Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands
Aim The global spread of woody plants into grasslands is predicted to increase over the coming century. While there is general agreement regarding the anthropogenic causes of this phenomenon, its ecological consequences are less certain. We analysed how woody vegetation of differing cover affects pl...
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Online Access: | https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/1/Soliveres-3.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/ |
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ftunivbern:oai:boris.unibe.ch:60214 2023-08-20T04:02:00+02:00 Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands Soliveres, Santiago Maestre, Fernando T. Eldridge, David J. Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel Quero, José Luis Bowker, Matthew A. Gallardo, Antonio 2014-12 application/pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/1/Soliveres-3.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/ eng eng Wiley-Blackwell https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/ info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Soliveres, Santiago; Maestre, Fernando T.; Eldridge, David J.; Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Quero, José Luis; Bowker, Matthew A.; Gallardo, Antonio (2014). Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23(12), pp. 1408-1416. Wiley-Blackwell 10.1111/geb.12215 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.12215> 580 Plants (Botany) info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion PeerReviewed 2014 ftunivbern https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12215 2023-07-31T21:12:26Z Aim The global spread of woody plants into grasslands is predicted to increase over the coming century. While there is general agreement regarding the anthropogenic causes of this phenomenon, its ecological consequences are less certain. We analysed how woody vegetation of differing cover affects plant diversity (richness and evenness) and the surrogates of multiple ecosystem processes (multifunctionality) in global drylands, and how these change with aridity. Location Two hundred and twenty-four dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica, widely differing in their environmental conditions (from arid to dry-subhumid sites) and relative woody cover (from 0 to 100). Methods Using a standardized field survey, we measured the cover, richness and evenness of perennial vegetation. At each site, we measured 14 soil variables related to fertility and the build-up of nutrient pools. These variables are critical for maintaining ecosystem functioning in drylands. Results Species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality were strongly related to woody vegetation, with both variables peaking at a relative woody cover (RWC) of 41–60. This relationship shifted with aridity. We observed linear positive effects of RWC in dry-subhumid sites. These positive trends shifted to hump-shaped RWC–diversity and multifunctionality relationships under semi-arid environments. Finally, hump-shaped (richness, evenness) or linear negative (multifunctionality) effects of RWC were found under the most arid conditions. Main conclusions Plant diversity and multifunctionality peaked at intermediate levels of woody cover, although this relationship became increasingly positive in wetter environments. This comprehensive study accounts for multiple ecosystem attributes across a range of levels of woody cover and environmental conditions. Our results help us to reconcile contrasting views of woody encroachment found in the current literature and can be used to improve predictions of the likely effects of encroachment on biodiversity and ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) Global Ecology and Biogeography 23 12 1408 1416 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
BORIS (Bern Open Repository and Information System, University of Bern) |
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ftunivbern |
language |
English |
topic |
580 Plants (Botany) |
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580 Plants (Botany) Soliveres, Santiago Maestre, Fernando T. Eldridge, David J. Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel Quero, José Luis Bowker, Matthew A. Gallardo, Antonio Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
topic_facet |
580 Plants (Botany) |
description |
Aim The global spread of woody plants into grasslands is predicted to increase over the coming century. While there is general agreement regarding the anthropogenic causes of this phenomenon, its ecological consequences are less certain. We analysed how woody vegetation of differing cover affects plant diversity (richness and evenness) and the surrogates of multiple ecosystem processes (multifunctionality) in global drylands, and how these change with aridity. Location Two hundred and twenty-four dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica, widely differing in their environmental conditions (from arid to dry-subhumid sites) and relative woody cover (from 0 to 100). Methods Using a standardized field survey, we measured the cover, richness and evenness of perennial vegetation. At each site, we measured 14 soil variables related to fertility and the build-up of nutrient pools. These variables are critical for maintaining ecosystem functioning in drylands. Results Species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality were strongly related to woody vegetation, with both variables peaking at a relative woody cover (RWC) of 41–60. This relationship shifted with aridity. We observed linear positive effects of RWC in dry-subhumid sites. These positive trends shifted to hump-shaped RWC–diversity and multifunctionality relationships under semi-arid environments. Finally, hump-shaped (richness, evenness) or linear negative (multifunctionality) effects of RWC were found under the most arid conditions. Main conclusions Plant diversity and multifunctionality peaked at intermediate levels of woody cover, although this relationship became increasingly positive in wetter environments. This comprehensive study accounts for multiple ecosystem attributes across a range of levels of woody cover and environmental conditions. Our results help us to reconcile contrasting views of woody encroachment found in the current literature and can be used to improve predictions of the likely effects of encroachment on biodiversity and ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Soliveres, Santiago Maestre, Fernando T. Eldridge, David J. Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel Quero, José Luis Bowker, Matthew A. Gallardo, Antonio |
author_facet |
Soliveres, Santiago Maestre, Fernando T. Eldridge, David J. Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel Quero, José Luis Bowker, Matthew A. Gallardo, Antonio |
author_sort |
Soliveres, Santiago |
title |
Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
title_short |
Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
title_full |
Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
title_fullStr |
Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
title_full_unstemmed |
Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
title_sort |
plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands |
publisher |
Wiley-Blackwell |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/1/Soliveres-3.pdf https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/ |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Soliveres, Santiago; Maestre, Fernando T.; Eldridge, David J.; Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Quero, José Luis; Bowker, Matthew A.; Gallardo, Antonio (2014). Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23(12), pp. 1408-1416. Wiley-Blackwell 10.1111/geb.12215 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.12215> |
op_relation |
https://boris.unibe.ch/60214/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12215 |
container_title |
Global Ecology and Biogeography |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1408 |
op_container_end_page |
1416 |
_version_ |
1774712382173478912 |