Biotic homogenization of upland vegetation: patterns and drivers at multiple spatial scales over five decades

Ross, Louise; Woodin, Sarah J.; Hester, Alison J.; Thompson, D. B. A.; Birks, H. John B.

doi:10.1111/j.1654-1103.2012.01390.x

Cited by 91 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Long-term homogenization of mountain vegetation at a regional scale has been attributed to both a warming climate and intensive grazing (Britton et al 2009;Ross et al 2012), whilst herbivory has been directly linked with community homogenization at the landscape scale (Austrheim & Eriksson 2001;Rooney 2009). In our study, we found only weak evidence in support of the grazing-homogenization hypothesis.…”

Section: H O M O G E N I Z a T I O Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of plant diversity to grazing varies along an elevational gradient

2013

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Summary1. Species richness of plants generally decreases along elevational gradients or peaks at intermediate elevations. Land use including grazing by wild and domestic herbivores also affects plant communities and diversity, but how grazing affects plant diversity along elevational gradients is less clear. 2. Using a field experiment along an elevational gradient in Norway, we tested whether the impact of grazing on plant diversity interacts with elevation. Vascular plant communities were sampled following 10 years of experimental sheep grazing (decreased/ceased, maintained and increased densities of 0, 25 and 80 sheep km À2 ) and compared with pre-experimental baseline data.3. The impact of grazing on species richness (alpha diversity) was investigated at the species level, and temporal community variance was used to investigate community stability (temporal beta diversity). Spatial community variance (spatial beta diversity) at the enclosure level was used to test whether community homogenization differed between treatments. 4. Species richness and temporal stability varied between treatments and along the elevational gradient. Where grazing was ceased, species richness declined by up 3.7 species at low elevations and increased by up to 3.5 species at high elevations, whilst where grazing was maintained or increased, changes were less extreme along the elevational gradient. 5. Temporal stability of plant communities was highest at low elevations and lowest at high elevations where grazing was reduced. There were no clear differences in spatial homogenization between grazing treatments, although spatial species turnover increased in heathlands where grazing decreased. 6. Synthesis. This study shows that the effect of grazing on plant diversity varies with elevation, and grazing herbivores can thus directly affect elevational patterns of plant diversity. Grazing can buffer changes in plant communities and species richness, even in the face of other environmental drivers such as climatic warming.

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Section: H O M O G E N I Z a T I O Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of plant diversity to grazing varies along an elevational gradient

2013

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“…Biotic homogenization is projected to have both ecological and evolutionary consequences, including an effect on ecosystem resilience to environmental perturbations (Olden, Poff, Douglas, Douglas & Fausch, 2004). The degree of homogenization varies across space (Olden, Poff & McKinney, 2006), and certain areas may be particularly susceptible due to a combination of biotic and abiotic factors (Olden & Poff, 2003; Ross, Woodin, Hester, Thompson & Birks, 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does functional homogenization accompany taxonomic homogenization of British birds and how do biotic factors and climate affect these processes?

White

Montgomery

Storchová

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Environmental change has reshuffled communities often causing taxonomic homogenization rather than differentiation. Some studies suggest that this increasing similarity of species composition between communities is accompanied by an increase in similarity of trait composition—functional homogenization—although different methodologies have failed to come to any consistent conclusions. Functional homogenization could have a large effect on ecosystem functioning and stability. Here, we use the general definition of homogenization as “reduced spatial turnover over time” to compare changes in Simpson's beta diversity (taxonomic turnover) with changes in Rao's quadratic entropy beta diversity (functional turnover) in British breeding birds at three spatial scales. Using biotic and climatic variables, we identify which factors may predispose a site to homogenization. The change in turnover measures between two time periods, 20 years apart, was calculated. A null model approach was taken to identify occurrences of functional homogenization and differentiation independent of changes in taxonomic turnover. We used conditional autoregressive models fitted using integrated nested Laplace approximations to determine how environmental drivers and factors relating to species distributions affect changes in spatial turnover of species and functional diversity. The measurement of functional homogenization affects the chance of rejection of the null models, with many sites showing taxonomic homogenization unaccompanied by functional homogenization, although occurrence varies with spatial scale. At the smallest scale, while temperature‐related variables drive changes in taxonomic turnover, changes in functional turnover are associated with variation in growing degree days; however, changes in functional turnover become more difficult to predict at larger spatial scales. Our results highlight the multifactorial processes underlying taxonomic and functional homogenization and that redundancy in species traits may allow ecosystem functioning to be maintained in some areas despite changes in species composition.

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“…Species abundance is of course also influenced by habitat availability and environmental change. In this context, it is noteworthy that over the past 50 years, Pleurozia purpurea has increased in several Scottish upland plant communities including dwarf shrub heaths, while Anastrophyllum has decreased where former heathland has become degraded (Ross et al, 2012).…”

Section: Species' Growth Rates and Field Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

Regeneration capacity of oceanic-montane liverworts: implications for community distribution and conservation

Flagmeier

Long

Genney

et al. 2013

Journal of Bryology

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Scotland's mountains are home to a rare and unique liverwort community, 'the oceanic-montane liverwortrich heath', but its component species are absent from regions where they could potentially thrive. Many biological characteristics of these species are unknown, making it impossible to explain the reasons for their rarity; however, they have not been observed to produce sporophytes within Britain. We use ex situ cultivation of whole liverworts and fragments, and in situ cultivation of fragments, to assess the growth rate and the potential for vegetative reproduction of several species. Most of the species grew from both fragments and as whole plants, indicating that the rarity of the liverwort heath is not due to poor powers of regeneration. We propose that growth rate and the potential to regenerate from fragments are important factors structuring the liverwort heath community, at least locally. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that there is potential for ex situ conservation of rare liverwort species, in situ enhancement of existing populations, and creation of new ones.

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Biotic homogenization of upland vegetation: patterns and drivers at multiple spatial scales over five decades

Cited by 91 publications

References 77 publications

The response of plant diversity to grazing varies along an elevational gradient

The response of plant diversity to grazing varies along an elevational gradient

Does functional homogenization accompany taxonomic homogenization of British birds and how do biotic factors and climate affect these processes?

Regeneration capacity of oceanic-montane liverworts: implications for community distribution and conservation

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