Floristic relationship between scrubland and grassland patches in the Mediterranean landscape of the Iberian Peninsula

Ramírez-Sanz, L.; Miguel, Jesús M. de; Castro, Isabel; Costa, Margarita; Pineda, Francisco Díaz

doi:10.1023/a:1009846605935

Cited by 14 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 15 publications

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“…Under favorable conditions in the rainy season, different sites comprised of different proportions of grasses and forbs, and exhibited biomass build-up differently ( Table 1). The vegetation mosaic in dry tropical periurban areas could respond to the environment, but in an independent way, in each patch (Ramirez-Sanz et al 2000). It is, however, remarkable that despite the difference in biomass production at different sites in rainy season, the differential biomass allocation by plant communities to aboveground and belowground parts was much comparable in this season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant diversity and dry‐matter dynamics of peri‐urban plant communities in an Indian dry tropical region

Gupta¹,

Narayan²

2010

Ecological Research

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The emergence of variety of land-use changes due to continuous anthropogenic pressure in peri-urban areas may concomitantly result in modification of the structure of associated plant communities for their sustainable growth. In the present study, plant diversity, and above-and belowground biomass distribution among species were investigated to understand their dynamics across different season, soil, and site conditions in a dry tropical peri-urban region in India. From four study sites that covered contrasting land uses: abandoned brick kiln (ABK), grazing land (GL), Kali river bank (KRB), and agricultural land (AL), a total of 360 monoliths were randomly extracted in three seasons, and dry weights were estimated for aboveground and belowground parts of species individuals. Seasonal soil samples of the sites were analyzed for physico-chemical characteristics. Of the total 87 recorded species that were mainly annual weeds and ruderals, 77% were forbs and 23% grasses. The ranges of plant biomass recorded across all sites and seasons were: aboveground 228-738 g m À2 , belowground 83-288 g m À2 , and a total of 344-1,026 g m À2 . The dominance of species differed between above-and belowground; some species dominated only above-or belowground, and others dominated in both layers. Above-and belowground biomass of the sites, differential community-biomass allocation to above-and belowground parts and species dominants varied significantly with site and season. ABK and AL sites showed lower species diversity and soil nutrients compared to GL and KRB sites. Belowground biomass significantly declined with increasing soil organic C and total N, indicating altered dry matter allocation under resource-scarce habitat conditions. Higher diversity occurred at both low-and high-biomass sites, reflective of enhanced ability of these plant communities to exploit resources maximally in spatio-temporal pattern.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant diversity and dry‐matter dynamics of peri‐urban plant communities in an Indian dry tropical region

Gupta¹,

Narayan²

2010

Ecological Research

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Spatial patterns of seed predation by harvester ants ( Messor Forel) in Mediterranean grassland and scrubland

Azcárate¹,

Peco²

2003

Insectes Sociaux

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Seed predation by harvester ants is one of the main processes involved in the seed bank dynamics of Mediterranean grassland and scrubland. We investigated the spatial patterns of seed predation by Messor spp. in these systems from a multi-level approach (nest-site selection, foraging patch selection and seed predation risk), using ten experimental plots (20 m ¥ 40 m) set in central Spain. All habitats in grasslands are dominated by M. barbarus, while in scrubland this species shares seed exploitation with M. bouvieri. In this type of system, the nest-hole and foraging territory distribution of the two species show a certain degree of segregation. Messor bouvieri focuses on the exploitation of dry scrub, while M. barbarus also forages on subhumid and humid patches. We interpret this as a consequence of the different foraging behaviour and nest site requirements of the two species. In general, the spatial distribution of seed predation risk reflects the patterns detected for the nest-holes and foraging areas, although scrubland has a more heterogeneous predation pattern than grassland.

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Plant species richness and spatial organization at different small scales in western Mediterranean landscapes

et al. 2005

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The relationship between plant species richness and the space organization of the community at different small scales was studied. The study was based on 51 sites distributed along a belt from Central Spain to Portugal. Each site was analyzed with a transect cutting across the boundary between two neighboring patches of shrubland and grassland. Local spatial organization of vegetation was analyzed at different levels of detail and each transect was divided into successively smaller portions. The first division coincides with a physiognomic perception of the site in two patches ͑shrubland and grassland͒. The average spatial niche width of the species was used to calculate the spatial organization of the vegetation of each division in each site. The correlation between species richness and spatial organization depended on the block size under consideration. A physiognomic criterion, sectorizing the sites into patches of shrubland and grassland, determines noteworthy floristic changes but does not enable us to express satisfactorily the variability in plant richness. In order to account for this variation, other factors must be taken into account which act at a more detailed small-scale and which determine the internal variability of these patches. In the case studied, the species richness of the sites increases along with an increase in the percentage of species whose occupation of the space is relatively restricted within the site. Many of these species are, however, frequent within the whole of the territory studied. The results highlight the importance of the level of local scale at which the factors influencing occupation of the space, and consequentially, plant richness, preferentially act. This circumstance ought to be taken into consideration in strategies for the conservation of biological diversity, and based on the delimitation of protected spaces with criteria frequently linked to the physiognomy of the vegetation.

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Floristic relationship between scrubland and grassland patches in the Mediterranean landscape of the Iberian Peninsula

Cited by 14 publications

References 15 publications

Plant diversity and dry‐matter dynamics of peri‐urban plant communities in an Indian dry tropical region

Plant diversity and dry‐matter dynamics of peri‐urban plant communities in an Indian dry tropical region

Spatial patterns of seed predation by harvester ants ( Messor Forel) in Mediterranean grassland and scrubland

Plant species richness and spatial organization at different small scales in western Mediterranean landscapes

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