Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Abstract Questions What is the role of native and domestic herbivores in native–alien vegetation changes in sub‐Antarctic forests? Does herbivory suppression increase native while reducing alien species diversity? Location Central–eastern Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina. Methods In four sites, we...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12721 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/avsc.12721 |
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crwiley:10.1111/avsc.12721 2024-10-06T13:44:13+00:00 Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina Soler, Rosina Bustamante, Gimena Cruz‐Alonso, Verónica Lenzner, Bernd Essl, Franz Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12721 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/avsc.12721 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Applied Vegetation Science volume 26, issue 2 ISSN 1402-2001 1654-109X journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12721 2024-09-11T04:16:13Z Abstract Questions What is the role of native and domestic herbivores in native–alien vegetation changes in sub‐Antarctic forests? Does herbivory suppression increase native while reducing alien species diversity? Location Central–eastern Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina. Methods In four sites, we set up three different treatments: excluded grazing by livestock (cattle), by livestock and native (guanaco) herbivores, and grazed control plots in Nothofagus antarctica forests. We then monitored the dynamics of understorey native and alien plants (species richness, abundance) of dicots, monocots, and ferns over 6 years. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to determine the effects of herbivore exclusion and time on species richness and abundance. In addition, we calculated the abundance rate of change to quantify temporal dynamics. Results Overall species richness did not change in the exclusion plots, but native and alien abundances were affected by herbivory and time since exclusion. The abundance of native monocots changed after herbivore exclusion, increasing its dominance significantly inside exclusion plots. However, the cessation of herbivory did not reduce alien species in general. Only alien dicots significantly declined in the livestock exclusion treatment. Further, we found that the two dominant alien grass species ( Holcus lanatus and Poa pratensis ) respond differently to grazing exclusion, and their response was modulated by forest basal area. Conclusions Our results indicate that cattle and guanaco grazing had variable effects on native and alien plants, and that herbivore exclusion has a substantially positive effect on native grasses. However, the magnitude of temporal changes was more significant for vegetation richness and abundance than the effect of exclusion treatments. Herbivore exclusions can initiate a rapid recovery of compositional attributes of native vegetation in N. antarctica forests grazed by livestock. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Tierra del Fuego Wiley Online Library Antarctic Argentina Applied Vegetation Science 26 2 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Questions What is the role of native and domestic herbivores in native–alien vegetation changes in sub‐Antarctic forests? Does herbivory suppression increase native while reducing alien species diversity? Location Central–eastern Tierra del Fuego Island, Argentina. Methods In four sites, we set up three different treatments: excluded grazing by livestock (cattle), by livestock and native (guanaco) herbivores, and grazed control plots in Nothofagus antarctica forests. We then monitored the dynamics of understorey native and alien plants (species richness, abundance) of dicots, monocots, and ferns over 6 years. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to determine the effects of herbivore exclusion and time on species richness and abundance. In addition, we calculated the abundance rate of change to quantify temporal dynamics. Results Overall species richness did not change in the exclusion plots, but native and alien abundances were affected by herbivory and time since exclusion. The abundance of native monocots changed after herbivore exclusion, increasing its dominance significantly inside exclusion plots. However, the cessation of herbivory did not reduce alien species in general. Only alien dicots significantly declined in the livestock exclusion treatment. Further, we found that the two dominant alien grass species ( Holcus lanatus and Poa pratensis ) respond differently to grazing exclusion, and their response was modulated by forest basal area. Conclusions Our results indicate that cattle and guanaco grazing had variable effects on native and alien plants, and that herbivore exclusion has a substantially positive effect on native grasses. However, the magnitude of temporal changes was more significant for vegetation richness and abundance than the effect of exclusion treatments. Herbivore exclusions can initiate a rapid recovery of compositional attributes of native vegetation in N. antarctica forests grazed by livestock. |
author2 |
Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Soler, Rosina Bustamante, Gimena Cruz‐Alonso, Verónica Lenzner, Bernd Essl, Franz |
spellingShingle |
Soler, Rosina Bustamante, Gimena Cruz‐Alonso, Verónica Lenzner, Bernd Essl, Franz Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
author_facet |
Soler, Rosina Bustamante, Gimena Cruz‐Alonso, Verónica Lenzner, Bernd Essl, Franz |
author_sort |
Soler, Rosina |
title |
Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
title_short |
Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
title_full |
Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
title_fullStr |
Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
title_full_unstemmed |
Herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus antarctica) forests of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina |
title_sort |
herbivores regulate native–alien plants dynamics in sub‐antarctic beech ( nothofagus antarctica) forests of tierra del fuego, argentina |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12721 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/avsc.12721 |
geographic |
Antarctic Argentina |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Argentina |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Tierra del Fuego |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Tierra del Fuego |
op_source |
Applied Vegetation Science volume 26, issue 2 ISSN 1402-2001 1654-109X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12721 |
container_title |
Applied Vegetation Science |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1812182606983200768 |