Spatial distribution of soil nutrients and ephemeral plants underneath and outside the canopy of Porlieria chilensis shrubs (Zygophyllaceae) in arid coastal Chile

Gutiérrez, Julio R.; Meserve, Peter L.; Contreas, Luis C.; Vásquez, Hernán; Jaksic, Fabián M.

doi:10.1007/bf00320987

Cited by 116 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…However, the regression showed that native richness was high in areas with low average precipitation, wind, and N deposition, while exotic grass and forb cover were reduced in these areas. In arid regions, total production is driven by precipitation (Noy-Meir 1973) but native diversity is often greater in areas with lower resource availability (Shmida and Whittaker 1981;Gutierrez et al 1993;Pugnaire et al 1996). These findings of higher diversity in resource poor areas coupled with the studies demonstrating the high-resource needs of the exotic grasses in our region (DeFalco et al 2003;Salo et al 2005) support our findings of higher native diversity on the drier, N-poor end of the gradient and higher exotic species cover on the wetter, N-rich end of the gradient.…”

Section: Factors Influencing Native Diversity and Exotic Covermentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of natural and anthropogenic gradients on native and exotic winter annuals in a southern California Desert

2011

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Native annual plant species constitute a large proportion of the plant diversity found in arid vegetation types within the southwestern United States; yet, little is known about controls on diversity patterns along natural and anthropogenic gradients. In this study we evaluated native species richness and exotic species cover across overlapping gradients of precipitation, wind, and N deposition in the Colorado Desert of southern California. Factors allowing native diversity to persist under high N deposition and high wind were also evaluated in a second, focused study at one end of the gradient. We found that gradients in precipitation, nitrogen deposition, and wind were the most important factors to native richness and exotic species cover across the landscape, while local heterogeneity in bare ground influenced richness and cover at the high deposition/windy, or highdisturbance, end of the gradient. Patterns of native diversity were evaluated across the gradients using non-metric multidimensional scaling, which showed diversity was split into two axes: one strongly correlated to precipitation and the other strongly correlated with disturbance factors. The disturbance factors were also positively associated with exotic grass and forb cover. In total, these results indicate that large-scale patterns in disturbance and exotic species cover negatively affect native annual plant species diversity but native species can also persist due to local heterogeneity.

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Section: Factors Influencing Native Diversity and Exotic Covermentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of natural and anthropogenic gradients on native and exotic winter annuals in a southern California Desert

2011

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“…Organic matter, N and other soil chemical variables are often higher under tree and shrub canopies than in gaps in semiarid and arid zones such as African savannahs (Bernhard-Reversat 1982), Chilean matorral (Gutiérrez et al 1993) and North American grasslands and deserts (García-Moya & McKell 1970;Charley & West 1975;Barth & Klemmedson 1978;Virginia & Jarell 1983;Hook et al 1991;Halvorson et al 1994), showing that understorey soil characteristics are strongly influenced by the overstorey plants.…”

Section: Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Floristic composition and productivity of annual plants in these regions are strongly affected by small-scale variation in resources (Gutiérrez & Whitford 1987;Gutiérrez et al 1993;, particularly in the understorey of shrubs and trees, which concentrate flora and fauna under their canopies (see Allen 1991, West 1991 and Veetas 1992 for reviews). These so-called 'fertile islands' (García-Moya & McKell 1970;Garner & Steinberger 1989) are points of high biological activity scattered in a heterogeneous landscape in which facilitation is the dominant interaction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Complex interactions between perennial and annual species are common in these vegetation systems Functional Ecology 1997 11, [425][426][427][428][429][430][431] where growth of annual plants may be facilitated by a higher soil fertility (García-Moya & McKell 1970;Hook, Burke & Lauenroth 1991;Gutiérrez et al 1993), availability of water (Dawson 1993;Joffre & Rambal 1993) or microclimate amelioration (Valiente-Banuet & Ezcurra 1991) caused by perennial species. Light deprivation and mechanical and chemical effects of litter (Facelli & Pickett 1991b) can also reduce understorey growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of the canopy of Retama sphaerocarpa on its understorey in a semiarid environment

et al. 1997

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Summary 1.A dense understorey of annual and perennial herbs grow under the canopy of Retama sphaerocarpa shrubs in semiarid environments of south-east Spain, influencing plant productivity and diversity at a regional scale. We investigated the facilitation by the shrub on its understorey in field and laboratory experiments with Barley designed to explore the mechanisms of interaction between both vegetation layers and their spatial variation. 2.There was a gradient of spatial heterogeneity in soil chemical fertility under the shrub canopy, with organic matter and soil nitrogen contents higher at the centre than at the edge of the canopy. Dry mass production of Barley was also higher in soils from intermediate positions, and lower in soils from both the centre and edge of the canopy. 3. In the field, pots sown with Barley placed near the centre, at an intermediate position and at the edge of the canopy of Retama shrubs showed significant differences in productivity, suggesting a mulching effect of the canopy that also affects seedling establishment. 4. Micro-climatic measurements showed significant differences in total radiation reaching the soil, mean air and soil temperatures and maximum temperature among different positions in the understorey, increasing radially from the centre to the edge of the canopy. 5. These results and field observations suggest that the optimal association of climatic factors under the canopy would combine with a high soil fertility mediated by litter decomposition to increase biomass production mid-way between the centre and the edge of the canopy. Overstorey and understorey thus interact to increase nutrient retention locally, which benefits both the shrub and the herb layer.

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“…El resultado anterior indica que, en ausencia de cobertura arbórea, los matorrales tienen un papel protagonista sobre la composición de los pastizales, en cierta medida equivalente a la ejercida por los árboles ("trubs": trees and shrubs; Le Houérou 2006). Los matorrales son un factor clave en los pastizales de ambientes áridos y semiáridos, por el aporte de hojarasca y su influencia en las variables edáficas (Ovalle et al 1990, Gutierrez et al 1993, Aguiar y Sala 1994. La acumulación de hojarasca condiciona el reciclaje de nutrientes, favoreciendo la devolución al suelo parte de los utilizados para el crecimiento de las plantas (Facelli y Pickett 1991), si bien en nuestro caso no se manifestó una relación estadística directa entre la abundancia de matorrales y los valores de los nutrientes edáficos.…”

Section: Altaunclassified

Bases ecológicas para implementar un sistema de uso silvopastoral en la región patagónica de Aysén, Chile

Sánchez-Jardón

2013

ECOS

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A Carmen Badía, que se habría ido conmigo al fin del mundo (y habría traído a muchos más) AgradecimientosEste trabajo se ha realizado con financiación de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, mediante una beca-contrato para personal investigador en formación, y de la Fundación Biodiversidad a través del proyecto 'Caracterización ecológica y agronómica de la interacción bosque-pradera, para la elaboración de un modelo sostenible de explotación silvopastoral en la región de Aysén (Chile)'. Este proyecto fue fruto de la colaboración de los investigadores José Manuel de Miguel, Miguel Ángel Casado y Belén Acosta en España, y Alejandro del Pozo y Carlos Ovalle en Chile.Ellos me invitaron a participar en el mismo. Su visión experimentada de los sistemas silvopastorales mediterráneos encontró un nuevo desafío en la Patagonia. Este enfoque sorprendió a los expertos agrónomos y forestales locales, y me proporcionó el entusiasmo para realizar esta tesis.Aquella invitación y este entusiasmo fueron sólo el principio. Durante el proceso he aprendido de todos y cada uno de los 'ecólogos con fronteras', les estoy enormemente agradecida por la oportunidad brindada y por su apoyo y dedicación. En especial, a mis directores José Manuel de Miguel y Alejandro del Pozo, que han compartido conmigo su conocimiento y su experiencia. Las discusiones han sido interesantes siempre, y los encuentros y desencuentros han resultado fundamentales para la consecución de los objetivos propuestos en este trabajo.En Chile, los agrónomos Christian Hepp Kuschel y Hernán Felipe Elizalde del centro regional de investigación del Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias en Chile (INIA) Tamel Aike también participaron en el proyecto. Ellos me proporcionaron el espacio en el laboratorio, la movilización diaria al centro desde Coyhaique y, desde allí, a la punta del cerro, así como el apoyo logístico y académico necesario para la ejecución de los muestreos y demás tareas de campo. Les estoy muy agradecida por su amable acogida y por hacerme partícipe de la cotidianidad de Tamel Aike.Respecto al apoyo logístico, la participación de Nicolás Romero Sandoval en los muestreos del primer año fue crucial. Su pericia facilitó el establecimiento de las parcelas, los muestreos de suelo, la instalación y supervisión del experimento (fallido) para evaluar el banco de semillas, los muestreos de biomasa de todo el año, la rotación de los animales, y permitió superar con éxito las adversidades del trabajo de campo, siempre con buen humor y sobre todo con un profundo respeto por las condiciones impuestas por la naturaleza, que son difíciles de ignorar en la Patagonia. Sin camioneta, en moto o en caballo, o andando. No me olvido de las mil horas separando la biomasa, de la abuelita, el perejil, el puma. Lo que aprendí con Nicolás no es parte explícita de esta memoria pero está detrás de cada dato y me ha permitido funcionar en lo sucesivo, y empezar a comprender la realidad de esta región remota.El resto del personal de Tamel Aike también me acompañó y me apoyó en lo pos...

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Spatial distribution of soil nutrients and ephemeral plants underneath and outside the canopy of Porlieria chilensis shrubs (Zygophyllaceae) in arid coastal Chile

Cited by 116 publications

References 19 publications

Effects of natural and anthropogenic gradients on native and exotic winter annuals in a southern California Desert

Effects of natural and anthropogenic gradients on native and exotic winter annuals in a southern California Desert

Effect of the canopy of Retama sphaerocarpa on its understorey in a semiarid environment

Bases ecológicas para implementar un sistema de uso silvopastoral en la región patagónica de Aysén, Chile

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