The role of perennial plants in preserving annual plant complexity in a desert ecosystem

Berg, Naama; Steinberger, Yosef

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.03.023

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(36 reference statements)

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“…). However, some species favour the more open spaces of the matrix, which cover most of the area (Hagin‐DuMosch ; Berg & Steinberger ). Following the recent recurrent drought years, shrub cover has declined drastically, with high mortality rates in the Noaea mucronata population (Bos‐Groenendijk ), which was dominant on the slopes (See Appendix S1 for photos of landscape and shrubs).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies in the site have found that annual plant density, species richness and biomass are enhanced in shrub patches (Boeken & Shachak 1994;Hagin-DuMosch 1999;Wright et al 2006). However, some species favour the more open spaces of the matrix, which cover most of the area (Hagin-DuMosch 1999; Berg & Steinberger 2012). Following the recent recurrent drought years, shrub cover has declined drastically, with high mortality rates in the Noaea mucronata population (Bos-Groenendijk 2012), which was dominant on the slopes (See Appendix S1 for photos of landscape and shrubs).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…,b). Positive effects include the reduction of water and temperature stress due to shading and increased infiltration (Taft & Dawson ; Berg & Steinberger ; Segoli et al. ,b) and to seed trapping (Boeken & Shachak ; Boeken & Orenstein ; Giladi et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Direct mechanisms result from changes in microclimate and soil properties (Katra et al 2007;Segoli et al 2012a,b). Positive effects include the reduction of water and temperature stress due to shading and increased infiltration (Taft & Dawson 2011;Berg & Steinberger 2012;Segoli et al 2012a,b) and to seed trapping (Boeken & Shachak 1994;Boeken & Orenstein 2001;Giladi et al 2013). Negative effects include seed blocking (Giladi et al 2013) and growth suppression through shading (Madrigal-Gonz alez et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual plant diversity decreases across scales following widespread ecosystem engineer shrub mortality

Hoffman

Falco

Yizhaq

et al. 2016

J Vegetation Science

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Question: Ecosystem engineer patch dynamics can drive biodiversity patterns by controlling habitat heterogeneity. We studied changes to composition and diversity of shrub patch understorey plant communities to patch stage at a small scale, and to patch dynamics at larger scales. These patch dynamics were driven by widespread mortality of the facilitating engineer shrub Noaea mucronata, following a drought period.Location: Park Shaked LTER station, semi-arid northern Negev Desert, Israel.Methods: We used diversity partitioning and similarity-based metrics to relate annual plant diversity to shrub state at the scale of individual patches, and to the ecosystem engineer shrub mortality rates at larger scales. We separately tested changes to species diversity within patches and to assemblage variation among patches.Results: (1) At the patch scale, annual plant richness and diversity decreased following the loss of shrub canopy. (2) Community similarity among patches increased following shrub mortality, with a significant increase in the abundance of one dominant grass species and a decrease of most other species. (3) Taken together, these factors led to a plot-scale loss of diversity under high rates of shrub mortality. (4) Species richness and evenness metrics were significantly correlated with the shrub mortality gradient. (5) Overall, high mortality rates resulted in landscapes that were more homogeneous in both habitat structure and community composition.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual plant diversity decreases across scales following widespread ecosystem engineer shrub mortality

Hoffman

Falco

Yizhaq

et al. 2016

J Vegetation Science

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“…Las IF comprenden uno o varios árboles o arbustos generalmente leguminosas y plantas establecidas bajo su dosel. Se piensa que actuan como unidades funcionales básicas que permiten la estabilidad y productividad del ecosistema en su conjunto y de paisajes completos en las regiones áridas y semiáridas (Tielborger y Kadmon, 2000;Whitford, 2002;Berg y Steinberger, 2012). La base funcional de las islas radica en una relación de nodricismo, donde plantas de diferentes especies están protegidas por un arbusto de otra especie, los arbustos crean microambientes más favorables para otros organismos (Flores y Jurado, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Cambios edáficos en islas de fertilidad y su importancia en el funcionamiento de un ecosistema del valle de Tehuacán Puebla, México

Iniestra¹,

Mosqueda

Álvarez

et al. 2017

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Cambios edáficos en islas de fertilidad y su importancia en el funcionamiento de un ecosistema del valle de Tehuacán Puebla, México RESUMENEn los ecosistemas áridos y semiáridos la vegetación natural usualmente se presenta en forma de agrupaciones denominadas islas de fertilidad, separadas unas de otras por amplios espacios desprovistos de plantas. Se piensa que estas islas actúan como unidades funcionales básicas del ecosistema en su conjunto. Se ha observado que el suelo debajo de las islas de fertilidad muestra mejores condiciones de calidad y fertilidad en comparación con el suelo de afuera. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar la calidad del suelo dentro y fuera de las islas de fertilidad, así como contrastar propiedades físicas y químicas tanto del suelo interior como del exterior. Para esto se seleccionaron 25 islas de fertilidad de una terraza fluvial del valle de Zapotitlán, región semiárida de Tehuacán Puebla. En cada isla debajo del dosel del arbusto nodriza se tomaron tres muestras de suelo superf icial, fuera de la isla alrededor se levantaron otras tres procediendo de la misma manera. Las muestras se analizaron en el laboratorio para evaluar nueve propiedades físicas y ocho químico-biológicas relacionadas con funciones ecológicas que el suelo realiza, estas propiedades se utilizaron para obtener un índice de calidad del suelo. Para el análisis de los datos se aplicó la prueba de t-test Student para muestras independientes. No hubo diferencias signif icativas en el índice de calidad entre los suelos fuera y dentro de las islas de fertilidad, sin embargo a nivel de propiedades individuales como: arena, densidad aparente, materia orgánica, pH, magnesio, nitrógeno total y retención de humedad sí se presentaron diferencias signif icativas. Se concluye que la vegetación de la isla de fertilidad modif ica algunas propiedades y funciones del suelo para crear un microambiente más favorable, logrando que en su interior se reduzca el estrés hídrico y se propicie una realimentación constante de nutrientes, gracias a los mecanismos de captura y aporte de materia orgánica.Palabras clave: calidad del suelo, zonas semiáridas, indicadores, Prosopis laevigata.

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Navigating water scarcity: rainfall considerations to optimize native vegetation growth in arid lands

Abdullah,

Assi,

Al-Ali

et al. 2024

Environ Dev Sustain

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The role of perennial plants in preserving annual plant complexity in a desert ecosystem

Cited by 18 publications

References 34 publications

Annual plant diversity decreases across scales following widespread ecosystem engineer shrub mortality

Annual plant diversity decreases across scales following widespread ecosystem engineer shrub mortality

Cambios edáficos en islas de fertilidad y su importancia en el funcionamiento de un ecosistema del valle de Tehuacán Puebla, México

Navigating water scarcity: rainfall considerations to optimize native vegetation growth in arid lands

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