Classification of montane grasslands in central Argentina

IF 2 3区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ECOLOGY

Applied Vegetation Science Pub Date : 2024-11-13 DOI:10.1111/avsc.70000

Sebastián R. Zeballos, Juan José Cantero, Melisa A. Giorgis, Alicia T. R. Acosta, César O. Núñez, M. Virginia Palchetti, Daihana S. Argibay, Marcelo R. Cabido

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Abstract

Question

We address the following questions: (1) which are the main plant communities in montane grasslands in central Argentina; (2) do those communities differ in terms of floristic composition, endemisms, chorotypes and life forms; and (3) which are the major environmental variables (climatic, topographic and edaphic) associated with the heterogeneity of the vegetation?

Location

Pampean Mountains (Sierras Pampeanas), Córdoba Province, central Argentina, an area of ca. 37,000 km².

Methods

The survey was based on a data set comprising 746 relevés and 822 vascular plant species, collected in accordance with the Braun-Blanquet sampling method. The data were classified using the hierarchical ISOmetric feature mapping and Partitioning Around Medoids, and ordinated through isometric feature mapping (ISOPAM). The environmental variables were related to the ISOPAM ordination.

Results

The ISOPAM classification identified two clusters, five vegetation types and 17 plant communities, which were distributed across different elevations. There were notable differences in the diagnostic species, average percentages of endemic species, chorotypes and life forms among the various vegetation types and plant communities. The primary gradient in grassland vegetation was found to be associated with elevation and related climatic variables.

Conclusions

The study provides valuable insights into the montane grasslands of the Sierras Pampeanas in central Argentina. It presents a comprehensive classification of the region's grasslands, including tall tussock grasslands, humid grasslands, stony grasslands, and grasslands with scattered shrubs and trees. Each recognized unit is distinguished by diagnostic species and a distinct floristic composition. Our findings emphasize a significant division between grasslands at higher elevation, abundant in Andean species, and Piedmont and shrubby grasslands at lower elevations, characterized by a higher prevalence of Chacoan and other Neotropical species. Grassland vegetation in other regions of the Sierras Pampeanas remains poorly studied, requiring additional research to determine the syntaxonomic position of this vegetation.

Abstract Image

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阿根廷中部山地草原的分类

问题我们探讨了以下问题：(1) 阿根廷中部山地草原的主要植物群落有哪些；(2) 这些群落在植物组成、特有性、类型和生命形式方面是否存在差异；(3) 与植被异质性相关的主要环境变量（气候、地形和土壤）有哪些？地点阿根廷中部科尔多瓦省潘潘山脉（Sierras Pampeanas），面积约 37,000 平方公里。调查方法根据布劳恩-布兰凯（Braun-Blanquet）取样法收集的数据集进行调查，数据集包括 746 个红叶和 822 个维管束植物物种。数据采用分层 ISOmetric 特征制图和 Medoids 周围分区进行分类，并通过等距特征制图（ISOPAM）进行排序。环境变量与 ISOPAM 排序相关。结果 ISOPAM 分类确定了两个群组、五种植被类型和 17 个植物群落，它们分布在不同的海拔高度。不同植被类型和植物群落之间在诊断物种、特有物种的平均比例、群落类型和生命形式方面存在明显差异。研究发现，草原植被的主要梯度与海拔高度和相关气候变量有关。结论该研究为深入了解阿根廷中部潘潘山脉的山地草原提供了宝贵的资料。它对该地区的草地进行了全面的分类，包括高草丛草地、湿润草地、石质草地以及有零星灌木和树木的草地。每个公认的单元都有诊断性物种和独特的植物组成。我们的研究结果表明，海拔较高的草原与海拔较低的皮埃蒙特草原和灌木草原之间存在着明显的差异，前者盛产安第斯物种，而后者则以较多的查科和其他新热带物种为特征。对帕潘潘山脉其他地区的草原植被的研究仍然很少，需要进行更多的研究，以确定这些植被在植物学中的位置。

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来源期刊

Applied Vegetation Science 环境科学-林学

CiteScore

6.00

自引率

10.70%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Applied Vegetation Science focuses on community-level topics relevant to human interaction with vegetation, including global change, nature conservation, nature management, restoration of plant communities and of natural habitats, and the planning of semi-natural and urban landscapes. Vegetation survey, modelling and remote-sensing applications are welcome. Papers on vegetation science which do not fit to this scope (do not have an applied aspect and are not vegetation survey) should be directed to our associate journal, the Journal of Vegetation Science. Both journals publish papers on the ecology of a single species only if it plays a key role in structuring plant communities.