Ubiquitous germination among common perennial species in response to facilitated and unfacilitated microhabitats

Woods, Natasha N.; Miriti, Maria N.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.07.012

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…This might be due to differences in the way nurses from distinct successional stages alter conditions and available resources for the same target species (Diaz & Cabido, 2001). Interaction outcomes might also depend on how nurse strategies combine with different target needs (Holmgren, Gomez-Aparicio, Quero, & Vallarades, 2012;Paterno et al, 2016;Woods & Miriti, 2016). For example, targets that are more prone to water stress are more likely to be facilitated by nurses that maintain water in the system, for example, by performing hydraulic lift or presenting high water use efficiency.…”

Section: Pioneers Nurse Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of nurse successional stages on species‐specific facilitation in drylands: Nurse traits and facilitation skills

Fagundes

Weisser

Ganade

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Plant establishment is a challenge in semiarid environments due to intense and frequent drought periods. The presence of neighboring trees (nurses) can increase the establishment of seedlings (targets) by improving resource availability and microclimate. The nurse effect, however, might vary depending on nurse‐target species combinations but factors that predict this specificity are poorly known. We used a multispecies experiment to investigate the facilitation potential of trees from a range of successional stages, focusing on how nurse functional traits can predict species‐specific interaction outcomes. We conducted a factorial field experiment in a Brazilian semiarid tropical forest during a severe drought period. Sixty pairs of interacting tree species, 20 potential nurses, and three targets were used. Seedlings of all targets were planted both under and far from the nurse canopy, in a randomized block design replicated five times. Target growth and survival were monitored for 275 days from the beginning of the dry season, and interaction outcomes were calculated using the Relative Interaction Intensity (RII) index. Nurse functional traits such as successional stage, height, wood density, and canopy diameter were used as explanatory variables to predict RII values. The average effect of nurse species on target plants was in general positive, that is, seedling survival and growth increased under the nurse canopy. However, for growth pairwise interactions were significantly species specific. Successional stage was the only functional trait explaining RII values, with pioneer tree species being stronger facilitators than later successional trees. However, the explanation power of this variable was low, and positive, negative, or neutral interactions were found among nurse trees of all successional stages. Because seedling mortality during drought in semiarid systems is high, future studies should investigate how nurse traits related to water use could influence nurse facilitation skills.

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Section: Pioneers Nurse Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of nurse successional stages on species‐specific facilitation in drylands: Nurse traits and facilitation skills

Fagundes

Weisser

Ganade

2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…This community suffered high adult mortality and 100% juvenile mortality of common species between 1999 and 2004 attributable to drought . A recent study at this site suggested that facilitation did not influence germination among our focal species (Woods and Miriti 2016), further motivating examination of seedling dynamics as a filter that could influence future community composition.…”

Section: Focal Species Selectionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…). A recent study at this site suggested that facilitation did not influence germination among our focal species (Woods and Miriti ), further motivating examination of seedling dynamics as a filter that could influence future community composition.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Non‐hierarchical competition among co‐occurring woody seedlings in a resource‐limited environment

2019

Self Cite

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Long‐term species persistence in plant communities is contingent in part on the conditions that favor establishment and early survival. In stressful habitats, facilitated seedling establishment can enhance species richness by providing a safe‐site for species unable to establish in open microsites. However, the indirect effects of seedling competition may drive persistence in locations where seedlings occur in high density. This under‐examined dynamic can influence community recovery to stress by favoring competitively dominant species, in particular when stress increases local seedling density in favorable microsites. We present the results of a response surface experiment that examines growth responses among seedlings of Ambrosia dumosa, Eriogonum fasciculatum, and Larrea tridentata that were planted at three densities and four relative frequencies. These species co‐occur at an extensively monitored reference community located in the Colorado Desert, California, USA, where extensive drought caused unprecedented mortality that will require novel recruitment for the community to reach pre‐disturbance composition. Significant, non‐hierarchical competitive responses show that seedling survival is contingent on the species identity and density of neighboring seedlings. This result supports non‐hierarchical competition among these common species. Ambrosia and Eriogonum had faster growth rates than Larrea, but also experienced larger reductions in growth from competition than Larrea. Although drought may intensify seedling competition in favorable locations, the context dependency of competitive outcomes may permit coexistence.

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“…Existing native shrubs have been found to act as “nurse” plants in other Mediterranean‐climate systems, facilitating the establishment of additional natives (Gomez‐Aparicio et al, ). One study in Joshua Tree National Park, California, found that E. fasciculatum had increased germination under nurse desert shrub species (Woods & Miriti, ). We found a positive relationship between average soil moisture and growth of A. californica seedlings, so it does seem that differences in soil water availability influenced seedling growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of competition and herbivory on native plants in a community‐engaged, adaptively managed restoration experiment

Kimball

Long

Ludovise³

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Restoring biodiversity to degraded sites in the wildland–urban interface is challenging due to many factors, including competition with non‐native species and increased herbivore pressure. In a unique collaboration between land managers, environmental educators, students, and academic ecologists, we tested the effectiveness of multiple restoration techniques in an adaptive management framework, modifying methods each year based on results in the previous years. We evaluated the impact of non‐native species and rabbit herbivores on soil moisture and native plant growth. We added native seedlings to our site either immediately adjacent to existing native shrubs (potential nurse plants) or in the open. One native species, Artemisia californica, was significantly negatively influenced by the presence of an existing shrub and grew more in the open in both a wet and a dry year. Another native species, Eriogonum fasciculatum, experienced high mortality by rabbit herbivores when it was not protected by fencing. Fencing also increased abundance of non‐native plants, so a combination of fencing and non‐native removal without a nurse plant was optimal for restoration. Soil moisture was greater in the open than under existing native shrubs, indicating that existing shrubs decreased soil water available to seedlings. Data collected by trained students was indistinguishable from that collected by professional ecologists. Our use of community‐engaged science demonstrates how scientific adaptive management experiments can include a diversity of participants and allow for immediate dissemination and implementation of results.

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Ubiquitous germination among common perennial species in response to facilitated and unfacilitated microhabitats

Cited by 5 publications

References 52 publications

The role of nurse successional stages on species‐specific facilitation in drylands: Nurse traits and facilitation skills

The role of nurse successional stages on species‐specific facilitation in drylands: Nurse traits and facilitation skills

Non‐hierarchical competition among co‐occurring woody seedlings in a resource‐limited environment

Impacts of competition and herbivory on native plants in a community‐engaged, adaptively managed restoration experiment

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