Links Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Cape Floristic Region

Richardson, D. M.; Cowling, Richard M.; Bond, W. J.; Stock, William D.; Davis, George W.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-78881-9_6

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…The decline in graminoid and herb species richness is consistent with findings from longterm studies of climate change impacts on Californian grasslands (1) and the Siskiyou mountain herb flora of southern Oregon (30). The observed differences in the response of major growth forms and fire-response types to climate change could well drive major shifts in ecosystem structure and function (13,17,18,31). For example, graminoids and herbs form the majority of the flammable fuel load in Fynbos communities (53), so changes in their cover-abundance may alter fire behavior.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Changes in climate and weather can alter fire regimes (7,8), whereas increasingly extreme or prolonged periods of heat or drought in the years immediately after fire may affect ecosystem resilience and diversity by inhibiting seed germination or increasing mortality of seedlings or sprouting individuals (13)(14)(15). Where these impacts alter the functional composition of communities, this change can drive major changes in ecosystem structure and function (16)(17)(18). Although interactions between climate change and fire are likely to affect ecosystems across the globe, they are of particular concern in fire-dependent ecosystems subject to stand-replacing crown fires, where community composition is essentially reset by fire.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fire has been a strong driver of diversification and the evolution of plant life-history strategies in the Fynbos (10,20,21) and is a necessary natural disturbance for the maintenance of biodiversity (10,17,21). Fynbos plant species use strategies to persist or regenerate after fire, and most depend on fire to complete their life cycle.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intensifying postfire weather and biological invasion drive species loss in a Mediterranean-type biodiversity hotspot

Slingsby

Merow

Aiello‐Lammens

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Prolonged periods of extreme heat or drought in the first year after fire affect the resilience and diversity of fire-dependent ecosystems by inhibiting seed germination or increasing mortality of seedlings and resprouting individuals. This interaction between weather and fire is of growing concern as climate changes, particularly in systems subject to stand-replacing crown fires, such as most Mediterranean-type ecosystems. We examined the longest running set of permanent vegetation plots in the Fynbos of South Africa (44 y), finding a significant decline in the diversity of plots driven by increasingly severe postfire summer weather events (number of consecutive days with high temperatures and no rain) and legacy effects of historical woody alien plant densities 30 y after clearing. Species that resprout after fire and/or have graminoid or herb growth forms were particularly affected by postfire weather, whereas all species were sensitive to invasive plants. Observed differences in the response of functional types to extreme postfire weather could drive major shifts in ecosystem structure and function such as altered fire behavior, hydrology, and carbon storage. An estimated 0.5 • C increase in maximum temperature tolerance of the species sets unique to each survey further suggests selection for species adapted to hotter conditions. Taken together, our results show climate change impacts on biodiversity in the hyperdiverse Cape Floristic Region and demonstrate an important interaction between extreme weather and disturbance by fire that may make flammable ecosystems particularly sensitive to climate change.Cape Floristic Region | Fynbos | South Africa | biodiversity | climate change

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intensifying postfire weather and biological invasion drive species loss in a Mediterranean-type biodiversity hotspot

Slingsby

Merow

Aiello‐Lammens

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Interestingly, three of the six bird species endemic to the Cape Floristic Region have not been recorded in the area (Hockey et al, 1989) possibly a consequence of higher Pleistocene sea levels when the Peninsula was an island. The structure of animal communities in the Cape Floristic Region, including the Cape Peninsula, has been relatively poorly studied (Richardson et al, 1995). However, a generalization that emerges for most guilds, and this is certainly true of the Peninsula, is the low abundance of individuals in the predominantly fynbos vegetation (Wright.…”

Section: Plant Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cape Peninsula, South Africa: physiographical, biological and historical background to an extraordinary hot-spot of biodiversity

1996

Self Cite

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“…Pubescence is often assumed to be a structural adaptation that conserves water through reduced leaf transpiration (e.g. Turner 1994; Richardson et al 1995;Rotondi et al 2003), with the suggestion that a layer of dense pubescence on the leaf surface increases the thickness of the boundary layer. Evidence has shown that for densely pubescent leaves the increase in boundary layer thickness is related to the thickness of the pubescence layer (Schuepp 1993;Nobel 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is leaf pubescence of Cape Proteaceae a xeromorphic or radiation-protective trait?

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Although pubescence has traditionally been considered to be related to the water economy of plants, the results are ambivalent and vary between different species. We tested two contrasting hypotheses for the functional significance of leaf pubescence of Proteaceae species from the Cape Floristic Region. First, we hypothesised that pubescence is a xeromorphic trait that conserves water by increasing the boundary layer resistance to diffusion. Water loss was measured in two morphotypes of Leucospermum conocarpodendron (L.) Buek that differ in the degree of leaf pubescence, using both gas exchange and gravimetric techniques. Pubescence contributed less than 5% of total leaf resistance and pubescent leaves transpired at least as rapidly as glabrous leaves due to having larger numbers of small stomata per leaf area. Although pubescence was not associated with drier sites in L. conocarpodendron, there was a weak negative correlation between rainfall and pubescence across 18 other Proteaceae species. We also hypothesised that pubescence is a radiation-protective trait. We assessed the effect of pubescence on light reflectance, leaf temperature, fluorescence and gas exchange characteristics in situ. Pubescent leaves of L. conocarpodendron were 19.2 AE 0.08% more reflective than glabrous leaves and had significantly greater pre-dawn photochemical efficiency. There was a positive association between leaf pubescence and habitat temperature in Proteaceae. We conclude that although pubescence is unlikely to be a xeric adaptation, it could serve a role in reducing photoinhibition and heat loading in Proteaceae species.

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Links Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in the Cape Floristic Region

Cited by 16 publications

References 82 publications

Intensifying postfire weather and biological invasion drive species loss in a Mediterranean-type biodiversity hotspot

Intensifying postfire weather and biological invasion drive species loss in a Mediterranean-type biodiversity hotspot

The Cape Peninsula, South Africa: physiographical, biological and historical background to an extraordinary hot-spot of biodiversity

Is leaf pubescence of Cape Proteaceae a xeromorphic or radiation-protective trait?

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