Spatial structure develops early in forest herb populations, controlled by dispersal and life cycle

Holmes, Marion A.; Matlack, Glenn R.

doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04380-6

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Herb species with no apparent dispersal mechanism showed strong signals of nucleation despite lacking an obvious linkage between vector and pasture trees. Distributions of unassisted species in the study area are highly clustered within post‐agricultural forests, and aggregated patterns of spread may reflect clonal propagation (Edwards, 1984; Holmes and Matlack, 2019). Many unassisted species are considered forest specialists.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Patterns of herb abundance near pasture trees likely reflect a combination of survival, colonization, and within‐site spread mediated by dispersal and microhabitat variation (Burton et al ., 2011; Cutler et al ., 2008; Holmes and Matlack, 2019). Many forest herbs also show evidence of post‐agricultural limitation of recruitment (Baeten et al , 2009; Flinn and Marks, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pasture trees contribute to structural heterogeneity and plant distributions in post‐agricultural forests decades after canopy closure

Holmes

2020

J Vegetation Science

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Questions:Open-grown shade trees retained in pastures are legacies of agricultural history that influence recolonization dynamics and create structural heterogeneity in post-agricultural forests. This work addresses the long-term influence of pasture trees on forest structure and composition. I ask: Do signs of successional nucleation in microhabitat, structure and composition near pasture trees persist decades after canopy closure? If so, does variation primarily reflect seed deposition or environmental facilitation?Location: Southeastern Ohio, USA.Methods: Thirteen open-grown trees greater than 70 cm in diameter in secondgrowth forests 40-90 years old were selected as study sites. Trees, saplings, herbs, and environmental variables were sampled and compared at three positions around each tree: under the canopy, at the dripline, and in the forest matrix. Results: Soil pH was lower and coarse woody debris most abundant under pasture tree canopies. Stems >10 cm in diameter at breast height were nearly absent under each focal tree's canopy and most abundant at its dripline. Composition under the canopy was limited to shade-tolerant trees, whereas the dripline was characterized by vertebrate-dispersed species. Ant-dispersed, adhesive, and unassisted herb species were most abundant under embedded pasture trees compared with the forest matrix. Discussion: Evidence of nucleation around open-grown trees persists for decades after canopy closure. Contrasts in structure and composition reflect spatially segregated interactions of competitive suppression and facilitation mediated by both dispersal and environment. Pasture trees contribute variation in microhabitat, composition, and structure to post-agricultural forests, and their retention should be encouraged. K E Y W O R D S agricultural legacies, community assembly, land-use history, nucleation, pasture trees, second-growth forest, succession | 455 Journal of Vegetation Science HOLMES | INTRODUC TI ONNearly all of the deciduous forests of eastern North America were cut by the start of the 20th century, and most of the cutover land was converted to European-style agriculture (Williams, 1992). Despite clearing, remnant trees were common in the agricultural landscape.Pasturing practiced by settlers often included retention of trees to provide shelter and food for livestock, a millennia-old practice that can be traced to the wood-pastures of Europe. Pasture trees were historically nut-bearing species such as Quercus, Fagus, and Castanea, or fleshy-fruited species such as Pyrus in silvopastoral systems that combine animal pasturing with fruit production (Harding and Rose, 1986;Hartel et al., 2013).The ecological contributions of pasture trees reflect both their place in the landscape matrix and their distinctive structure. Trees in open environments, such as pastures after clearing, spread laterally in response to light availability, resulting in large individuals with distinctive horizontal branching that persists after canopy closure (McEwan and McCarthy, 2008;Varga et al...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pasture trees contribute to structural heterogeneity and plant distributions in post‐agricultural forests decades after canopy closure

Holmes

2020

J Vegetation Science

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“…In the wet season, heavy and frequent rainfall could bring disturbance or even damage to local vegetation probably by causing floods and landslides. Annual and biennial herbs, due to their shorter lifecycles (Holmes & Matlack, 2019), might occupy the disturbed areas as pioneers and consequently established their communities. In the dry season, moisture deficiency could be a key factor restricting the growth and generation of plants.…”

Section: Causal Relationship For the Opening Of Meadowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rise of herbaceous diversity at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau: First insight from fossils

Huang

Zhu

et al. 2021

J of Sytematics Evolution

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The Hengduan Mountains region (HMR) on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, supports a high diversity of herbs, particularly in its subalpine to alpine ecosystems, due to high altitude and cool temperate climate. Current understanding on the formation of such herbaceous richness is based chiefly on molecular phylogenies; however, direct geological evidence is lacking because herbs are rarely preserved as macroscopic fossils. In this study, we present abundant fossil fruits and seeds of herbs from the late Pliocene Heqing Basin in the southern HMR. Our systematic analysis shows the presence of at least 18 species belonging to 11 genera, that is, Ranunculus, Corydalis, Rumex, Polygonum, Chenopodium, Stellaria, Fragaria, Astragalus, Aster, Carex, and Schoenoplectus, of which Polygonum is most abundant followed by Astragalus. This finding throws the first light from fossil evidence on the rise of herbaceous diversity in the region. We interpret the local assembly of these herbs as resulting from rapid pre‐Pliocene species diversifications of many herbaceous groups in the HMR. As nowadays most of these herbs grow primarily in meadows and a few occur as subaquatic plants, we suggest an open meadow hosting some scattered shrubs in the vicinity of a vegetated wetland in the Heqing Basin during the late Pliocene. This provides the first direct evidence of past treeless open vegetation within the HMR and thus improves our knowledge of vegetation evolution in the region. We suggest that the uplift‐induced climate cooling and monsoon‐associated precipitation seasonality are potentially the key driving forces for the opening of meadow vegetation in the HMR.

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“…Some researchers have studied the spatial patterns of species and have found that spatial patterns are highly dependent on scale [9][10][11]. While plant populations may follow an aggregated distribution at some scales, their distribution may be random or regular at other scales [12]. Previous studies have focused on small sample sizes, limiting the validity of their results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Patterns and Associations of Tree Species in a Temperate Forest of National Forest Park, Huadian City, Jilin Province, Northeast China

Lin,

Ren,

Shimizu

et al. 2024

Forests

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Analyzing the spatial patterns and associations among tree species may help to elucidate the importance of the ecological processes behind population formation and the mechanisms of species coexistence. To explore this mechanism, we mapped and studied eight dominant tree species in Korean pine broad-leaved mixed forests in a temperate forest region in Jilin Province, Northeast China. The spatial distribution patterns and spatial associations of the eight dominant tree species at different life history stages and spatial scales were analyzed using the second-order spatial point pattern method based on pair correlation functions. The results indicated the following: (1) The diameter class structure of all individuals in the plots showed an obvious “L” shape, indicating that the community was well regenerated and belonged to a growing stand. (2) The distribution of trees was affected by scale, size, and habitat heterogeneity. The degree of aggregation decreased as the diameter class increased. (3) Out of the 56 pairs of individuals, a small number showed a significant correlation, while most were negatively correlated. It is concluded that seed dispersal limitations, competitive ability, and topography and light requirements may influence the spatial distribution and association of species to maintain species coexistence and diversity in Korean pine broad-leaved mixed forests. The results can provide insights into the ecological processes of population assembly, the mechanisms of species coexistence, and the relationship between forest management and restoration.

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Spatial structure develops early in forest herb populations, controlled by dispersal and life cycle

Cited by 5 publications

References 57 publications

Pasture trees contribute to structural heterogeneity and plant distributions in post‐agricultural forests decades after canopy closure

Pasture trees contribute to structural heterogeneity and plant distributions in post‐agricultural forests decades after canopy closure

Rise of herbaceous diversity at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau: First insight from fossils

Spatial Patterns and Associations of Tree Species in a Temperate Forest of National Forest Park, Huadian City, Jilin Province, Northeast China

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