Both vacant niches and competition-trait hierarchy are useful for explaining the invasion of Caragana microphylla into the semi-arid grassland

Xu, Y.; Hao, Guang; Yang, Nan; Zhao, Na; Gao, Yubao

doi:10.1007/s11104-020-04429-z

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In this case, shrubs that more effectively vertically distribute the leaf area may grow more successfully than herbs (Altesor Perkins & Owens, 2003). In our study, herb AGB and Shannon diversity significantly reduced after livestock exclusion (Tables S1 and S2, Figure 2f-g), which may result in more vacant niches for shrubs (Dong et al, 2020). Simple linear regression analyses showed that the AGB of functional groups (except sedge) and Shannon diversity of grass were negatively correlated with shrub characteristics (Tables 2 and S5), indicating that shrub encroachment…”

Section: Competitive Advantage Transformation Through Plant-plant Int...mentioning

confidence: 60%

Livestock exclusion enhances shrub encroachment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2022

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The Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau alpine grassland is experiencing shrub encroachment, which threatens the livelihoods of local nomads. Livestock exclusion management policies have also been implemented in this grassland. It has been predicted that shrubs here will likely encroach after long‐term yak elimination, but this inference is not supported by a manipulation experiment. To determine how shrubs respond to livestock grazing cessation, we investigated Potentilla fruticose L. characteristics and properties of herbs and soil in a ‘livestock exclusion‐free grazing’ system with exclosure experiments of 9, 17, and 23 years in the northeast region of the Plateau. We showed that each characteristic of shrub growth and reproduction was significantly greater in exclosures than in control plots, and shrub properties enhancements by livestock exclusion increased over time. We further found that this livestock exclusion induced‐shrub encroachment was related not only to the exclusion of livestock's direct disturbances but also to the competitive advantage gain of shrubs through plant–plant interactions and improvement of resources in deep soil for shrubs. Given the negative influences of shrub encroachment, especially lowering rangeland quality, livestock exclusion management in alpine grasslands should be used with caution.

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Section: Competitive Advantage Transformation Through Plant-plant Int...mentioning

confidence: 60%

Livestock exclusion enhances shrub encroachment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

et al. 2022

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“…In other words, while the detected relationship between the numbers of alien species and our estimates of community saturation in Europe is promising and invites further scrutiny, we cannot firmly discard the existence of such a positive relationship between these two factors in North America. Indeed, there are just too many co‐varying factors potentially causing variation in the incidence of alien species across geographical space (Brym et al, 2011; Dong et al, 2020) to expect a single bullet variable to explain it all. In spite of this, the vacant niche metric alone was largely successful in predicting 69% of the incidence of alien species in our targeted studied regions (across both trophic groups and combining both regions), which is encouraging.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Issues raised in the literature range from questioning the very existence of a maximum ceiling for species coexistence (Harmon & Harrison, 2015;Herbold & Moyle, 1986) to discussions regarding its association, if any, with the establishment of alien species (Herbold & Moyle, 1986;MacArthur, 1970). The related concept of 'vacant niche' (=empty/unsaturated) refers to unused but potentially usable resources in communities (Elton, 1958;Hardy, 1967); a concept that regained interest in studies of the processes triggering biological invasions (Dong et al, 2020;Gauzere et al, 2020;Gray et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vacant niches help predict invasion risk by birds

González‐del‐Pliego

Mendoza

Santana

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimIf communities have a ceiling determining the number of species that can coexist, then the ability of alien species to establish at any given location should be related to the quantity of vacant niches available. We developed a new approach to estimate the extent to which niches are vacant and then explored the relationship between vacant niches and alien species.LocationGlobal with focal tests in Europe and North America.TaxonBirds.MethodsDrawing on a global classification of trophic structures for birds, we calculated a ‘vacant niche ratio’ metric to quantify the expected level of saturation (i.e. number of vacant niches) for each 1° × 1° grid cell globally, based on the difference between expected and observed numbers of bird species for all trophic guilds. Next, we used random forests to examine if the presence of plant‐invertivore (whose food source represents plants, seeds, fruits and invertebrates) and granivore alien bird species was associated with the vacant niche ratio across well‐sampled regions.ResultsIn Europe, we found a significant relationship between alien species and vacant niches, with greater numbers of alien species being found in communities that offered greater numbers of vacant niches overall, and across habitat types. In North America, we found no significant relationship between plant‐invertivores and vacant niches, while for granivores, we found that areas with fewer vacant niches had greater numbers of alien species, especially in forests. However, vacant niches alone correctly predict 69% of the presence of alien bird species when combining both regions and trophic guilds.Main ConclusionsMost regions of the world have unsaturated bird communities, with the level of saturation in communities varying within regions and trophic guilds. We found that although often‐neglected, vacant niches are likely to be, at least partially, related with the successful establishment of alien bird species.

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“…With the increase in amount of vegetation, problems such as water loss and soil erosion (Burylo et al, 2012), and surface evaporation (Liste and White, 2008) are improved, which further promotes the spread of vegetation. Therefore, empty niches in pure P. tabulaeformis plantations (Dong et al, 2020) coupled with the gain effect of native species might be the primary reason for faster vegetation recovery in plantation PE.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil microbes-mediated enzymes promoted the secondary succession in post-mining plantations on the Loess Plateau, China

Zhang

González-Ollauri

et al. 2022

Soil Ecol. Lett.

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Both vacant niches and competition-trait hierarchy are useful for explaining the invasion of Caragana microphylla into the semi-arid grassland

Cited by 8 publications

References 37 publications

Livestock exclusion enhances shrub encroachment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Livestock exclusion enhances shrub encroachment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Vacant niches help predict invasion risk by birds

Soil microbes-mediated enzymes promoted the secondary succession in post-mining plantations on the Loess Plateau, China

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