Applied Vegetation Science最新文献

{"title":"Restoration of invaded temperate grasslands: species phenology adds to microsite and seed availability","authors":"Cecilia D. Molina,&nbsp;Pedro M. Tognetti,&nbsp;Pamela Graff","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12742","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12742","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Restoring diversity in temperate grasslands requires eliminating invaders and recovering different native phenological groups. Clipping and seed addition promote native grass recovery, but these effects could depend on the phenological overlap between invaders and native species. We evaluated the importance of the interaction between two types of clipping, species phenology and sowing to restore temperate grasslands invaded by the cool-season forage species <i>Festuca arundinacea</i> (tall fescue).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Flooding Pampa grassland (Buenos Aires, Argentina).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We applied selective and non-selective clipping on tall fescue during the peak growing season, combined with the sowing of native cool- and warm-season grasses. Plant species cover was estimated visually for 3 years; species were categorized by functional groups. Moreover, through emergence trials, we evaluated whether the soil seed bank had been impoverished by invasion.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Regardless of selectivity, clipping decreased tall fescue cover by 12%/year, which reduced microsite limitation. Consequently, total native richness increased by 5 spp./year and cover increased from 3% to 50% by the last experimental year, independent of clipping type. Moreover, native warm-season grasses, the group with the least phenological overlap with invaders, increased by nearly 25% in cover and by 5 spp./m² with clipping and independently of sowing. Contrarily, native cool-season grasses, with more phenological overlap with invaders, increased 5% with propagule addition. Furthermore, the seed bank was enriched with tall fescue and depleted of cool-season grasses.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results reveal that overcoming microsite limitation is a necessary condition to restore plant diversity in grassland invaded by tall fescue. Nevertheless, seed limitation and phenological overlap may be particularly important to restore the diversity of some native functional groups of plants. Considering the phenology of species can help to identify either clipping targets or phenological groups to be sown when restoring native diversity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43013807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of long-term mowing on species diversity, biomass and composition of plant community in a semi-arid grassland in northeastern China","authors":"Nazim Hassan,&nbsp;Zhiwei Zhong,&nbsp;Deli Wang,&nbsp;Yu Zhu,&nbsp;Iqra Naeem,&nbsp;Abel Bui Ahungu,&nbsp;Ho Yi Wan,&nbsp;Xiaofei Li","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12743","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12743","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>How does long-term, moderate-intensity mowing affect plant community diversity, biomass, and composition in semi-arid grasslands? And what are the underlying mechanisms that drive differences in plant community structure and functions between mowed and unmowed grasslands?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A semi-arid grassland in Jilin Province, northeastern China.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In a 30-year experiment, we investigated long-term effects of mowing on the grassland ecosystem in northeastern China by comparing plant community diversity, biomass, and composition between mowed and unmowed permanent plots across six grasslands.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Long-term mowing did not affect plant species richness, but increased species evenness by 29%. Mowing had little effects on above-ground (shoot) and below-ground (root) biomass. The unchanged above-ground biomass in the mowed areas was attributed to a trade-off between biomass of grasses and forbs: mowing significantly increased forb biomass by 50%, but reduced grass biomass by 20% and the grass to forb biomass ratio by 46%. Mowing also reduced biomass of the dominant <i>Leymus chinensis</i> grass by 24% and litter biomass by 56%. Regression analyses indicated that the species evenness was negatively affected by <i>L. chinensis</i> biomass and litter biomass.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study demonstrates that, although long-term moderate mowing has limited effects on plant species richness and plant biomass, such a managed strategy can greatly reduce the dominance of grass species and allow the growth of forb species, leading to a higher species evenness in the plant community. This win–win situation promotes forage production for farmers while increasing plant diversity for conservation, suggesting that current mowing tactics can be a sustainable management practice in this ecosystem. However, the continuous loss of plant litter because of mowing may have negative influences on soil nutrient availability in the long run. From this perspective, a short-term halt in mowing or fertilization that allows plants and soil nutrients to recover could represent a more optimal protocol for management.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46164447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facilitation by pioneer trees and herbivore exclusion allow regeneration of woody species in the semiarid ecosystem of central Chile","authors":"Nicolás A. Gómez-Fernández,&nbsp;Cecilia Smith-Ramírez,&nbsp;Cristian A. Delpiano,&nbsp;Alejandro Miranda,&nbsp;Inao A. Vásquez,&nbsp;Pablo I. Becerra","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12741","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12741","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Facilitation by pioneer plants and herbivore exclusion may contribute to plant regeneration and restoration of degraded semiarid ecosystems. In this study we evaluated the main and interactive effects of the exclusion of large and medium-sized mammal herbivores and the presence of the pioneer tree <i>Vachellia caven</i> on natural regeneration of woody species in degraded savannas.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two localities of the native sclerophyllous forest of central Chile</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Twelve 30 × 40 m exclosures and twelve non-exclosure areas located near native forests were established in savannas of <i>V. caven</i> in each locality. Regeneration coming from seeds and resprouts was sampled both under the canopy of <i>V. caven</i> and without canopy in each exclosure and non-excluded area.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>After seven years, species richness and density of older regeneration (0.5–2 m high) were positively affected by herbivore exclusion and the presence of <i>V. caven</i>. No significant interaction between herbivore exclusion and <i>V. caven</i> was observed. Younger regeneration (&lt;0.5 m high) was positively affected by herbivore exclusion and the presence of <i>V. caven</i> only in some years with almost no interactive effect.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The exclusion of large and medium-sized exotic herbivores and facilitation by pioneer trees are complementary for regeneration. The variable but permanent presence of younger and older regeneration within exclosures and under <i>V. caven</i> during the experiment may lead to an increase of density and diversity of adult plants and recovery of the native forest. However, this process may be slow due to other limiting factors, for instance, reduced precipitation associated with climate change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47078468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and non-target effects of herbicides in foothills grassland restoration are short-lived","authors":"Rachelle Lugar,&nbsp;Cara R. Nelson,&nbsp;Viktoria Wagner","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12738","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12738","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Selective herbicides are frequently used in ecological restoration to control invasive non-native forbs and recover plant communities. However, the long-term efficacy of this practice, its non-target effects on native plants, and its role in facilitating secondary invasions are not well understood. Similarly, little is known about the extent to which herbicide drift may affect native plant communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Foothills grasslands of Montana, USA.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a 6-year experiment to investigate changes in the abundance of a target invasive plant, knapweed (<i>Centaurea stoebe</i> subsp. <i>micranthos</i>) and plant community structure in response to the herbicides Tordon® (picloram) and Milestone® (aminopyralid), applied at a recommended rate and a diluted rate that simulated drift.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Knapweed cover and the richness of native and non-native forb species declined in the first 3 years in response to treatment at recommended rates, but not drift rates. Secondary invasion by non-native monocots was significant but weak. The cover of native forbs and the cover and richness of native monocots did not differ among treatments but changed significantly with the year. Surprisingly, 6 years after treatments, there were no differences among treatments in the cover of the target invasive plant or community structure.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our results demonstrate that the efficacy and non-target effects of herbicides in grassland restoration can be short-lived and idiosyncratic because of year effects. Restoration of knapweed invasions might require other active interventions, such as seeding or repeated spraying. Our study supports previous calls for long-term monitoring of herbicides application in ecological restoration.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avsc.12738","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45455544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What is a suitable management for Typha latifolia control in wet meadows?","authors":"Jan Titěra,&nbsp;Lenka Pavlů,&nbsp;Vilém V. Pavlů,&nbsp;Petr Blažek","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12740","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12740","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Typha latifolia</i> causes serious problems in wet meadows by overgrowing and suppressing other native plants. To determine suitable management for <i>T. latifolia</i> control, we addressed the following question: What are the effects of long-term cutting at different frequencies (once or twice per year and no management) and biomass removal on cover and other characteristics of <i>T. latifolia</i>, and on sward productivity and plant species composition?</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Malá Strana nature reserve, Jizerské hory Mountains, Czechia.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A long-term experiment arranged in a randomised block design with three blocks was established in 2005. Data were collected from five treatments: unmanaged control; cutting once a year in June without biomass removal and with biomass removal; cutting twice per year in June and August without biomass removal and with biomass removal. Percentage cover of <i>T. latifolia</i> and other vascular plant species was visually estimated and <i>T. latifolia</i> characteristics (tiller density, height, dry-matter biomass [DMB] yield and litter), sward height and DMB yield were measured during 2005–2018 at the end of June.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results and Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Regular cutting once or twice per year regardless of cut biomass removal led to reductions in tiller density, height, litter and DMB yield of <i>T. latifolia.</i> Biomass removal had only a slight tendency to affect <i>T. latifolia</i> characteristics. The higher frequency of cutting significantly decreased the mean <i>T. latifolia</i> cover, litter and DMB yield. Cutting once or twice per year regardless of biomass removal led to successive changes in plant species composition but had no effect on the species richness and evenness.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cutting at least once per year without biomass removal seems to be sufficient to achieve a decrease in DMB yield and litter of <i>T. latifolia</i> plants, and thereby maintain the wet-meadow vegetation without loss of species richness and also preventing the overgrowth of shrubs and trees.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avsc.12740","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47033874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trait variation in juvenile plants from the soil seed bank of temperate forests in relation to macro- and microclimate","authors":"Cristina Gasperini,&nbsp;Elisa Carrari,&nbsp;Sanne Govaert,&nbsp;Camille Meeussen,&nbsp;Karen De Pauw,&nbsp;Jan Plue,&nbsp;Pieter Sanczuk,&nbsp;Thomas Vanneste,&nbsp;Pieter Vangansbeke,&nbsp;Giovanni Iacopetti,&nbsp;Pieter De Frenne,&nbsp;Federico Selvi","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12739","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12739","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aim</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The soil seed bank is a key component of the biodiversity of plant communities, but various aspects of its functioning in temperate forest ecosystems are still unknown<i>.</i> We here adopted a trait-based approach to investigate the effects of macro- and microclimatic gradients on the juvenile plant communities from the realized seed bank of two types of European temperate forest.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Oak-dominated forests in Italy and Belgium.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analysed the variation of key functional traits (plant height, leaf area, leaf dry weight, specific leaf area and leaf number) of juvenile plants from the realised soil seed bank in relation to elevation (from 0 to 800 m a.s.l.), forest type (thinned and unthinned forest) and distance to the forest edge. We translocated soil samples from the forest core to the edge (and vice versa) and from high- to low-elevation forests to test the effects of edge and warming respectively.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Taller communities developed at the forest edge due to higher light availability and warmer temperatures. The translocation from the core to the edge did not significantly modify mean trait values. Instead, the shadier and cooler microclimate of the forest core reduced the mean leaf area, mean dry weight, height and leaf number in the communities realised from the edge soil. The translocation from high- to lowland forests led to increased values for all traits (except specific leaf area). Edge vs core trait variation was more driven by intraspecific variability, whereas the translocation from high- to low-elevation forests caused trait changes mostly due to species turnover.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Global warming might result in a functional shift of the understorey due to both an early filtering effect on the seedlings from soil seed banks and their adaptive trait adjustments to temperature increase. Furthermore, our study underpins the importance of edge vs core microclimate in driving the functional composition of the realised soil seed bank.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avsc.12739","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47607876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Livestock grazing is an effective conservation tool for Californian coastal grassland ecology: An eight-year study on vegetation dynamics","authors":"Andrew W. Evans,&nbsp;Brian D. Woodward,&nbsp;A. Christy Wyckoff,&nbsp;David Toledo,&nbsp;Sara Duke,&nbsp;Christy Fischer,&nbsp;Claudio Núñez,&nbsp;Rodrigo Sierra-Corona","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12736","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12736","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Questions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <div>Livestock grazing is an expanding land management tool for habitat and fuel management in California grassland ecosystems, despite mixed conclusions about its effects. Our study investigated the following questions:\u0000\u0000 <ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Does a targeted grazing regime promote grassland functioning by clearing bare ground and reducing dead litter cover?</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Does targeted grazing reduce grassland fuels?</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Does targeted grazing promote native species cover and diversity?</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Does targeted grazing reduce non-native, invasive species cover and diversity?</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Location</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California, USA.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Monitoring grazed and ungrazed treatment plots within 17 study sites, we surveyed the effects of a targeted grazing regime on bare ground cover, litter cover and depth, herb height, and diversity and cover of different native and non-native species groups over an eight-year period.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>On average, grazing successfully increased bare ground (by 2.8% cover), decreased litter depth (by 3.5 cm) and cover (by 12%), and decreased herb height (by 3.9 cm). Grazed plots had greater cover of native annual forbs (+1.2% cover), while decreasing invasive <i>Bromus diandrus</i> (by 6.0% cover). There was no difference in either native or non-native species diversity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Targeted grazing can be an appropriate tool to accomplish conservation goals, including biomass management and canopy clearing, while improving native annual forbs without risk to native species as a whole. Further steps in adaptive management must examine how the application of grazing may be altered to further promote native species and to inhibit invasive species.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46154441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of thinning on functional and phylogenetic diversity of regenerated woody plants in plantations over time","authors":"Jin Xie,&nbsp;Shuai Fang,&nbsp;Qiaoling Yan","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12737","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12737","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Aims&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Conversion of natural mixed forests into monoculture plantations results in a loss of biodiversity, and consequently leads to serious ecological problems (e.g. soil acidification and soil fertility declines) by controlling the quantity and quality of litter entering the soil. Plant diversity in the understorey is the most important component of aboveground biodiversity in plantations and plays a critical role in the sustainable development of plantations. Thinning has been proven effective in promoting the regeneration of understorey plants, and most studies have targeted the effects of thinning on a single biodiversity index (e.g. species richness) of the understorey in plantations. The effects of thinning on functional and phylogenetic diversity are less addressed, however, which could limit the full understanding of biodiversity maintenance and potential processes of community assembly integrally in plantations after thinning.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Location&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Northeast China.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;We chose young and middle-aged larch (&lt;i&gt;Larix kaempferi&lt;/i&gt;) plantations based on the time after thinning (short term, 1–3 years; medium term, 4–9 years; and long term, 10 years or longer), quantified the functional and phylogenetic diversity and the structure of regenerated woody plants in the understorey, and related the functional and phylogenetic diversity to environmental factors (canopy openness and soil nutrients).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Functional richness and evenness decreased over time after thinning in two types of plantations, and in the medium term the functional divergence of young plantations was significantly lower. At short term after thinning, the phylogenetic diversity was higher in two types of plantations. Functional richness was significantly related to canopy openness in young plantations, while functional divergence was closely related to soil phosphorus content in middle-aged plantations. Functional and phylogenetic structure of the regenerated woody community changed from dispersion to clustering and had a significant relationship with environmental conditions (e.g. light availability in both young and middle-aged plantations), highlighting that environmental filtering gradually became the main driving force of community assembly in the regenerated community of the understorey.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The functional and phylogenetic diversity of regenerated woody plants changed over time after thinning under t","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41354837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of foraging tunnels created by plateau zokors on plant above-ground biomass and species richness of graminoids and forbs in alpine grasslands","authors":"Huan Yang,&nbsp;Yuan-Yuan Duan,&nbsp;Jie Li,&nbsp;Qian Wang,&nbsp;Zheng-Gang Guo","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12735","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12735","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Question&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Foraging-tunnel disturbances created by herbivorous mammals can influence the above-ground plant biomass of grassland communities. The plateau zokor (&lt;i&gt;Eospalax baileyi&lt;/i&gt;) was considered a focal animal for investigating the effect of foraging-tunnel disturbances created by herbivorous mammals on the above-ground biomass and species richness of graminoids and forbs. Here, we ask how foraging-tunnel disturbances created by plateau zokors influences above-ground plant biomass and species richness of graminoids and forbs in alpine grasslands.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Location&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The study was conducted at three sites of alpine grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;In this study, all vascular plants were divided into graminoids and forbs, and 30 paired quadrats were randomly selected from each site. In total, 90 tunnel quadrats and 90 non-tunnel quadrats were surveyed and sampled.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study showed that foraging-tunnel disturbances decreased the plant species richness of the grassland community and forbs by 16.5% and 17.7% respectively, whereas the response of graminoid species richness to foraging-tunnel disturbance was different among the three sites, in which foraging-tunnel disturbance decreased the graminoid species richness at Maqu and Xiahe sites and had no impact on the graminoid species richness at Tianzhu site. Regarding forbs, some legumes identified in the non-tunnel quadrats were not observed in the tunnel quadrats. The foraging-tunnel disturbances resulted in an above-ground plant biomass decrease of 21.9% in the grassland community, 27.3% in forbs, and 17.2% in graminoids respectively. The percentage of graminoids in the above-ground plant biomass increased from 50.4% in non-tunnel quadrats to 55.5% in tunnel quadrats, a relative increase of 10.1% from the initial percentage.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;These results indicate that the foraging-tunnel disturbances seemed to improve the forage availability for livestock in tunnel quadrats due to a higher relative proportion of graminoids in the grassland plant community, despite a decrease in graminoid biomass. However, the tunnels not only decreased the above-ground plant biomass and species richness of forbs, but also might have a negative impact on soil nitrogen input because of the absence of some legumes. The findings of this study suggest that reseeding some legumes is an effective approach to maintaining plant di","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44111107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early response of herbaceous vegetation to Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum invasion in European Atlantic forests","authors":"Marion Casati,&nbsp;Fabien Spicher,&nbsp;Thomas Kichey,&nbsp;Guillaume Decocq","doi":"10.1111/avsc.12734","DOIUrl":"10.1111/avsc.12734","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Questions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Rhododendron ponticum&lt;/i&gt; subsp. &lt;i&gt;baeticum&lt;/i&gt; is an invasive shrub of growing concern in continental Europe, but little is known about its impact on native plant communities. Here we ask: do environmental conditions differ between forest stands invaded by it and uninvaded stands? Do these differences correlate with &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt;'s cover? Are these differences associated with differences in taxonomic and functional diversity of vascular plant species of the herb layer? Can these vegetation changes be explained by the sorting of certain life-history traits by &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt;-induced environmental changes?&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Location&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Several forests invaded by &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt; in the French Atlantic domain.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;We recorded vegetation composition and a number of environmental variables in 400-m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; plots that were established in 64 paired forest stands (32 invaded vs 32 uninvaded). We compiled traits from existing databases. We computed several metrics of taxonomic and functional diversity. We compared environmental variables and diversity metrics between invaded and uninvaded stands. We used correlation and regression analyses to relate them with &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt;'s cover. We ran RLQ and fourth-corner analyses to explore the relationships between &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt; invasion, environmental variables, species traits, and vegetation composition.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Independent of its abundance, &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt; invasion was associated with lower light arrival at the forest floor and increased litter thickness. Concomitantly, species richness and diversity and trait diversity were reduced. The major driver of species assemblages was soil pH, which strongly interacted with the invasion gradient. &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt; did not sort species according to traits associated with shade tolerance and thick-litter tolerance. However, tree and shrub saplings were more abundant in invaded than uninvaded stands, at the expense of graminoid and fern species.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusions&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;As &lt;i&gt;R. ponticum&lt;/i&gt; becomes the dominant shrub, it exerts new selection forces on life-history traits of extant species, mostly via reduced light availability, increased litter thickness, and physical competition, thereby reducing taxonomic and functional diversity of the herb layer, without impeding tree and shrub s","PeriodicalId":55494,"journal":{"name":"Applied Vegetation Science","volume":"26 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/avsc.12734","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43365570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}