, then used structural equation modeling to examine hypotheses related to how plants respond to a network of experimental treatments and environmental variables. Variation in soil pH explained plant community response to nitrogen addition in the absence of invasion. However, in the presence of invasion, the direct effect of nitrogen on the community was negligible and soil moisture was important for explaining nitrogen effects. We did not find effects of warming on the native plant community in the absence of invasion. In the presence of invasion, however, warming had negative effects on functional richness directly and invasion and herbivory explained the overall positive effect of warming on the plant community. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE This work highlights the variation in the biotic and abiotic factors responsible for explaining independent and collective climate change effects over a short time scale. Future work should consider the complex and non-additive relationships among factors of climate change and invasion in order to capture more ecologically relevant features of our changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas E. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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Gornish ES. Interactive effects of nitrogen addition, warming and invasion across organizational levels in an old-field plant community. AoB Plants 2014; 6:plu061. [PMID: 25301820 PMCID: PMC4220848 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plu061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Response to global change is dependent on the level of biological organization (e.g. the ecologically relevant spatial scale) in which species are embedded. For example, individual responses can affect population-level responses, which, in turn, can affect community-level responses. Although relationships are known to exist among responses to global change across levels of biological organization, formal investigations of these relationships are still uncommon. I conducted an exploratory analysis to identify how nitrogen addition and warming by open top chambers might affect plants across spatial scales by estimating treatment effect size at the leaf level, the plant level and the community level. Moreover, I investigated if the presence of Pityopsis aspera, an experimentally introduced plant species, modified the relationship between spatial scale and effect size across treatments. I found that, overall, the spatial scale significantly contributes to differences in effect size, supporting previous work which suggests that mechanisms driving biotic response to global change are scale dependent. Interestingly, the relationship between spatial scale and effect size in both the absence and presence of experimental invasion is very similar for nitrogen addition and warming treatments. The presence of invasion, however, did not affect the relationship between spatial scale and effect size, suggesting that in this system, invasion may not exacerbate or attenuate climate change effects. This exercise highlights the value of moving beyond integration and scaling to the practice of directly testing for scale effects within single experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Gornish
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA Present address: Plant Sciences, University at California, Davis 95616, USA
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Gornish ES. Effects of density and fire on the vital rates and population growth of a perennial goldenaster. AoB Plants 2013; 5:plt041. [PMCID: PMC4455675 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plt041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In a novel analysis, a regression-design life-table response experiment was used to determine how the interaction of fire and density affected vital rates of the perennial composite Pityopsis aspera, and ultimately how these changes in vital rates contributed to differences in estimated population growth rates. Intraspecific density effects are generally associated with other factors, like disturbance. Therefore, the ways in which density effects might interact with disturbance to modify the relationships between vital rates and population growth must be understood. I quantified the effects of density on the life-history stages of the perennial composite Pityopsis aspera over 3 years, the span of which included years in which fire did and did not occur. In an experimental study, I estimated the survival, growth and reproduction for shoots in plots established across a natural range of densities in Florida, USA. In a novel analysis, a regression-design life-table response experiment was used to determine which transitions were associated with density, how they contributed to differences in estimated population growth rates and how this relationship differed as a result of fire. The shape of the relationship between population growth rate (λ) and density was modified by fire, primarily as a result of contributions from adult flowering stasis and survival, and first-year survival probabilities. Fire modified and even reversed the effect of extreme densities on adult flowering stasis and survival and of first-year survival, resulting in more positive contributions from these transitions to λ at the lowest and highest density values. These results demonstrate the first application of a regression-design life-table response experiment to elucidating the interactive effects of density and fire. They highlight the utility of this approach for both capturing the complex dynamics of populations and establishing a means of determining how vital rates might contribute to differences in demography across densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S. Gornish
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
- Present address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 9561, USA
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Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Processes that drive ecological dynamics differ across spatial scales. Therefore, the pathways through which plant communities and plant-insect relationships respond to changing environmental conditions are also expected to be scale-dependent. Furthermore, the processes that affect individual species or interactions at single sites may differ from those affecting communities across multiple sites. METHODS We reviewed and synthesized peer-reviewed literature to identify patterns in biotic or abiotic pathways underpinning changes in the composition and diversity of plant communities under three components of climate change (increasing temperature, CO2, and changes in precipitation) and how these differ across spatial scales. We also explored how these changes to plants affect plant-insect interactions. KEY RESULTS The relative frequency of biotic vs. abiotic pathways of climate effects at larger spatial scales often differ from those at smaller scales. Local-scale studies show variable responses to climate drivers, often driven by biotic factors. However, larger scale studies identify changes to species composition and/or reduced diversity as a result of abiotic factors. Differing pathways of climate effects can result from different responses of multiple species, habitat effects, and differing effects of invasions at local vs. regional to global scales. Plant community changes can affect higher trophic levels as a result of spatial or phenological mismatch, foliar quality changes, and plant abundance changes, though studies on plant-insect interactions at larger scales are rare. CONCLUSIONS Climate-induced changes to plant communities will have considerable effects on community-scale trophic exchanges, which may differ from the responses of individual species or pairwise interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Gornish
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4295, USA.
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Gornish ES, Hamilton JA, Barberán A, Benito BM, Binzer A, DeMeester JE, Gruwez R, Moreira B, Taheri S, Tomiolo S, Vinagre C, Vuarin P, Weaver J. Interdisciplinary Climate Change Collaborations Are Essential for Early-Career Scientists. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/2013eo160003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Ibáñez I, Gornish ES, Buckley L, Debinski DM, Hellmann J, Helmuth B, HilleRisLambers J, Latimer AM, Miller-Rushing AJ, Uriarte M. Moving forward in global-change ecology: capitalizing on natural variability. Ecol Evol 2012; 3:170-81. [PMID: 23404535 PMCID: PMC3568852 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural resources managers are being asked to follow practices that accommodate for the impact of climate change on the ecosystems they manage, while global-ecosystems modelers aim to forecast future responses under different climate scenarios. However, the lack of scientific knowledge about short-term ecosystem responses to climate change has made it difficult to define set conservation practices or to realistically inform ecosystem models. Until recently, the main goal for ecologists was to study the composition and structure of communities and their implications for ecosystem function, but due to the probable magnitude and irreversibility of climate-change effects (species extinctions and loss of ecosystem function), a shorter term focus on responses of ecosystems to climate change is needed. We highlight several underutilized approaches for studying the ecological consequences of climate change that capitalize on the natural variability of the climate system at different temporal and spatial scales. For example, studying organismal responses to extreme climatic events can inform about the resilience of populations to global warming and contribute to the assessment of local extinctions. Translocation experiments and gene expression are particular useful to quantitate a species' acclimation potential to global warming. And studies along environmental gradients can guide habitat restoration and protection programs by identifying vulnerable species and sites. These approaches identify the processes and mechanisms underlying species acclimation to changing conditions, combine different analytical approaches, and can be used to improve forecasts of the short-term impacts of climate change and thus inform conservation practices and ecosystem models in a meaningful way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibáñez
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
| | - Elise S Gornish
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida
| | - Lauren Buckley
- Biology Department, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Diane M Debinski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa
| | - Jessica Hellmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana
| | - Brian Helmuth
- Environment and Sustainability Program and Department of Biological Sciences, University of South CarolinaColumbia, South Carolina
| | | | - Andrew M Latimer
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, DavisDavis, California
| | - Abraham J Miller-Rushing
- National Park Service, Schoodic Education and Research Center and Acadia National ParkBar Harbor, Maine
| | - Maria Uriarte
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York
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