Livestock vs. wild ungulate management in the conservation of Mediterranean dehesas: Implications for oak regeneration

López‐Sánchez, Aida; Perea, Ramón; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Roig, Sònia

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2015.12.002

Cited by 50 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In Europe, López‐Sánchez et al. () observed higher impact of year‐round cattle herbivory on the evergreen Q. ilex sapling class compared to wild ungulates or sheep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lower seedling and sapling recruitment of evergreen compared to deciduous oaks has been observed in both Mediterranean and California oak savannas (Plieninger et al 2010, Pearse et al 2014, but the opposite pattern has also been reported (P erez-Ramos et al 2012, Perea et al 2017. Research in both regions has documented high acorn and seedling mortality due to rodents and ungulates (Borchert et al 1989, Gomez et al 2003, Leiva and Fernandez-Ales 2003, L opez-S anchez et al 2016. For Quercus lobata and Q. agrifolia, these consumers include mice (Peromyscus spp.…”

Section: How Do Seedling and Sapling Survival Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Leiva and Fernandez‐Ales , López‐Sánchez et al. ). For Quercus lobata and Q. agrifolia , these consumers include mice ( Peromyscus spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Demography of evergreen and deciduous oaks in a mixed oak savanna: insights from a long‐term experiment

2019

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The co-existence of evergreen and deciduous oaks in Mediterranean-climate savannas has motivated comparative studies on species' physiological adaptations to light and drought, establishment niche differences in acorn production, dispersal and seedling herbivory, and differential sapling tolerance of ungulate browsing. Understanding how species' differences collectively affect co-occurrence or segregation requires long-term studies that consider multiple life stages. We compare survival, height growth, and modeled population growth rate of the evergreen sclerophyll, Quercus agrifolia, to those of the winterdeciduous, broadleaved Q. lobata in southern California savanna sites where the species naturally co-occur. We evaluate species' performances after 8.7 yr for four cohorts sown as acorns in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001 under four different levels of protection from cattle, deer, and rodents. Survival curves for the two species were closely similar, with large differences between cohorts associated with precipitation in the year acorns were sown. Survival and growth rates of Q. agrifolia seedlings and saplings were slightly lower, and were more reduced by ungulates and rodents, than those of Q. lobata. No Q. agrifolia plants (0/1431) exposed to ungulates (cattle and/or deer) and rodents survived to the end of the experiment. Of 1421 Q. lobata acorns planted in these treatments, only 19 plants (1.3%) survived 8.7 yr and none of these plants progressed out of the ungulate browse layer. However, when protected from both ungulates and rodents, survival rates increased significantly for both species, and Q. agrifolia increased height faster than Q. lobata. Simulated population growth rates increased slightly for plants protected from ungulates, and 95% confidence intervals spanned the stable population growth rate of 1. With exclusion of ungulates and rodents, sapling and small tree recruitment rates for both species far exceeded those needed to offset the rate of recent adult mortality, with modeled population growth rates of 1.07-1.11. Our results underscore the essential role of occasional high rainfall years for initial establishment, plus the key role of consumers in limiting early survival and growth of both evergreen and deciduous oaks in mixed oak savannas.

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“…In Europe, López‐Sánchez et al. () observed higher impact of year‐round cattle herbivory on the evergreen Q. ilex sapling class compared to wild ungulates or sheep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Do Seedling and Sapling Survival Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Demography of evergreen and deciduous oaks in a mixed oak savanna: insights from a long‐term experiment

2019

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“…This resulted in their classification as High Nature Value Farmlands (HNVF) (Hoogeveen et al, 2004) and inclusion in the Annex I of the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive (92/43/CEE). Traditionally, these wooded grasslands have been mainly grazed by sheep (Moreno and Pulido, 2009;López-Sánchez et al, 2016), but management practices are changing rapidly in response to ecological and economic pressures. For example, EU policies of financial incentives have led to an increase in stocking rates and a progressive replacement of sheep by cattle (Moreno and Pulido, 2009;Bugalho et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grazing improves habitat suitability for many ground foraging birds in Mediterranean wooded grasslands

Leal

Acácio

Meyer

et al. 2019

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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“…The tree layer of the persisting dehesas and montados is being reported to suffer degradation in several ways: aging and lack of tree regeneration by overgrazing and land mismanagement (López‐Sánchez et al, ; Simões et al, ), tree diseases (de Sampaio e Paiva Camilo‐Alves et al, ), decrease of tree biomass due to excessive pruning (Regato‐Pajares et al, ) and soil degradation by excessive stocking rates (Schnabel, : Pulido et al, ). Also, many areas have experienced land abandonment, undergoing shrub encroachment (Marañón, ), which is also considered as a loss of this valuable habitat type (Godinho et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Tree Loss Versus Tree Recruitment Processes in SW Iberian Rangelands as Influenced by Topography and Land use and Management

et al. 2017

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The sustainability of Iberian open wooded rangelands is threatened by recent land use changes and lack of tree recruitment. As trees are key elements of these systems, the characterization of their spatiotemporal trend is essential for the system's management. Our objective is to develop spatial models reflecting the temporal dynamic of trees in terms of recent tree loss and tree gain processes in farms, evaluating the influence on the models of topography and land use and management. Aerial photographs of 1956 and 2009 were compared, analyzing lost and new trees in five dehesas of Extremadura (Spain). Multivariate adaptive regression splines was used to produce the spatial models that characterize the proneness of an area to undergo tree loss or recruitment. Models showed good performances. Although land use and management intensively influenced on tree dynamics, because it depends on topography, models built by considering just the topographic variables showed only slightly lower fitness. Tree recruitment mostly happened in the marginal places with steep slopes, while tree loss occurred in elevated, gently undulated and more intensively used places of the farms. A spatial polarization of both processes has been observed that leads to the lack of replacement of lost trees. The work provides some clues on the design of tree management procedures for dehesas and montados. The implementation of measures to address the degradation processes in dehesas should take into account the spatial arrangement of the areas where tree loss or gain is actually happening or it is likely to occur. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Livestock vs. wild ungulate management in the conservation of Mediterranean dehesas: Implications for oak regeneration

Cited by 50 publications

References 39 publications

Demography of evergreen and deciduous oaks in a mixed oak savanna: insights from a long‐term experiment

Demography of evergreen and deciduous oaks in a mixed oak savanna: insights from a long‐term experiment

Grazing improves habitat suitability for many ground foraging birds in Mediterranean wooded grasslands

Modeling Tree Loss Versus Tree Recruitment Processes in SW Iberian Rangelands as Influenced by Topography and Land use and Management

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