Ecology of Floristic Quality Assessment: testing for correlations between coefficients of conservatism, species traits and mycorrhizal responsiveness

Bauer, Jonathan T.; Koziol, Liz; Bever, James D.

doi:10.1093/aobpla/plx073

Cited by 50 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The CoC is a number assigned to plant species based on the fidelity of species to habitats that likely occurred prior to European settlement. These values may be viewed as approximate to successional stage (Spyreas et al ; Koziol & Bever ; Bauer et al ). Species with high CoC values are usually restricted to native, undisturbed vegetation (Herman et al ) and are later successional species often lacking in restorations as compared to remnants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is important to realize, however, that restoration approaches that increase establishment of seeded species may disproportionately benefit earlier successional forb species (Fry et al ). Late successional species, with slower establishment and growth, may be at a competitive disadvantage (Bauer et al ) and therefore sites with high forb seeding rates may have reduced diversity compared to those with low forb seeding rates (Fry et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Are two strategies better than one? Manipulation of seed density and soil community in an experimental prairie restoration

Lubin

Schultz

Bever

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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Restoration practitioners have a variety of practices to choose from when designing a restoration, and different strategies may address different goals. Knowledge of how to best use multiple strategies could improve restoration outcomes. Here, we examine two commonly suggested strategies in a single tallgrass prairie restoration experiment: increased forb sowing density and prairie soil inoculation. We designed a study with two different forb seeding densities. Within these densities, we transplanted seedlings into 1‐m2 plots that had been grown in either a whole prairie soil inoculum or sterilized prairie soil. After 4 years, we found positive effects of both high forb sowing density and inoculation treatments on the ratio of seeded to nonseeded plant cover in these plots, and negative effects of both treatments on nonseeded plant diversity. No effects of either treatment were seen on seeded plant diversity. Each strategy also affected the plant community in different ways: high forb sowing density increased seeded forb richness and decreased native nonseeded plant cover, while inoculation decreased non‐native cover, and tended to increase average successional stage of the community. These effects on restoration outcome were typically independent of each other, with the result that plots with both manipulations had the most positive effects on restoration outcomes. We thus advocate the combined use of these restoration strategies, and further studies which focus on both seeding and soil community manipulation in restoration.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are two strategies better than one? Manipulation of seed density and soil community in an experimental prairie restoration

Lubin

Schultz

Bever

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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“…Plants were classified as early or late successional based on field observations of grassland succession and coefficient of conservatism scores, a metric of how likely a plant is to be found in more or less disturbed areas (Betz, Lootens, & Becker, ; Schramm, ; Swink & Wilhelm, ), as supported by correlations with plant life histories (Bauer et al, ; Koziol & Bever, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The AM fungi are also likely to influence plant–soil feedbacks during succession. Many late successional plants are much more responsive to mycorrhizal fungi than early successional plant species and exhibit strong positive growth benefits to AM fungi generally (Bauer, Koziol, & Bever, ; Koziol & Bever, ; Middleton & Bever, ) as well as increased sensitivity to mycorrhizal species identity (Koziol & Bever, ). Therefore, the relative success of late successional plant species will likely depend upon the presence and species composition of mycorrhizal fungi in their environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mycorrhizal feedbacks generate positive frequency dependence accelerating grassland succession

Koziol

Bever

2018

Journal of Ecology

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Plant mutualists including arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been postulated as being important drivers of plant community diversity and succession. Late successional plants have been shown to be more responsive to AM fungi and more sensitive to AM fungal species identity, which could generate positive feedback and potentially accelerate succession. We test the effect of AM fungi on plant diversity and on frequency dependence predicted by positive plant–AM fungi feedback across a successional gradient. We created prairie mesocosms comprised of a majority of early successional, equal abundance, and a majority of late successional plant species. We inoculated these mesocosms and a field restoration experiment with 14 different communities of AM fungi from late successional prairies that varied in levels of species richness. Overall, we found that AM fungi increased plant diversity and this was driven by the response of late successional plant species to mycorrhizae. Our results indicate that AM fungal composition is more important than AM fungal diversity per se. We found that the effect of inoculation with a single species or groups of AM fungi depended on whether those fungi benefited late successional plant species. Early successional plants consistently exhibited negative frequency‐dependent growth regardless of fungal composition, while late successional plants demonstrated positive frequency‐dependent growth in our mesocosms—but only in the presence of beneficial AM fungal species. These results are consistent with positive plant–mycorrhizal feedbacks accelerating plant community successional trajectories once late successional plants establish. Mesocosm results were mirrored with field inoculation assays where we found that beneficial AM fungi facilitated late successional plant establishment. Synthesis. Our results provide support for beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi being a primary mechanism for positive plant–soil feedback driving plant community succession, as late successional seedlings grew faster and larger when their neighbours were also late successional plant species when they were associated with beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We found that this positive feedback thereby accelerated succession in mesocosms and in the field.

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“…There is little doubt that existing ecological theories, concepts, and properties will eventually prove to useful for expanding our understanding of why species are more, or less, conservative (Bauer et al 2018), but their ability to define FQA is currently speculative and incomplete. This has muddled the literature and confused FQA users.…”

Section: It Work In Practice But Not In Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Floristic Quality Assessment: a critique, a defense, and a primer

Spyreas

2019

Ecosphere

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Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) measures have become extraordinarily influential ecological metrics in North America over the past 20 yr. Government agencies, conservation organizations, land managers, and researchers alike utilize this plant-based measure to evaluate habitat conservation value, ecological integrity, and naturalness. Its relative uniqueness, utility, and ease of use, among vegetation measures, portend the continued popularity of FQA going forward. FQA's use and influence far exceeds its study-where the literature addressing questions and criticisms regarding its methodology and ecological meaning has not kept pace with reliance upon it. Furthermore, the lack of literature review has led to disorder and confusion among its users. This review addresses these issues in three parts. First, it concisely explains the metrics and their methods, and most importantly, it synthesizes the often-misinterpreted conceptual basis behind FQA. The bulk of the review then tackles common questions from researchers and non-technical users alike regarding the measures. It does this with two lists. The first list reviews FQA's most common criticisms and summarizes evidence for and against them. The second list confronts the most common mistakes surrounding FQA, regarding both its application and misunderstanding in the literature. In each instance, straightforward guidelines and answers to uncertainties are emphasized.

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Ecology of Floristic Quality Assessment: testing for correlations between coefficients of conservatism, species traits and mycorrhizal responsiveness

Cited by 50 publications

References 39 publications

Are two strategies better than one? Manipulation of seed density and soil community in an experimental prairie restoration

Are two strategies better than one? Manipulation of seed density and soil community in an experimental prairie restoration

Mycorrhizal feedbacks generate positive frequency dependence accelerating grassland succession

Floristic Quality Assessment: a critique, a defense, and a primer

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