Variation in Creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) Canopy Morphology in Relation to Habitat, Soil Fertility and Associated Annual Plant Communities

Soyza, Amrita G. de; Whitford, Walter G.; Martinez-Meza, Ernesto; Zee, Justin W. Van

doi:10.2307/2426751

Cited by 81 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Plant clumps are often associated with sediment deposition either in mounds below the canopy or in microfans uphill of them. The first, characterized by their fine texture, are the result of atmospheric dust trapped by the canopies as dry deposition or wind-transported sediment and organic debris (DeSoyza et al, 1997) and also from differential splash, as postulated by several authors (Parsons et al, 1992;Bochet et al, 2002) as a consequence of the strong reduction of kinetic energy below shrub canopies, i.e. 70 per cent of open rainfall in Larrea tridentata (Wainwright et al, 1999).…”

Section: Effects Of Plant Canopies On the Underlying Soilmentioning

confidence: 95%

The role of vegetation patterns in structuring runoff and sediment fluxes in drylands

Puigdefábregas

2005

Earth Surf Processes Landf

403

318

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The dynamics of vegetation-driven spatial heterogeneity (VDSH) and its function in structuring runoff and sediment fluxes have received increased attention from both geomorphological and ecological perspectives, particularly in arid regions with sparse vegetation cover. This paper reviews the recent findings in this area obtained from field evidence and numerical simulation experiments, and outlines their implications for soil erosion assessment. VDSH is often observed at two scales, individual plant clumps and stands of clumps.At the patch scale, the local outcomes of vegetated patches on soil erodibility and hydraulic soil properties are well established. They involve greater water storage capacity as well as increased organic carbon and nutrient inputs. These effects operate together with an enhanced capacity for the interception of water and windborne resources, and an increased biological activity that accelerates breakdown of plant litter and nutrient turnover rates. This suite of relationships, which often involve positive feedback mechanisms, creates vegetated patches that are increasingly different from nearby bare ground areas. By this way a mosaic builds up with bare ground and vegetated patches coupled together, respectively, as sources and sinks of water, sediments and nutrients.At the stand scale within-storm temporal variability of rainfall intensity controls reinfiltration of overland flow and its decay with slope length. At moderate rainfall intensity, this factor interacts with the spatial structure of VDSH and the mechanism of overland flow generation. Reinfiltration is greater in small-grained VDSH and topsoil saturation excess overland flow. Available information shows that VDSH structures of sources and sinks of water and sediments evolve dynamically with hillslope fluxes and tune their spatial configurations to them.Rainfall simulation experiments in large plots show that coarsening VDSH leads to significantly greater erosion rates even under heavy rainfall intensity because of the flow concentration and its velocity increase.

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Section: Effects Of Plant Canopies On the Underlying Soilmentioning

confidence: 95%

The role of vegetation patterns in structuring runoff and sediment fluxes in drylands

Puigdefábregas

2005

Earth Surf Processes Landf

403

318

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“…Many studies have shown that woody species can increase soil nutrients and organic matter because of the accumulation of litter beneath their canopies (e.g. Soriano & Sala 1986;Aguiar & Sala 1994), trapping of windblown particles (Escudero et al 1985;DeSoyza et al 1997), or symbiotic associations with N-fixing micro-organisms (Chapin et al 1994;Alpert & Mooney 1996). The 'canopy effect' and the 'soil effect' are also interrelated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canopy vs. soil effects of shrubs facilitating tree seedlings in Mediterranean montane ecosystems

et al. 2005

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Question: Is the facilitative effect of nurse shrubs on early recruitment of trees mediated by a 'canopy effect' (microclimate amelioration and protection from herbivores), a 'soil effect' (modification of soil properties), or both? Location: Two successional montane shrublands at the Sierra Nevada Protected Area, SE Spain. Method: Seedlings of Quercus and Pinus species were planted in four experimental treatments: (1) under shrubs; (2) in open interspaces without vegetation; (3) under shrubs where the canopies were removed; (4) in open interspaces but covering seedlings with branches, mimicking a shrub canopy. Results: Both effects benefited seedling performance. However, microclimatic amelioration due to canopy shading had the strongest effect, which was particularly pronounced in the drier site. Below-ground, shrubs did not modify soil physical characteristics, organic matter, total N and P, or water content, but significantly increased available K, which has been shown to improve seedling water-use efficiency under drought conditions. Conclusions: We propose that in Mediterranean montane ecosystems, characterised by a severe summer drought, pioneer shrubs represent a major safe site for tree early recruitment during secondary succession, improving seedling survival during summer by the modification of both the aboveand below-ground environment.Keywords: Nurse shrub; Positive interaction; Potassium; Removal experiment; Shade.Nomenclature: Castroviejo et al. (1986Castroviejo et al. ( -2001 for Quercus and Pinus species, and Molero-Mesa et al. (1992) for shrub species.

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“…As a dominant in the community, it affects soil resources by creating fertile islands in low-fertility soil, and by changing soil water storage patterns (Martinez-Meza & Whitford, 1996;Whitford et al, 1995Whitford et al, , 1997. These effects on the soil resources appear to be time dependent (de Soyza et al, 1997). Here, the effects of creosotebush of documented age on soil properties and other species in the plant community are also examined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishment and effects of establishment of reosotebush, Larrea tridentata, on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed

Whitford

Nielson

Soyza³

2001

Journal of Arid Environments

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Variation in Creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) Canopy Morphology in Relation to Habitat, Soil Fertility and Associated Annual Plant Communities

Cited by 81 publications

References 21 publications

The role of vegetation patterns in structuring runoff and sediment fluxes in drylands

The role of vegetation patterns in structuring runoff and sediment fluxes in drylands

Canopy vs. soil effects of shrubs facilitating tree seedlings in Mediterranean montane ecosystems

Establishment and effects of establishment of reosotebush, Larrea tridentata, on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed

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