Effects of changes in the timing and duration of the wet season on the germination of the soil seed bank of a seeder-dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Céspedes, Blanca; Torres, Iván; Urbieta, Itziar R.; Moreno, José M.

doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0053-1

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Under conditions simulating autumn and continuous wetting of the soil, Céspedes et al. (,b) showed that germination is rapid, and maximum emergence occurs in 4–5 wks. Hence, we argue that actual emergence was probably a fraction of the seeds existing in the soil seed bank, which is an issue that has been little studied (Ferrandis et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Burning season does not affect post‐fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder‐dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Céspedes

Torres

Pérez

et al. 2014

Applied Vegetation Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Question: In a seeder-dominated shrubland, does burning season affect postfire regeneration? Are herbs and shrubs similarly affected? Is the dominance of the main species modified by burning and its timing?Location: Los Puntales, Sierra Morena (C ordoba, southern Spain). Methods:The shrubland was 12 yr old, dominated by several species of Cistus, among the main seeders. Four blocks, each containing plots of 25 9 25 m, were burned in late May (early season, ES) and late September (late season, LS) with similar fire intensity. Woody plant density and woody and herbaceous cover and richness were monitored during the first three post-fire years and compared to pre-fire using ANOVA and ordination techniques.Results: Burning season did not affect cover of the herbaceous or woody species in general, nor cover of the main groups (monocots, dicots, annuals and perennials) or density of the main woody species 3 yr after fire. Fire, however, differentially affected the relative abundance of the main shrub species. Ordination analysis showed that, while succession of herbaceous species was on track to convergence with the pre-fire vegetation, this was not the case for the woody species.Conclusions: Burning season was not a significant factor in altering the postfire regeneration in this seeder-dominated shrubland. Thus, the temporal window for prescribed fires is large, and both seasons could equally be used for management purposes. However, changes in the relative dominance of species due to fire indicate that managers should be alert when this shrubland burns.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Burning season does not affect post‐fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder‐dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Céspedes

Torres

Pérez

et al. 2014

Applied Vegetation Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Hence our findings on significant relationships between various rainfall patterns and temporal species turnover reflect correlation rather than causation. Yet an experimental study based on seed banks from a Mediterranean shrubland in Spain found that altering precipitation patterns indeed affects the richness and diversity of germinating species, according to the duration and timing of precipitation (Cespedes et al 2012). Cattle grazing did not have a consistent effect on the temporal turnover in herbaceous communities (both in magnitude and direction), as its effect varied across sites in different habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Yet an experimental study based on seed banks from a Mediterranean shrubland in Spain found that altering precipitation patterns indeed affects the richness and diversity of germinating species, according to the duration and timing of precipitation (Cespedes et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing and temporal turnover in herbaceous communities in a Mediterranean landscape

Bar‐Massada

Hadar

2016

J Vegetation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Question What are the direct and indirect effects of cattle grazing on temporal turnover in Mediterranean herbaceous communities, and are there differences between species (taxonomic) and functional turnover rates? Are turnover rates related to changes in precipitation patterns? Location The long term ecological research (LTER) station, Ramat Hanadiv Nature Park, Israel. Methods We used data from a Mediterranean LTER site to analyse temporal turnover in herbaceous communities under cattle grazing and control conditions, while accounting for the potential effects of precipitation and woody cover. We analysed two types of temporal turnover: taxonomic turnover (changes in species composition) and turnover in functional traits (changes in the relative abundance of species with different functional traits). Results We found that communities exhibited rapid taxonomic turnover between sampling years, which was mostly explained by changes in precipitation patterns. Furthermore, there was a strong and consistent directional trend in taxonomic turnover (21% per decade) throughout the study period, which was correlated with a long‐term trend of decreasing precipitation. This trend, however, was not significantly explained by grazing, woody cover change or their interaction. Grazing did have a significant effect on short‐term turnover rates, but its effects varied in both direction and magnitude among sites located in different habitats. Temporal turnover in functional traits was much slower than taxonomic turnover, and was also inconsistent among traits and sites. Grazing reduced the bi‐annual turnover rates in the composition of different life forms, and reduced the decadal turnover rate in the composition of different height groups in the community. Conclusions The results of this analysis suggest that the effect of cattle grazing on the temporal dynamics of herbaceous communities in Mediterranean ecosystems is habitat‐ and trait‐specific, and unrelated to changes in woody cover. In contrast, inter‐annual changes in precipitation patterns have a much stronger effect on turnover rates. The relationship between temporal species turnover and precipitation in these communities is therefore in line with modern co‐existence theory, by which fluctuating environmental conditions facilitate long‐term species co‐existence.

show abstract

“…Prior to germination, half of the seeds were exposed to a heat shock treatment (90°C for 10 min) simulating the heating that occurs at the soil surface during shrubland fires (Moreno et al 2011;Céspedes et al 2012). Seeds were set at four different temperature regimes with a photoperiod of 12/12 h: 1) 14/4°C; 2) 18/8°C; 3) 22/12°C; and 4) 26/16°C.…”

Section: Germination Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Niche position, that is, temperature at which the optimum germination takes place, and niche breadth, that is, the range of temperatures within which most germination occurs, are both important (Luna and Moreno 2010). Mediterranean species are acknowledged to have an optimum germination at relatively low temperatures (Thompson 1970;McArthur et al 1987;Bell et al 1993), which is consistent with their more frequent germination from autumn to spring (Ortega et al 1997;Céspedes et al 2012). Germinability is commonly greatest between 15 and 20°C, decreasing markedly above 20°C (Thanos and Georghiou 1988;Pérez-García and González-Benito 2006;Luna et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Germination response to various temperature regimes of four Mediterranean seeder shrubs across a range of altitudes

2013

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In dry-summer seasonal climates, the beginning of the rainy season can prompt germination under different temperatures, depending on altitude. Understanding germination responses to temperature with altitude is important in fire-prone environments for species regenerating after fire from seeds (seeders), particularly under changing climate. Here we investigated the role of temperature in four Mediterranean seeder shrubs from Central Spain. Seeds from 17 sites (285-1,253 m altitude), of two hard-seeded nanophanerophytes (Cistus ladanifer and C. salviifolius) and two soft-seeded chamaephytes (Lavandula pedunculata and Thymus mastichina) were investigated. Intact and heat shock treated seeds were set to germinate under four temperature regimes, including a treatment simulating future warming. GLM with binomial or gamma functions were used to test treatment effects using altitude as a covariate. Altitude was a significant covariate only in L. pedunculata. Temperature did not affect final germination in either Cistus, but it significantly affected T. mastichina, and interacted with altitude in L. pedunculata, whereby the higher the altitude the less it germinated with decreasing temperature. Germination speed (T 50) was lower at colder temperatures in all but C. salviifolius that was insensitive to our treatments. Heat shock significantly increased final germination in both Cistus and T. mastichina, but did not interact with temperature or altitude. We conclude that germination response to temperature, including varying sensitivity with altitude, differed among these species; thus, changes in the timing of the onset of the rainy season will diversely affect populations at various altitudes. We discuss our results in a context of changing climate and fire.

show abstract

Effects of changes in the timing and duration of the wet season on the germination of the soil seed bank of a seeder-dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Cited by 19 publications

References 36 publications

Burning season does not affect post‐fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder‐dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Burning season does not affect post‐fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder‐dominated Mediterranean shrubland

Grazing and temporal turnover in herbaceous communities in a Mediterranean landscape

Germination response to various temperature regimes of four Mediterranean seeder shrubs across a range of altitudes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About