Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics最新文献

{"title":"Direction of the cross affects seed siring and progeny fitness in experimental homoploid crosses between two diploid Ficaria taxa","authors":"Michaela Konečná ,&nbsp;Jana Uhlířová ,&nbsp;Lucie Kobrlová,&nbsp;Martin Duchoslav","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding reproductive isolation mechanisms is essential for describing the origin of new species. In flowering plants, these mechanisms significantly affect hybridization rates (frequency of hybrid formation in natural populations) and crossing success (seed set and germinability in controlled crosses) and often are associated with asymmetries in hybrid fitness. <em>Ficaria</em> offers a valuable system for studying hybridization and reproductive isolation, as predominantly tetraploid, widespread phylogeographic taxon (lineage) <em>verna</em> (V) is thought to have arisen by hybridization between two parapatric diploid taxa (lineages) <em>calthifolia</em> (C) and <em>fertilis</em> (F) followed by polyploidization. To assess the extent and directionality of reproductive isolation, we conducted controlled intra-lineage and pairwise reciprocal crosses between the aforementioned diploids, evaluated reproductive assurance (autonomous apomixis, selfing) and analysed genome size, morphology and fitness of obtained F₁ progeny. No evidence of autonomous apomixis or self-fertilisation was found in the parental diploid lineages or the hybrids. The reciprocal inter-lineage crosses (F–C cross: n = 76; C–F cross: n = 45) produced viable diploid F₁ progeny whose genome size was intermediate between that of the parental lineages. The above implies that all F₁ progeny in reciprocal crosses originated from cross-pollination. No polyploid individuals were observed among the progeny resulting from any cross treatment. Progeny from inter-lineage crosses exhibited greater morphological variation than progeny from intra-lineage crosses. However, inter-lineage hybridisation was asymmetric. When C was the seed parent, the crosses yielded a lower number of seeds with lower germination rates and reduced fertility of established hybrids, in comparison to when F was the seed parent. Yet these hybrids exhibited greater stature and larger flowers than their reciprocals. These asymmetries likely reflect postzygotic cytonuclear incompatibilities between parental lineages. Our research highlights the importance of hybridisation and asymmetric reproductive barriers in shaping the evolution of <em>Ficaria</em> and establishes a basis for further studies on the genomic complexities that lead to polyploidisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125901"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145266327","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":"Using plant functional traits and life strategies of annual species to inform green roof plant selection","authors":"Zahra Saraeian,&nbsp;Claire Farrell,&nbsp;Nicholas S.G. Williams","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional traits of plant species growing on green roofs can determine their delivery of ecosystem services and help guide plant selection. Flowering plants are desirable on green roofs for aesthetic reasons and plants which quickly achieve high coverage through rapid growth and high biomass help to meet green roof construction guidelines. While most extensive green roof plants are perennial succulents due to their drought tolerance, annual species which escape drought by completing their life-cycle before drought, could be advantageous for green roofs as they also typically have acquisitive or ‘fast’ traits associated with rapid growth and flowering. To quantify plant strategies of annuals and develop a trait-based approach for selecting annuals for green roofs, we undertook a glasshouse experiment with 18 understudied Australian annual plant species to investigate relationships among traits related to drought resistance and resource acquisition (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness), competitiveness (plant height) and reproductive ability (seed mass and germination attributes). We also explored how these traits relate to plant performance metrics including growth rate, shoot biomass and flowering time. Species which were more acquisitive (taller species with bigger and thinner leaves and greater seed mass) were more competitive, faster growing and produced more biomass. The annual species had two different strategies in terms of flowering time and relative growth rate; in one group flowering time decreased with an increase in growth rate (earlier flowering with faster growth), while in the other group, flowering time increased with growth rate (later flowering with faster growth). There was also a trade-off between flowering time and specific leaf area (SLA) and faster flowering species with higher SLA were considered less drought resistant (drought escapers). Faster growing and resource acquisitive plants could be more desirable on green roofs as they will achieve cover rapidly during the wetter months and have higher stormwater mitigation. However, in dry periods it is preferable to select species with a range of time to flowering and SLA, to achieve a longer flowering community with different levels of drought resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125900"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158551","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":"Disentangling the role of fire, soil, and landscape effects on arrested succession in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest","authors":"Pablo Hugo Alves Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Jerônimo Boelsums Barreto Sansevero","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although secondary tropical forests may reach similar species richness and vegetation structure as old-growth forests in 50 years, there are situations in which they remain stagnant for decades. These divergent successional pathways vary depending on disturbance event, landscape context, land-use history and soil conditions. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of these factors in the establishment and maintenance of monodominant secondary forests of <em>Moquiniastrum polymorphum</em> (Less.) G. Sancho in abandoned farmlands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We tested whether 1) fire history was the most significant factor associated with the occurrence of <em>M. polymorphum</em> forests (MPF) in the landscape; and 2) soil conditions and fire history had a determining influence on the vegetation structure, richness, and species composition of MPF. At the landscape scale, we assessed if the occurrence of MPF, comprising land cover changes between 1985 and 2020, was associated with fire events and other biophysical factors in the region. At the local scale, we evaluated the role of soil properties, fire events, and landscape context on the tree species richness, structure and floristic composition. MPF were observed further from the drainage and on slopes more affected by fires. Their coverage increased by 54 % on abandoned farmlands further from cities, where fire events were significantly more frequent. Fire history and soil properties were the factors that best explained the structure, diversity and floristic composition of MPF, while landscape showed relevance only to the floristic composition. We confirm that disturbance and soil conditions drive arrested succession in secondary forests in the southeastern Atlantic Forest. Our findings suggest that fire-soil-vegetation feedback mechanisms can maintain this alternative stable state in secondary tropical forests similarly to what happens in fire-prone ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125899"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145027468","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":"Beyond the norm: Gigantism, monstrosities, and growth control in cacti meristems","authors":"Brenda Anabel López-Ruiz,&nbsp;Gabriel Olalde-Parra,&nbsp;Salvador Arias,&nbsp;Ulises Rosas","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cacti are a diverse group of succulent plants that have captivated botanists and enthusiasts alike for centuries. Their unique characteristics and adaptations to arid environments make them fascinating study subjects. One important reason to study cacti is the particular changes in the development of the shoot apical meristem (SAM), such as the growth of giant SAMs, determinacy, fasciation, and dichotomous branching. Studying these processes in cacti might provide valuable insights into the underlying genetic and developmental processes governing normal and abnormal growth and a deeper appreciation for their adaptability in challenging environments. This review will attempt to shed light on the distinctive cacti SAM patterns and discuss how “abnormal” growth patterns might have originated and given rise to evolutionary novelties. Additionally, we will explore tentative molecular pathways and genetic factors that regulate the division and differentiation of cacti SAM cells using data primarily from the model plant <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>. Most relevant findings show that the zonation in cacti seedlings after germination is incomplete, contrasting with what is observed in <em>A. thaliana</em>. Additionally, larger SAMs are believed to be linked to larger zones. <em>WUSCHEL (WUS), CLAVATA (CLV),</em> and <em>SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM)</em> are promising candidates that may help explain various phenomena in the cacti SAM. To understand the morphogenetic mechanisms that establish zonation and size in cacti, it is necessary to search for orthologues and employ molecular biology techniques, such as complementation analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125889"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926740","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":"Population genomics and taxonomy solve a conservation conundrum in the Balearic paleoendemic Femeniasia balearica","authors":"Andrea Villanueva Raisman ,&nbsp;Rut Sánchez de Dios ,&nbsp;Felipe Domínguez Lozano ,&nbsp;Irene Villa-Machío ,&nbsp;Beatriz Pías ,&nbsp;Llorenç Sáez ,&nbsp;Mario Fernández-Mazuecos ,&nbsp;Mario Mairal","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A robust understanding of taxonomy, distribution and intraspecific genetic diversity is crucial for the conservation of narrow endemic species, which face a higher risk of extinction, especially in insular systems. Here, we study the monotypic plant genus <em>Femeniasia</em> (Asteraceae), narrowly endemic to the Balearic Islands. Only four populations are known for the sole species of this genus, <em>Femeniasia balearica</em>: three on the island of Menorca, where it is considered native and endemic, and one recently discovered on the island of Mallorca, suspected to be the result of a recent anthropogenic introduction. The latter population poses a conservation conundrum: if introduced, it may not merit the same conservation status as native populations; if native, it would be of high biogeographic and conservation interest. To solve this problem and gain an in-depth understanding of diversity and differentiation across the distribution of <em>F. balearica</em>, we conducted phylogenetic and divergence time inference for <em>F. balearica</em> and its relatives based on plastid DNA, phylogenomic, population genomic and coalescent-based demographic analysis of <em>F. balearica</em> populations based on genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and a morphological study. Our findings revealed a divergence dating back to the Pliocene, and significant morphological and genetic differentiation between Mallorcan and Menorcan populations, which supports an old presence of <em>F. balearica</em> on Mallorca. As a result, the Mallorcan population is herein described as <em>F. balearica</em> subsp. <em>majoricensis</em>. The combined study of intraspecific genetic diversity and taxonomy proved fundamental in identifying natural populations of taxonomic, biogeographic and evolutionary relevance. Our findings should prompt a reconsideration of the conservation and management strategies of <em>Femeniasia</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125888"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144571327","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":"Ontogeny unlocks the floral development and evolution of Uleanthus, a florally divergent monospecific genus of Amazonian legume trees","authors":"Catarina S. Carvalho ,&nbsp;Gerhard Prenner ,&nbsp;Simone Pádua Teixeira ,&nbsp;Thiago André ,&nbsp;Annícia Barata ,&nbsp;Charles E. Zartman ,&nbsp;Domingos Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floral ontogeny is one of the most powerful tools in comparative biology for understanding the diversity of flower forms and their evolutionary pathways. The Amazonian monospecific tree genus <em>Uleanthus</em> (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) stands out for its striking hummingbird-pollinated flowers with a bright red calyx and pink to lilac standard petal forming a tubular structure that encloses the reproductive organs. Ontogenetic revelations of <em>Uleanthus erythrinoides</em> may shed light on its controversial phylogenetic placement and help to elucidate broader patterns of floral homology and convergence among morphologically similar yet evolutionarily distant, and morphologically contrasting but phylogenetically close lineages within papilionoid legumes. Flower buds were collected in different developmental stages in the field, and stored in 70 % ethanol to investigate the floral ontogeny using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results were broadly compared with existing material from putatively closely related papilionoid legume genera. Sepals of <em>Uleanthus erythrinoides</em> emerge with a unidirectional sequence. The petals initiate simultaneously; the antesepalous and antepetalous stamens initiate unidirectionally. The carpel initiation is concomitant with the first antesepalous stamen primordia. The apparent resemblance between <em>Uleanthus</em> and other bird-pollinated papilionoid genera does not bear support in floral ontogeny, rather they have evolved convergently. Despite the contrasting floral architecture of <em>Uleanthus</em> and its putative phylogenetically closely related <em>Camoensia</em> from the Genistoid clade, both share similar flower with a showy standard and undifferentiated inner petals that are verified early in the ontogenetic development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125887"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144501831","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":"Insect herbivory and leaf defensive traits in native and non-native populations of an endemic plant in a Macaronesian archipelago","authors":"Xoaquín Moreira ,&nbsp;Jonay Cubas ,&nbsp;Juli Caujapé-Castells ,&nbsp;Carla Vázquez-González ,&nbsp;Gresheen Garcia ,&nbsp;Beatriz Lago-Núñez ,&nbsp;Felisa Covelo ,&nbsp;Jesús Barranco-Reyes ,&nbsp;Alejandra López-Chicheri Yriarte ,&nbsp;Cristina Maldonado-Gallego ,&nbsp;Luis Abdala-Roberts","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The spread of island endemic plants to new islands is an emerging topic, yet the mechanisms driving such invasions remain unclear. While herbivory-related explanations are common for widespread species, their relevance to island endemics is uncertain. Enemy release suggests that introduced plants face less herbivory and invest less in defence, unlike at their native sites with specialized herbivores. Conversely, low defences from minimal native herbivory could make them vulnerable to generalist herbivores in new locations. Additionally, abiotic factors—such as soil type or climate—may influence plant traits and herbivore interactions, potentially overriding or complicating expected herbivory-based invasion outcomes. Here we compared in situ levels of insect leaf herbivory and leaf chemical, physical, and nutritional traits for <em>Rumex lunaria</em> across islands of the Canary Archipelago to which this species is endemic. Specifically, we sampled populations found on islands where this species is native (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma, and El Hierro) and compared them to invasive (non-native) populations found on Lanzarote. Contrary to predictions, <em>R. lunaria</em> found on Lanzarote (i.e., non-native populations) exhibited higher levels of herbivory but also higher defensive traits—specifically, thicker leaves and higher concentrations of phenolic compounds—compared to populations on islands where this species is native to. To explore underlying correlates to these patterns, we conducted a follow-up structural equation model testing whether abiotic variation between native and non-native populations contributes to explain differences in leaf traits and herbivory. While non-native populations were associated with distinct abiotic conditions relative to native ones—including higher temperatures, reduced and more seasonal precipitation, and denser, more alkaline soils—this did not account for observed differences in leaf traits or herbivory between native vs. non-native populations. Accordingly, these findings suggest that the divergence in leaf defences and herbivory between native and non-native <em>R. lunaria</em> populations is not attributable to the abiotic factors analysed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125886"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144242560","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":"How do plants survive in the starving, burning, and hiding vegetation realms generated by novel fire regimes?","authors":"Marco Antonio Chiminazzo ,&nbsp;Tristan Charles-Dominique ,&nbsp;Renon Santos Andrade ,&nbsp;Aline Bertolosi Bombo ,&nbsp;Alessandra Fidelis","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fire has been an important evolutionary force across many vegetation types worldwide, but human activities and climate change currently impose novel and unprecedented fire regimes. In some areas, fire is and will be excluded, while in others, fire activity will be increased either in intensity or frequency. Changes resulting in fire exclusion should create novel environments where competition for light dominates (starving realm), filtering out species with the costliest adaptations against fire. In areas where fire intensity will increase, fire should filter out species with aboveground parts exposed to the strongest impacts of the flames (hiding realm). Areas exposed to higher fire frequencies should promote species capable of quickly building protection between fire events (burning realm). Based on well-investigated savanna-forest mosaics in the Cerrado, we propose a set of plant adaptations and strategies that should be favoured or unfavored under different novel fire regimes. In the starving realm, species with the capacity to better explore vertical space and maintain competition for light with surrounding plants will likely be favored. In the hiding realm, species with strategies based on escaping flame exposure (for example belowground) will likely be favored. In the burning realm, species capable of shielding themselves from flames and quickly investing in aboveground protection in between fires should be favored. Finally, more than just promoting a collection of traits, novel fire regimes are expected to filter contrasting plants’ growth forms that perform better in fast vertical exploration, quick canopy expansion, or belowground strategies, imposing cascading consequences over vegetation structure and defining novel habitats for a wide range of organisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125885"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271605","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":"Detrimental effects of anthropogenic disturbances on ant-mediated seed dispersal services: A global meta-analysis","authors":"Byanca N.T. Cavalcante ,&nbsp;Diego Centeno-Alvarado ,&nbsp;Fernanda M.P. Oliveira ,&nbsp;José D. Ribeiro-Neto ,&nbsp;Alexander V. Christianini ,&nbsp;Xavier Arnan ,&nbsp;Inara R. Leal","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly the loss of natural and semi-natural habitats, have global impacts on ecosystems, notably affecting vital ecological services like seed dispersal by ants, which are crucial for about 4.5 % of plant species. These effects depend on factors such as biogeographical origins of the biota, plant growth form, plant and seed traits, interacting ant species, and local site characteristics. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the overall trends in the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on ant-mediated seed removal rates and dispersal distances. We also explored how these services are influenced by disturbance type, environmental factors (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and biome), plant and seed traits (e.g., dispersal syndrome, its interaction with plant growth form, and seed size), and disperser species characteristics (e.g., keystone species). We analyzed 76 independent studies, comprising 430 experiments related to seed dispersal services (353 focused on seed removal rates and 77 on seed dispersal distances). Our findings revealed that anthropogenic disturbances negatively impact seed removal rates, although not consistently across all abiotic and biotic contexts, while having no significant effects on seed dispersal distances. The relationship between disturbances and seed removal was influenced by disturbance type, biome, plant and seed traits. Specifically, mining activities decreased seed removal rates, and disturbances in general reduced seed removal by ants in Mediterranean forests, woodlands, deserts and xeric shrublands. Interestingly, myrmecochorous trees were especially vulnerable in seed removal compared to other plant growth forms or dispersal syndromes, suggesting that the impacts of disturbance on ant-mediated seed dispersal could lead to major modifications in the structure of forest ecosystems. Our study highlights the importance of conserving ant-mediated seed dispersal, particularly in myrmecochory hotspots, to protect this critical ecological service.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 125876"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147354","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":"Long-term effects of free-ranging cattle and ponies on the soil and vegetation of reseeded grasslands in the New Forest, England","authors":"Peter J. Edwards ,&nbsp;J. Rue Ekins ,&nbsp;Susan Hollis","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The New Forest, England, includes an extensive area of semi-natural vegetation that is grazed by free-ranging cattle and ponies. Between 1947 and 1958, several areas of nutrient-poor acid grassland were fenced and sown with pasture seed mixtures with the aim of improving the animals’ food resources. After the swards had established, the fences were removed and the leys, known locally as reseeded lawns, have since been grazed continuously. Drawing upon data from previous studies and reports, we investigated changes in the vegetation and soils of these lawns, and in their use by grazing animals, over a period of &lt; 75 years. The sown species, among them <em>Lolium perenne</em> and <em>Trifolium repens</em>, were soon replaced by <em>Agrostis capillaris</em> and rosette-forming forbs such as <em>Hypochoeris radicata</em> and <em>Leontodon autumnalis</em>. After about 1996, the cover of <em>Danthonia decumbens</em> and various <em>Carex</em> spp. increased, and heathland species, especially <em>Calluna vulgaris</em>, began to encroach onto the lawns. This floristic succession was associated with declining productivity and lower nutritional quality of herbage, and reduced use of lawns by livestock. We present various lines of evidence indicating that the main driver of these changes was declining soil phosphorus (P), caused in large part by its export from lawns in excreta and in the bodies of animals leaving the New Forest. We conclude that, through their selective use of habitat, free-ranging livestock can strongly influence vegetation processes at larger spatial scales and may contribute positively to the conservation value of pastoral landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 125875"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116441","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}