Negative effects of an invasive grass, but not of native grasses, on plant species richness along a cover gradient

Dresseno, André Luís Pereira; Guido, Anaclara; Balogianni, Vasiliki G.; Overbeck, Gerhard Ernst

doi:10.1111/aec.12644

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Eragrostis plana was an indicator species for grassland subtypes 5, 8 and 9. This species was introduced from Africa and is considered the most problematic invader in the region (Dresseno, Guido, Balogianni, & Overbeck, ; Guido, Vélez‐Martin, Overbeck, & Pillar, ). Another highly invasive species, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classification of South Brazilian grasslands: Implications for conservation

Andrade

Bonilha

Overbeck

et al. 2019

Applied Vegetation Science

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Aims We offer a first classification of South Brazilian grasslands (Campos Sulinos) based on quantitative vegetation data and describing grassland types in terms of dominant and indicator species. Location South Brazilian grasslands (Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul states). Methods We described vegetation plots in 167 sampling units throughout the region using a stratified nested design, totalizing 1,502 1 m² quadrats. We classified vegetation using cluster analysis based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities, establishing three vegetation types and ten subtypes. We conducted indicator species analysis within the resulting subtypes, and for all possible combinations of subtypes. Results In the cluster analyses, a clear separation of poorly drained grasslands from the drier sites appeared. Further, a clear distinction between grasslands in the South Brazilian highland region, situated in the Atlantic Forest biome, and the grasslands of the Pampa biome, to the south, emerged, reflecting climatic and management differences. Highland grasslands showed lower species cover dominance, while in the Pampa, Paspalum notatum clearly was the most important species and the abundance of exotic species was higher. Conclusions Our study provides the first classification of South Brazilian grasslands based on quantitative vegetation data recorded in a standardized sampling design. The data support the division of grasslands into the main phytogeographic units of the region (Brazilian biome classification). Grasslands in these two regions also differ in terms of species dominance pattern (higher dominance in Pampa grasslands, likely also due to higher grazing levels) and in terms of conservation state (low presence of exotic species in highland grasslands). Our results are important for conservation policies, which can now consider the presence of different grassland types in different region, but more data will be necessary for a more detailed classification that considers different abiotic features in more detail.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classification of South Brazilian grasslands: Implications for conservation

Andrade

Bonilha

Overbeck

et al. 2019

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…Non‐native grass invasion can represent a huge threat to tropical grasslands, due to the negative impact caused by exotic grasses on native grasses and forbs (e.g. Pivello, Shida & Meirelles, ; Damasceno et al ., in press; Dresseno et al ., in press). In addition to suppressing native species, invasive grasses can lead to a high biomass accumulation, with consequences for fire regimes, including increased fire intensity (Mistry & Berardi, ; Setterfield et al ., ; Gorgone‐Barbosa et al ., ).…”

Section: Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

et al. 2018

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Despite growing recognition of the conservation values of grassy biomes, our understanding of how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical grasslands (including savannas and open‐canopy grassy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate grasslands into large‐scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge of tropical grassland resilience and approaches to plant community restoration. Tropical grassland plant communities are resilient to, and often dependent on, the endogenous disturbances with which they evolved – frequent fires and native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, tropical grasslands are extremely vulnerable to human‐caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils and destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); tropical grassland restoration after severe soil disturbances is expensive and rarely achieves management targets. Where grasslands have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes (e.g. fire exclusion), exotic plant invasions, or afforestation, restoration efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density and herbaceous ground cover), but species‐diverse plant communities, including endemic species, are slow to recover. Complicating plant‐community restoration efforts, many tropical grassland species, particularly those that invest in underground storage organs, are difficult to propagate and re‐establish. To guide restoration decisions, we draw on the old‐growth grassland concept, the novel ecosystem concept, and theory regarding tree cover along resource gradients in savannas to propose a conceptual framework that classifies tropical grasslands into three broad ecosystem states. These states are: (1) old‐growth grasslands (i.e. ancient, biodiverse grassy ecosystems), where management should focus on the maintenance of disturbance regimes; (2) hybrid grasslands, where restoration should emphasise a return towards the old‐growth state; and (3) novel ecosystems, where the magnitude of environmental change (i.e. a shift to an alternative ecosystem state) or the socioecological context preclude a return to historical conditions.

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“…Continuous and excessive grazing might be unfavorable and lead to the local exclusion of species (Landsberg, Lavorel, & Stol, ; Milchunas et al., ; Olff & Ritchie, ), as habitat conditions are changed and open soil patches often increase (Nabinger, Dall'Agnol, & Carvalho, ). This can favor the establishment of opportunistic and/or invasive species (Baggio et al., ; Guido, Hoss, & Pillar, ) that then can further reduce local species richness (Dresseno, Guido, Balogianni, & Overbeck, ). Here, we demonstrated that the total amount of plant biomass significantly increased in areas under rotational grazing (Figure ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of grazing regimes on the temporal dynamics of grassland communities

Boavista

Trindade

Overbeck

et al. 2019

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions Grazing management influences grassland community dynamics, but few studies exist on the effects of specific management regimes in subtropical grasslands. Here, we ask how rotational and continuous grazing influences the composition, diversity, and biomass production of natural grasslands in southern Brazil. Location The study was conducted at four cattle farms within the south Brazilian grassland region (Campos Sulinos), in the upper area of the Camaquã river basin of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods On each farm, grassland that had previously been subjected to continuous grazing (freely grazed by cattle) was divided into two experimental units; one managed by rotational grazing and the other maintained under continuous grazing. In each experimental unit, 14 permanent plots were monitored over six years for species composition and species biomass. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models to evaluate the effects of grazing management strategies on composition dissimilarity, diversity indices, and plant biomass. Results Grasslands under a rotational grazing regime changed steadily over the period of evaluation. Total biomass and species distribution patterns greatly differed from those in plots subjected to continuous grazing, leading to changes in species richness, dominance, and composition, as well as to an increase in overall plant biomass. Conclusions Community changes during the six‐year study period as a consequence of the distinct grazing treatments were evident. Grasslands under rotational grazing management benefitted from less selective grazing, enabling a more uniform growth of species within the communities, which in turn were richer at the end of the six‐year experiment. In contrast, the proportion of grazing‐resistant species or less‐consumed species was higher under continuous grazing, where foraging by cattle appears to be more selective. Rotational grazing thus not only leads to higher species richness and diversity, but also to higher primary and, in consequence, secondary productivity.

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Negative effects of an invasive grass, but not of native grasses, on plant species richness along a cover gradient

Cited by 21 publications

References 34 publications

Classification of South Brazilian grasslands: Implications for conservation

Classification of South Brazilian grasslands: Implications for conservation

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands

Effects of grazing regimes on the temporal dynamics of grassland communities

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