Aridity Induces Nonlinear Effects of Human Disturbance on Precipitation-Use Efficiency of Iberian Woodlands

Heras, Mariano Moreno de las; Bochet, E.; Monleón, Vicente J.; Espigares, Tíscar; Nicolau, J. M.; Molina, María J.; Garcı́a-Fayos, P.

doi:10.1007/s10021-017-0219-8

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Since we selected plots without signs of having been cultivated, we assumed that the variation in Q. ilex cover between plots was an indication of the intensity of deforestation suffered (firewood, wood and feed for domestic livestock). In support of this idea, we previously verified that the distance to the closest human settlement explained the variation in the tree cover of Q. ilex in the study area, while the geomorphological characteristics of the landscape, such as slope and aspect that inform on fertility and water availability in soils, they did not [28].…”

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 60%

“…We selected 17 plots of 231 x 231 m in a 130 km east-west transect in the Iberian Mountain Range from Vilafranca del Cid (Castellón province) to Traid (Guadalajara province) (Eastern Spain). These plots are a subsample of the 138 plots used in a previous study by the authors [28] designed to minimize the variations between sites in the magnitude of the factors that affect the development of Quercus ilex that were not those we want to study.…”

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These processes allowed for the recovery of forest vegetation in the region [26]. However, we assumed that this recovery would not have modified the observed deforestation pattern, given the insignificant temporal variations in the tree cover of Q. ilex between 2004 and 2012 in all plots (<5%, [28]). It is coherent with the slow increase in the growth and density of the forests of this species in the Iberian Peninsula in the period studied [30].…”

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We obtained values of mean annual precipitation for each plot from the Digital Climatic Atlas of the Iberian Peninsula [31] (data from 1951-1999 with 200 m spatial resolution). The difference in the number of plots between semi-arid and sub-humid was a consequence of the number of plots available [28] and the very low recruitment density in the semi-arid.…”

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This index is the ratio of the difference between the observed maximum Q. ilex cover value within a precipitation level and the value in the plot, divided by the maximum observed PLOS ONE value in the region, and takes values from one (treeless areas) to zero (maximum potential tree cover). We obtained the maximum value in each precipitation level from a data set of 374 plots in the semi-arid and 209 plots in the sub-humid that includes all the plots in the studied region in which Q. ilex is the dominant species under the climatic conditions considered [28].…”

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increasing aridity threatens the sexual regeneration of Quercus ilex(holm oak) in Mediterranean ecosystems

et al. 2020

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Knowledge of the recruitment of dominant forest species is a key aspect for forest conservation and the ecosystem services they provide. In this paper, we address how the simultaneous action of climate change and the intensity of land use in the past influence the recruitment of a forest species that depends on the provision of nurse plants to recruit. We compared the number of saplings (up to 15 years old) and juveniles (16 to 50 years old) of Quercus ilex in 17, 5.3 ha plots in the Iberian System (eastern Spain). We used a gradient of past deforestation intensity crossed with two levels of average annual precipitation, one of them at the lower limit of the species' precipitation niche (semi-arid) and the other at the optimum (sub-humid). We also examined the association between recruits and nurse plants and the effect on this association of plot-scale factors, such as seed abundance (reproductive Q. ilex), microsites (nurse species and soil availability), and large herbivores. The increase in aridity in the last decades has drastically reduced the recruitment of new individuals in the forests of Q. ilex located in the lower limit of their precipitation niche, regardless of the intensity of past deforestation that they suffered. Recruitment in these climatic conditions depends almost exclusively on large trees and shrubs whose abundance may also be limited by aridity. The lack of regeneration questions the future of these populations, as the number of individuals will decrease over time despite the strong resistance of adult trees to disturbance and drought.

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Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plot Selection and Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Increasing aridity threatens the sexual regeneration of Quercus ilex(holm oak) in Mediterranean ecosystems

et al. 2020

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How precipitation and grazing influence the ecological functions of drought-prone grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, China?

et al. 2020

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Drought-prone grasslands provide a critical resource for the millions of people who are dependent on livestock for food security. However, this ecosystem is potentially vulnerable to climate change (e.g., precipitation) and human activity (e.g., grazing). Despite this, the influences of precipitation and grazing on ecological functions of drought-prone grasslands in the Tianshan Mountains remain relatively unexplored. Therefore, we conducted a systematic field investigation and a clipping experiment (simulating different intensities of grazing) in a drought-prone grassland on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in China to examine the influences of precipitation and grazing on aboveground biomass (AGB), soil volumetric water content (SVWC), and precipitation use efficiency (PUE) during the period of 2014-2017. We obtained the meteorological and SVWC data using an HL20 Bowen ratio system and a PR2 soil profile hydrometer, respectively. We found that AGB was clearly affected by both the amount and seasonal pattern of precipitation, and that PUE may be relatively low in years with either low or excessive precipitation. The PUE values were generally higher in the rapid growing season (April-July) than in the entire growing season (April-October). Overall, moderate grazing can promote plant growth under water stress conditions. The SVWC value was higher in the clipped plots than in the unclipped plots in the rapid growing season (April-July), but it was lower in the clipped plots than in the unclipped plots in the slow growing season (August-October). Our findings can enhance the understanding of the ecological effects of precipitation and grazing in drought-prone grasslands and provide data that will support the effective local grassland management.

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Interactions of past human disturbance and aridity trigger abrupt shifts in the functional state of Mediterranean holm oak woodlands

Bochet

Molina

Monleón

et al. 2021

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Aridity Induces Nonlinear Effects of Human Disturbance on Precipitation-Use Efficiency of Iberian Woodlands

Cited by 9 publications

References 54 publications

Increasing aridity threatens the sexual regeneration of Quercus ilex(holm oak) in Mediterranean ecosystems

Increasing aridity threatens the sexual regeneration of Quercus ilex(holm oak) in Mediterranean ecosystems

How precipitation and grazing influence the ecological functions of drought-prone grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, China?

Interactions of past human disturbance and aridity trigger abrupt shifts in the functional state of Mediterranean holm oak woodlands

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