Benefactor facilitation and beneficiary feedback effects drive shrub‐dominated community succession in a semi‐arid dune ecosystem

Bai, Yuxuan; She, Weiwei; Michalet, Richard; Zheng, Jufeng; Qin, Shugao; Zhang, Yuqing

doi:10.1111/avsc.12388

Cited by 26 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Currently, the community is dominated by A. ordosica , which is associated with perennial graminoids (e.g., Leymus secalinus , Pennisetum flaccidum , and Stipa glareosa ), perennial forbs (e.g., Cynanchum thesioides , Ixeridium graminifolium , and Heteropappus altaicus ), and annual species (e.g., Euphorbia humifusa , Chenopodium aristatum , and Setaria viridis ). Owing to the effects of shrubs on herbaceous plants, particularly PG (e.g., L. secalinus and P. flaccidum ) have rapidly established and developed in this shrubland (Bai et al, 2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The establishment of this species contributes to the prevention of land degradation and maintains local ecological sustainability (Huang & Gutterman, 2000). Bai et al (2018) demonstrated that A. ordosica acts as a nurse species, facilitating the recruitment and growth of associated herbaceous species, especially perennial graminoids (hereafter abbreviated as PG). However, our knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of such positive interspecific interactions between shrubs and PG remains limited, especially in terms of their water use strategies.…”

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confidence: 99%

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A nurse shrub species helps associated herbaceous plants by preventing shade‐induced evaporation in a desert ecosystem

et al. 2020

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Xeric shrubs often play an important role in reversing desertification and promoting ecological restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems. However, how shrubs affect their associated herbaceous species and environmental conditions remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a removal experiment along with stable isotope analysis to determine the water use strategy of a shrub species (Artemisia ordosica) and its associated perennial graminoids (PG) in the Mu Us Desert, northern China. We observed that in the intact plots, both shrubs and PG predominantly utilized water from the shallow soil layer (0–20 cm, 54.36%, and 63.63%, respectively). Compared to this, when shrubs were removed, soil water content decreased, the main water source of PG switched to the middle soil layer (20–60 cm, 48.25%), and their water use efficiency (WUE) increased. However, the removal of PG had no significant impacts on the soil water content in any layer or on the water source of shrubs but for slightly decreased WUE. We highlighted that rather than hydraulic lift, shade‐induced evaporation decline is the primary mechanism by which shrubs facilitate the growth of associated herbaceous plants in desert ecosystems, indicating that the facilitated herbaceous plants have more flexible water use strategies than shrubs, which probably drives the community succession from being shrub‐dominated to herb‐dominated.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A nurse shrub species helps associated herbaceous plants by preventing shade‐induced evaporation in a desert ecosystem

et al. 2020

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“…Shrubs facilitate the annual plant community, and this can negatively impact recruitment rate. Other foundational species have been observed to facilitate neighbouring species resulting in a decrease in their own fitness (Schöb, Michalet, et al , 2014; Schöb, Prieto, et al , 2014; Bai et al , 2018) or productivity (Holzapfel and Mahall, 1999; Armas and Pugnaire, 2005). High densities of beneficiary plants can reduce the water availability for the progeny of benefactor plants (Holzapfel and Mahall, 1999; Armas and Pugnaire, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishment of a desert foundation species is limited by exotic plants and light but not herbivory or water

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et al. 2020

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions: The biodiversity of deserts is becoming increasingly threatened due to global change including the introduction of invasive species. Desert shrubs are foundational species that can facilitate native plant communities but can also benefit exotic species. The influence of exotic plants on the establishment of benefactors from seeds or seedlings is a critical knowledge gap. We tested if the establishment, survival, or growth of seedlings for a benefactor shrub species in California was reduced by the invasive grasses that they facilitate in the field.

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“…The study area experienced severe desertification during the 1960–1990’s due to human disturbances (e.g., overgrazing and reclamation). Large-scale conservation practices (e.g., fencing and grazing ban) over the recent two decades have promoted the recovery of natural vegetation ( Bai et al, 2018 ). The studied shrubland community is located in a conserved area in which human activities are negligible and all plants grow naturally.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant Nutrient Contents Rather Than Physical Traits Are Coordinated Between Leaves and Roots in a Desert Shrubland

et al. 2021

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Although leaf economics spectrum (LES) has been extensively tested with regional and global datasets, the correlation among functional traits of desert plants remains largely unclear. Moreover, examinations on whether and how leaf and root traits are coordinated have yielded mixed results. We investigated variations in leaf and fine-root traits across 48 species in a desert community of northern China to test the hypotheses that (1) the leaf-trait syndrome of plant species in desert shrublands follows the predictions of the global LES, and is paralleled by a similar root-trait syndrome, (2) functional traits related to nutrient contents and resource uptake are tightly coordinated between leaves and fine roots in desert ecosystems where plant growth is limited primarily by dry and nutrient-poor conditions, and (3) traits as well as their relationships vary among functional groups. Our results partially supported the LES theory. Specific leaf area (SLA) was correlated with leaf tissue density, phosphorus content, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, but not with leaf nitrogen content. Specific root length (SRL) was not correlated with other fine-root traits, and fine-root traits were largely independent of each other. Therefore, fine-root traits did not mirror the leaf-trait syndrome. Fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus contents, nitrogen-to-phosphorous ratio, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio all increased with analogous leaf traits, whereas SRL was not correlated with SLA. After phylogenetic effects were considered, nutrient contents and their ratios still displayed stronger coordination between leaves and fine roots than did SRL and SLA. The overall pattern of trait variations and relationships suggested differentiation among functional groups. Our results suggest that despite the absence of a root-trait syndrome, fine-root functions in the studied desert community were probably coordinated with leaf functions with respect to nutrient allocation and use.

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Benefactor facilitation and beneficiary feedback effects drive shrub‐dominated community succession in a semi‐arid dune ecosystem

Cited by 26 publications

References 69 publications

A nurse shrub species helps associated herbaceous plants by preventing shade‐induced evaporation in a desert ecosystem

A nurse shrub species helps associated herbaceous plants by preventing shade‐induced evaporation in a desert ecosystem

Establishment of a desert foundation species is limited by exotic plants and light but not herbivory or water

Plant Nutrient Contents Rather Than Physical Traits Are Coordinated Between Leaves and Roots in a Desert Shrubland

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