A Spatial and Temporal Investigation of Eleocharis Macrostachya and Orcuttia tenuis

Clark, Michelle; Lis, Richard; Fairbanks, Dean H. K.; Schierenbeck, Kristina A.

doi:10.3120/0024-9637-55.4.257

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Furthermore, invasive species are a negligible component of the montane vernal pools of the Modoc Plateau, and the large size of montane vernal pools relative to lower elevation pools may dissipate the potential effects of livestock grazing on pool hydroperiod. Although invasive species are not currently a concern in montane pools, many contain native species like the wetland generalist Eleocharis macrostachya Britton, which has been identified as a potential competitor with the rare vernal pool specialist Orcuttia tenuis (Clark, Lis, Fairbanks, & Schierenbeck, ; Robins & Vollmar, ). Our results suggest that while livestock exclosure may reduce the cover of perennial vernal pool specialists, it may have little to no effect on the cover of generalist wetland species such as E. macrostachya, which will likely persist with or without livestock grazing on the Modoc Plateau.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livestock grazing affects vernal pool specialists more than habitat generalists in montane vernal pools

Bovee

Merriam

Gosejohan

2017

Applied Vegetation Science

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Questions: Do livestock grazing and seasonal precipitation structure species composition in montane vernal pools? Which grazing and precipitation variables best predict cover of vernal pool specialists and species with broader habitat requirements? Is vernal pool species diversity correlated with livestock exclosure, and at what spatial scales?Location: Montane vernal pools, northeast California, USA. Methods:Vegetation was sampled in 20 vernal pools, including pools where livestock had been excluded for up to 20 years We compared plant species composition, functional group composition and species diversity among sites that varied in grazing history and seasonal precipitation using CCA and LMM.Results: Although vernal pool specialists were dominant in montane vernal pools, over a third of plant cover was comprised of species that occur over a broad range of wetland or upland environments. The species composition of vernal pool plant communities was influenced by both livestock grazing and precipitation patterns, however the relative effects of these environmental variables differed by functional group.Livestock exclosures favoured perennial vernal pool specialists over annual vernal pool specialists. In contrast, the cover of habitat generalists was more strongly influenced by seasonal precipitation than livestock grazing. At small spatial scales, species richness and diversity decreased as the number of years a pool had been fenced increased, but this relationship was not significant at a larger spatial scale. Conclusions:Both livestock grazing and seasonal precipitation structure the montane vernal pool plant community. We found that livestock grazing promotes the cover of annual vernal pool specialists, but at the expense of perennial vernal pool specialists.Wetter vernal pools, however, support higher cover of wetland generalist species regardless of whether pools are grazed. K E Y W O R D S ephemeral wetlands, livestock exclosures, Modoc Plateau, northeast California, plant community composition, PRISM, seasonal precipitation 1 | INTRODUCTION California's vernal pools are ephemeral wetlands that sustain diverse plant communities adapted to vernal inundation by winter and spring precipitation, as well as complete desiccation during summer and autumn. While the effects of livestock grazing on species diversity and non-native species are known from lower elevation pools that are dominated by invasive grasses (Marty, 2005, 2015), the effects of livestock grazing and seasonal precipitation on California's montane vernal pool plant communities, which lack this invasive species | 13 Applied Vegetation Science BOVEE Et al.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%