Shrub Encroachment Following Wetland Creation in Mixedgrass Prairie Alters Grassland Vegetation and Soil

Dahl, Regina; Dalgaard, Tommy; Bork, Edward W.

doi:10.1007/s00267-020-01386-2

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In addition, the lower biodiversity function found in long-term exclusions could be explained by the absence of transhumant sheep role as non-discriminant seed dispersers (Plue et al, 2019), and to the decrease in habitat spatial heterogeneity generated by patchiness in soil properties driven by livestock activity (Liu et al, 2016;Ingty, 2021). Along with biodiversity function decline, shrub encroachment has also been found to hinder forage availability as a consequence of competition (Zarovali et al, 2007; Dahl et al, 2020), which is consistent with the lower forage production function found in plots under long-term transhumant sheep exclusion in this study. Also, grazing at moderate stocking rates can induce a production optimization process of herbaceous plants (Austrheim et al, 2014), that can be understood as a compensatory growth response induced by herbivory despite the herbaceous biomass consumption by domestic livestock (Oñatibia et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transhumant Sheep Grazing Enhances Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Productive Mountain Grasslands: A Case Study in the Cantabrian Mountains

et al. 2022

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Understanding the effects of traditional livestock grazing abandonment on the ability of mountain grasslands to sustain multiple ecosystem functions (ecosystem multifunctionality; EMF) is crucial for implementing policies that promote grasslands conservation and the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. In this study, we evaluated the effect of short- and long-term transhumant sheep abandonment on EMF through a grazing exclusion experiment in a grassland of the Cantabrian Mountains range (NW Spain), where transhumant sheep flocks graze in summer. We considered four key ecosystem functions, derived from vegetation and soil functional indicators measured in the field: (A) biodiversity function, evaluated from total plant species evenness, diversity and richness indicators; (B) forage production function, evaluated from cover and richness of perennial and annual herbaceous species indicators; (C) carbon sequestration function, evaluated from woody species cover and soil organic carbon indicators; and (D) soil fertility function, evaluated from NH4+-N, NO3–-N, P and K content in the soil. The EMF index was calculated by integrating the four standardized ecosystem functions through an averaging approach. Based on linear mixed modeling we found that grazing exclusion induced significant shifts in the considered individual ecosystem functions and also on EMF. Long-term livestock exclusion significantly hindered biodiversity and forage production functions, but enhanced the carbon sequestration function. Conversely, the soil fertility function was negatively affected by both short- and long-term grazing exclusion. Altogether, grazing exclusion significantly decreased overall EMF, especially in long-term livestock exclusion areas, while the decline in EMF in short-term exclusions with respect to grazed areas was marginally significant. The results of this study support the sustainability of traditional transhumance livestock grazing for promoting the conservation of grasslands and their ecosystem function in mountain regions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transhumant Sheep Grazing Enhances Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Productive Mountain Grasslands: A Case Study in the Cantabrian Mountains

et al. 2022

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“…Shrub coverage and density increases have frequently been reported worldwide in tundra [1], wetlands [2], grasslands [3], meadows [4], and deserts [5]. Many studies have suggested that the shrub proportion increase is negative for ecosystem services in terms of loss of species and biomass [6], accelerated soil erosion [7], increased fuel loading, and advised control and removal of shrubs by cutting or fire [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We hypothesize the following: (1) Shrubs can shelter herbage and herbaceous diversity, and biomass beneath shrubs is higher than that outside the shrubs. (2) The soil nutrient content beneath the shrub is higher than that outside the shrub, while the salinity is lower than that outside the shrub, which is more favorable for plant growth. (3) In burned shrublands, the number and height of shrub resprouts and the height, density, coverage, and biomass of herbage seedlings are higher in shrub patches than in intercanopy spaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertile Island Soils Promote the Restoration of Shrub Patches in Burned Areas in Arid Saline Land

Wang,

Cao

2023

Fire

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Shrub encroachment and expansion have been widely reported globally and are particularly severe in arid saline land. Shrubs in harsh habitats have fertile island effects, but the promoting effect of fertile island soil on shrub patch restoration remains unclear. To clarify the role of fertile island soils in shrub patch recovery, we took single Tamarix ramosissima shrubs with different volume sizes (3.62–80.21 m3) as experimental subjects. The fertile island effect was quantified, and the 5-year natural recovery of shrub patches in the burned area was measured. The results strongly support that shrubs formed a fertile island soil in unburned areas; soil nutrient content beneath the canopy was 1.34–3.09 times higher than those outside the shrubs, while the soil salinity was 0.03–0.48 times lower than that of intercanopy spaces. The diversity of herbaceous plants beneath shrubs was significantly lower than that of outside shrubs, while the herbage biomass first increased and then decreased with the increase in the volume of shrubs. The maximum biomass of herbage was found when the shrub volume was 30.22 m3, but oversized shrubs could inhibit the growth of herbage. In terms of burned area, the recovery of burned area mainly depends on resprouts and seedlings. The mean values of seedling density, height, coverage, and biomass beneath the canopies were 0.47, 2.53, 2.11, and 5.74 times higher, respectively, than those of the intercanopy spaces. The results of the structural equation models showed the weight coefficient of the fertile island soils for the vegetation recovery in burned shrubland was 0.45; low salinity contributed more to vegetation recovery than high nutrient and moisture contents. Thus, compared with intercanopy spaces, shrub patches reinforce fertile island effects through direct and indirect effects and enhance the recovery of shrubland vegetation in the burned area. Our results demonstrate the positive implications of shrub expansion in the context of global climate change and also deepen the understanding of the sustainable development of burned shrubland.

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Effects of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) control on ecosystem nitrogen stocks in central Oregon, USA

Abdallah

Mata-González

Noller

et al. 2021

Journal of Plant Ecology

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Aims In the Oregon of USA, the control of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) is an accepted rangeland management practice to restore sagebrush steppe habitats of importance to wildlife and livestock. The effects of juniper cutting on ecosystem nitrogen, however, have not been well addressed although woody plant control has important implications for local watershed management and regional nitrogen pools. Methods We quantified ecosystem nitrogen stocks in two adjacent watersheds, comprised of a treated watershed (most juniper removed) and an untreated watershed (juniper not removed). Thirteen years after juniper removal, we measured aboveground nitrogen stocks for juniper trees, shrubs, grasses, and litter in both watersheds. We also measured belowground nitrogen stocks (roots and soil) in both watersheds at two soil depths (0-25 and 25-50 cm). Important Findings Aboveground nitrogen stocks were 6.9 times greater in the untreated than in the treated watershed considering the much larger aboveground biomass. However, root nitrogen stocks were 3.1 times greater in the treated one due to the gain of understory root biomass associated with juniper cutting. Soil nitrogen stocks at both 0-25 and 25-50 cm depths were not affected by juniper removal. Overall, total ecosystem nitrogen stocks did not differ between the treated (9,536 kg N ha -1) and untreated (9,456 kg N ha -1) watersheds. The greatest ecosystem nitrogen accumulation (at least 95% total ecosystem nitrogen) resided belowground (soil 0-50 cm and roots) in both watersheds. This study provides evidence that the benefits of juniper removal can be attained without significantly affecting the capacity of ecosystem nitrogen storage.

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Shrub Encroachment Following Wetland Creation in Mixedgrass Prairie Alters Grassland Vegetation and Soil

Cited by 4 publications

References 45 publications

Transhumant Sheep Grazing Enhances Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Productive Mountain Grasslands: A Case Study in the Cantabrian Mountains

Transhumant Sheep Grazing Enhances Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Productive Mountain Grasslands: A Case Study in the Cantabrian Mountains

Fertile Island Soils Promote the Restoration of Shrub Patches in Burned Areas in Arid Saline Land

Effects of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) control on ecosystem nitrogen stocks in central Oregon, USA

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