Relationship between soil nutrient availability and plant species richness in a tropical semi-arid environment

Perroni, Yareni; Montaña, Carlos; García‐Oliva, Felipe

doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2006)17[719:rbsnaa]2.0.co;2

Cited by 22 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Previous studies, however, have shown contrasting results. In particular, soil nutrient availability has been positively (Perroni‐Ventura et al., ), negatively (Huston, ; Peña‐Claros et al., ) or not clearly associated (Gei & Powes, ; Wright, ) with species richness and biomass in Neotropical dry forests. One explanation for such inconsistencies could be related to the fact that each species or ecological functional group may have different nutrient requirements, thereby obscuring predictions at the community level across resource gradients (Knoepp, Coleman, Crossley & Clark, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the effects of soil fertility on TDF plant communities have shown contrasting results. In Mexico, for instance, species richness increased with soil fertility (Perroni‐Ventura, Montaña & García‐Oliva, ), while species diversity declined with soil nutrient availability in Bolivia (Peña‐Claros et al., ). The extent to which soil conditions determine TDF structure and species diversity therefore deserves further attention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

et al. 2019

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Tropical dry forests (TDF) are known to be resource‐limited due to a marked seasonality in precipitation. However, TDF are also shaped by factors such as solar radiation, wind speed, soil fertility, and land‐cover transformation. Together, these factors may determine different gradients of environmental harshness that are likely to drive changes in plant community attributes. Here, we evaluated the effects of environmental harshness on plant community diversity and structure of Colombian TDF, based on floristic and environmental data from 15 1‐ha permanent plots. We also analyzed these effects on legumes species only (including both deciduous and non‐deciduous species), deciduous species only (including both legumes and non‐legumes species), and on the whole community excluding either legumes or deciduous separately. Drier conditions and higher land‐cover transformation had the strongest negative effects on species diversity, basal area (BA), and canopy height. Soil fertility, on the contrary, did not have a significant effect on any of the evaluated response variables. Interestingly, legumes maintained their diversity and BA along the climatic gradient, while deciduous species were negatively affected by drier conditions and by an increase in secondary vegetation at the landscape level. Our results suggest that although TDF are limited by water availability, land‐cover transformation strongly increases environmental harshness. Yet, both legumes and deciduous species were differentially impacted by climatic and land transformation variables. Thus, to better understand TDF plant community attributes, it is necessary to consider these gradients and to disentangle their effects on different plant functional groups. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

et al. 2019

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“…The soil nutrient concentration, microbial activity, and mineralization in terraces with rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction differ from those in terraces without human activities. In these last terraces, plants form fertility islands in which soil has higher concentrations of organic matter, C and N as well as higher microbial activity and N mineralization than soil outside them (Perroni‐Ventura, Montaña, & García‐Oliva, , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human activities in a tropical Mexican desert: Impact of rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction on vegetation and soil

Sosa‐Quintero

Godínez–Álvarez

2019

Land Degrad Dev

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The impacts of human activities on temperate and subtropical deserts have been evaluated worldwide. However, data about tropical deserts are scarce. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction on vegetation and soil of abandoned croplands (mesquite cropland and goldeneye cropland) and mesquite shrublands (open‐canopy mesquite and closed‐canopy mesquite) in a tropical Mexican desert. We interviewed peasants to understand their management practices and evaluated vegetation traits and soil properties of sites. We also examined the impacts of land management on vegetation and soil with structural equation modeling. Rainfed agriculture consisted of cultivating crops, fertilizing with manure, and introducing goats to croplands after harvest. Goldeneye cropland had higher canopy cover, vegetation structure, and litter cover than mesquite cropland. However, soil in both croplands was highly compacted with low infiltration rate, organic matter, and nutrient content. Firewood extraction only consisted of removing mesquite branches. Open‐canopy mesquite had lower canopy and litter cover and higher biological soil crust cover than closed‐canopy mesquite. The soil in both shrublands was less compacted with relatively high infiltration rate, organic matter, and nutrient content. Rainfed agriculture decreased soil nutrient content due to removal of native vegetation, plowing, and goat introduction to croplands. In contrast, firewood extraction maintained a relatively high soil nutrient content because branch removal enables the establishment of biological soil crusts, which increased the infiltration rate and nutrient availability. Thus, firewood extraction has a lower impact on the structure and function of fluvial terraces than rainfed agriculture in this tropical desert.

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“…Even species that later dominate plant communities spend part of their life cycle as small plants, which may not be captured using aerial cover. This also can occur in dry lands where it might seem that plant interspersion would allow for parity between species and aerial cover, but there can be pockets of resources that cause plants to cluster (e.g., Perroni‐Ventura et al 2006) and some plants are dependent upon overstory nurse plants for early survival (e.g., Drezner 2006). Most field‐based monitoring and research collects cover data about the community as a whole, but then focuses on one or more desirable species as indicators of site condition (e.g., Mashiri et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Confusion among three common plant cover definitions may result in data unsuited for comparison

Fehmi

2010

Journal of Vegetation Science

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Question: Does measurement of plant cover have consistent and comparable definitions in its applications for vegetation response in monitoring and research? Methods: A survey of the sources of definitions of cover was completed to determine common definitions and evaluate the comparability of the resulting cover methods between 1950 and 2007. Results: Methods for estimating and defining cover have varied, and relatively few citations often form the core of widely used sampling methods. Three common definitions were derived: Aerial cover – the proportion of each species at the uppermost surface of the vegetation (e.g., the aerial view), Species cover – the cover of the upper layer of each plant species independent of overhanging cover of other species, and Leaf cover – all the layers of each species from the uppermost surface to the surface of the soil (related to leaf area index). Aerial cover is the least time consuming and most easily linked to imagery, but emphasizes the dominant plants. Species cover better expresses the response of individual species but can be substantially more time consuming than aerial cover. Leaf cover correlates well to plant volume, biomass, and physiology, but can be prohibitively time consuming to collect. Conclusions: For common monitoring goals, such as species immigration (invasion) and emigration (loss of desired species), species cover can be a better choice. Publications often do not distinguish the type of cover being reported and this can lead to difficulty because the three cover methods do not result in directly comparable data, except in some unusual situations.

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Relationship between soil nutrient availability and plant species richness in a tropical semi-arid environment

Cited by 22 publications

References 39 publications

Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

Human activities in a tropical Mexican desert: Impact of rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction on vegetation and soil

Confusion among three common plant cover definitions may result in data unsuited for comparison

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