Floods,drought, and seed mass of riparian plant species

Plant communities in dryland riparian ecosystems are influenced by flood disturbance and water availability. As global climate change alters stream flow regimes, there is increasing need to understand which traits allow plant species to persist under increased stress and disturbance. Small seed mass is part of a strategy that adapts for disturbance, but the role of seed mass as an adaptation for drought is less well documented. For dryland riparian plant communities, we asked, does seed mass vary with water availability and flood frequency? We compared community seed mass between sites that vary in flow permanence (longitudinal water gradient) and between hydrogeomorphic surfaces within sites (lateral gradients of moisture and disturbance). Using data from four rivers in Arizona, we contrasted seed mass between plant groups. We found community seed mass to be greater at sites with ephemeral than perennial flow, and to increase laterally from wet, frequently-flooded channel edges to dry, less disturbed terraces. Seed mass varied by moisture group (smallest for hydroriparian species) and by disturbance group (smallest for disturbance species), and showed a trend for being greater in introduced species. We conclude that small seed mass is independently associated with wet and disturbed conditions in dryland riparian ecosystems.     

Does land use matter in an arid Environment? A case study from the Hoanib River catchment, north-western Namibia

The effect of intensive grazing and browsing of domestic stock and wildlife on the number of species and abundance of vegetation was investigated in the Hoanib River catchment, north-western Namibia. The seasonal abundance of ground cover, bare earth, canopy cover, annual grass, perennial grass and annual forbs were measured in each of the focus-study areas. In three of the focus areas where the ranges of both domestic stock and wildlife were restricted either by fencing or water availability, impact on the vegetation was greatest. The final focus area was a more ‘open range’ system that allowed for the free movement of wildlife. Under these conditions the species abundance and availability of browsing and grazing was greater than the other focus areas during both the wet and dry seasons. However, very little difference in abundance and availability of vegetation was observed between focus areas in both seasons regardless of landuse. There is generally a low abundance of perennial grasses and browse species affording the ecosystem little resistance and resilience to disturbance caused by grazing and drought.     

The effects of exclosures in restoring degraded semi-arid vegetation in communal grazing lands in northern Ethiopia

Rangeland degradation is a widespread problem throughout sub Saharan Africa and its restoration is a challenge for the management of many semi-arid areas. This study assessed the effectiveness of exclosures that have been protected from livestock from 5 to 15 years in restoring vegetation in northern Ethiopia. The species composition and diversity of herbaceous and woody plants were higher in the exclosures than in the grazed areas. Species richness responded positively to an increase in herbaceous productivity. The mean aboveground biomass measured inside the exclosures was more than twice that of the adjacent grazed areas and more biomass was produced from the young than the old exclosures. Stem height, canopy height, canopy cover, and browsing capacity of woody species were higher in the exclosures than in the grazed areas. Our study shows that degraded semi-arid vegetation is able to recover in a relatively short time when protected. Extended protection, beyond 8–15 years, reduces herbaceous species diversity and in one of the sites also the herbaceous biomass. Therefore, we suggest a slight shift in management where exclosures protected for longer periods may be moderately used by livestock.     

Effects of fire on rangeland vegetation in south-western Mendoza plains (Argentina): composition,frequency, biomass,productivity and carrying capacity

The effect of both a non-prescribed summer fire and grazing at high stocking rate following fire on plant community composition, the frequency of occurrence of bare soil, grasses and shrubs, species diversity and biomass of herbaceous forage were evaluated for three growing seasons after fire. Changes in community composition occurred as a consequence of both fire and grazing. Communities were dominated by unpalatable shrubs and grasses in unburned sites as a result of a long history of overgrazing. Fire contributed to a conversion of those shrublands to communities with a more favourable balance between woody and herbaceous species. The frequency of palatable grasses and herbaceous forage biomass increased by a factor ofc. 3 at the expense of woody vegetation. Grazing after fire had significant positive (i.e. decrease in undesirable grasses) and negative (i.e. increase in bare soil) effects.     

荒漠河岸植被的受损过程与受损机理分析

以塔里木河多年平均地下水位数据为依据,将地下水位划分为6个环境梯度,各梯度上6次重复采集植被样地数据。从物种多样性、植被盖度与群落类型等几方面分析了植被的受损过程,以及导致此过程的受损机理。结果表明：(1) 草本植物丰富度受损发生在地下水埋深大于4 m,而木本植物丰富度受损发生在地下水埋深大于8 m。(2) 植被盖度减少始于草本植物盖度受损,与群落多样性受损的临界地下水位相同,发生在地下水埋深大于4 m;在地下水埋深大于6 m之后,植被盖度不断减少则是由木本植物盖度的减少所引起。(3) 群落类型受损体现在芦苇群落和胡杨林群落的结构与类型变化上,芦苇群落的衰退演变出现了优势种的更替,而胡杨林群落中优势种的优势地位没有变化。(4) 此受损过程是由荒漠河岸生态系统脆弱的生态基质和外界干扰共同作用的结果,起因于人口的增加、需求的增长。植被退化是人类干扰作用于植被赖以生存的环境主导因子所致。在生态受损过程中,植物功能型差异与所承受的干扰强度差异对植被退化的程度有一定影响。     

Bird assemblages of arid Australia: Vegetation patterns have a greater effect than disturbance and resource pulses

Arid birds are known to be highly responsive to spatio-temporal changes in food and water availability, and it is thought that this ‘resource tracking’ will obscure predictable patterns of community structure. Here we examine this resource hypothesis by assessing assemblage structure of birds in relation to landscape-scale environmental variation in the Finke bioregion of arid inland Australia, during an exceptionally high and extended rainfall period. We surveyed 197 sites stratified according to land system, run-off/run-on elements and distance to water, and recorded 106 resident and nomadic species. Cluster analysis produced five assemblages, four of which could be readily linked to a specific habitat type. Constrained ordination (CCA) was carried out using 38 variables that measured environmental gradients, vegetation attributes, food and water availability, and disturbance level. Species patterns correlated most strongly with vegetation variables (woodland, chenopod, grassland, and % mulga cover), and % weed cover. By contrast resource variables (flowering, fruiting, and water proximity), introduced herbivores, and most structural variables were poor predictors of species presence. Thus, we showed that resource availability and grazing disturbance are not major drivers of Australian arid bird assemblage patterns. Instead, patterning relates more to the interaction between bird foraging behaviour and breeding requirements and vegetation assemblages.     

基于小波分析的江河源区汛期和枯水期径流特征(英文)

By decomposing and reconstructing the runoff information from 1965 to 2007 of the hydrologic stations of Tuotuo River and Zhimenda in the source region of the Yangtze River, and Jimai and Tangnaihai in the source region of the Yellow River with db3 wavelet, runoff of different hydrologic stations tends to be declining in the seasons of spring flood, summer flood and dry ones except for that in Tuotuo River. The declining flood/dry seasons series was summer > spring > dry; while runoff of Tuotuo River was always increasing in different stages from 1965 to 2007 with a higher increase rate in summer flood seasons than that in spring ones. Complex Morlet wavelet was selected to detect runoff periodicity of the four hydrologic stations mentioned above. Over all seasons the periodicity was 11-12 years in the source region of the Yellow River. For the source region of the Yangtze River the periodicity was 4-6 years in the spring flood seasons and 13-14 years in the summer flood seasons. The differences of variations of flow periodicity between the upper catchment areas of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River and between seasons were considered in relation to glacial melt and annual snowfall and rainfall as providers of water for runoff.     

Patterns of Changes to Woody Vegetation near Resettlement Sites in Semi-arid Northwestern Ethiopia

Communal rangelands provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. Resettling destitute communities into hitherto uninhabited communal rangelands and forests, a common practice throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, is a threat to the sustainable use of range and forest land resources. In order to understand the effect of resettlement on a semi-arid woodland in northwestern Ethiopia, satellite imagery of 23 resettlement villages taken over a period of fourteen years, and woody vegetation floristic data for three old resettlements, three new resettlements, two refugee camps and one protected area were analyzed using ANOVA and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and canopy cover around all village types decreased with disturbance gradients, while the magnitude of change varied according to the type of settlement. Limited canopy cover was observed in refugee camps and new resettlements, compared to old resettlements and protected areas. Woody vegetation height class showed a J shaped distribution in all sites except refugee camps (RC), indicating a decline in vegetation. CCA showed that variables like site type, altitude and disturbance gradient significantly affected the diversity of woody species at the different sites. Comparison of individual species responses to disturbances indicated that low fodder value invaders like Dichrostachys cinerea, and many Acacia species were increasing in proportion and coverage at the expense of some multipurpose species including Tamarindus indica, Diospyros mespiliformis, and Pterocarpus lucens. In the absence of regulated vegetation use, resettlements result in a decline in overall vegetation cover and a shift in floristic diversity in favor of invasive species.     

FLOOD DISTURBANCE AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF RIPARIAN SPECIES DIVERSITY*

ABSTRACT. Biodiversity varies considerably in Southern Californian riparian vegetation. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis posits greatest diversity in settings that are subject to moderate-intensity disturbance. Flood intensity tends to vary systematically in watersheds, potentially imposing patterns of biodiversity. In two study watersheds, species richness increases with flood severity. Diversity, or heterogeneity, is less predictable: Biodiversity patterns in these watersheds are complicated by atypical patterns of flood severity. Although riparian diversity may be intimately dependent on flood disturbance, the relationship is predictable only with due attention to the physiographic details of individual stream networks.     

Effect of canopy cover and canopy background variables on spectral profiles of savanna rangeland bush encroachment species based on selected Acacia species (mellifera,tortilis, karroo) and Dichrostachys cinerea at Mokopane,South Africa

The proliferation of woody plant species on savanna rangelands (i.e. bush encroachment) degrades rangeland quality, thereby threatening the biodiversity conservation effort as well as pastoral farming. Hyperspectral remote sensing offers possibilities for discriminating encroaching bush species in support of management of semi-arid savanna rangelands. As a preliminary step towards establishing a spectral library of common encroaching species on savanna rangelands, the effect of canopy leaf cover, background dry soil and grass on the spectral profiles of the common encroaching species Acacia karroo, Acacia mellifera, Acacia tortilis and Dichrostachys cinerea was analysed. A sample of healthy mature plants in prime, full leaf condition was utilised at an encroached rangeland in Mokopane, South Africa. The spectral signatures were collected in-situ, using a field spectrometer pointed above the sample specimen canopies. The canopy and canopy background variables tended to modify the reflectance of the encroaching bush species in the near infrared (800–1300 nm) in which they were spectrally most separable. Canopy background dry grass tended to increase near infrared reflectance, while dry soil tended to reduce the spectral contrast among the species. These effects were reduced by high leaf content. In a thicket canopy structure, the overall reflectance tended towards the spectral profile of the more dominant species.     

Changes in soil nutrients, vegetation structure and herbaceous biomass in response to grazing in a semi-arid savanna of Ethiopia

The effect of grazing was studied on vegetation structure, herbaceous biomass, basal and bare ground covers, together with soil nutrient concentrations in two locations in an Ethiopian semi-arid savanna. The lightly grazed sites had significantly higher herbaceous diversity, total abundance, basal cover and aboveground biomass, and a lower percentage of bare ground compared with the heavy grazed sites. Grazing pressure had no effect on the density and number of woody species as well as on the proportion of encroaching woody species. The light grazing sites had higher organic carbon, phosphorus and exchangeable bases, and therefore a higher pH and higher electrical conductance, indicating an improved soil nutrient status compared with heavy grazing sites, mainly attributed to the higher basal cover and standing biomass at light grazed sites, and the export of nutrients through grazing and dung collection from the heavily grazed sites. There were significantly higher soil nutrients, species diversity, aboveground biomass and basal cover in the light grazing sites compared with heavy grazing sites. We concluded that changes in herbaceous vegetation, standing biomass and soil compositions are caused by interactions between grazing, soil and vegetation, and these interactions determine the transitions of semi-arid savannas.     

Summer and winter drought in a cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau) part I: effects on soil water and plant water uptake

We investigated the effects of winter and summer drought on plants of the Colorado Plateau in western North America. This winter-cold, summer-hot desert region receives both winter and summer precipitation. Droughts were imposed for two consecutive years using rainout shelters. Here, we examine drought effects on the hydrologic interactions between plants and soil. We chose three perennial species for this study, representing different rooting patterns and responsiveness to precipitation pulses: Oryzopsis hymenoides, a perennial bunch grass with shallow roots; Gutierrezia sarothrae, a subshrub with dimorphic roots; and Ceratoides lanata, a predominantly deep-rooted woody shrub. Drought effects on plant water status were qualitatively similar among species, despite morphological differences. Summer drought affected the water status of all species more negatively than winter drought. Isotopic analysis of stem water revealed that all three species took up deeper soil water under drought conditions and shallow soil water after a large rainfall event in summer. Thus all three species appeared to use the same water sources most of the time. However, after a particularly dry summer, only the deepest-rooted species continued to take up soil water, while the more shallow-rooted species were either dead or dormant. Our study suggests therefore that increased occurrence of summer drought could favor the most deep-rooted species in ecosystem.     

Ecological impact of Prosopis species invasion in Turkwel riverine forest,Kenya

The impact of Prosopis species invasion in the Turkwel riverine forest in Kenya was investigated under three contrasting: Acacia, Prosopis and Mixed species (Acacia and Prosopis) canopies. Variation amongst canopies was assessed through soil nutrients and physical properties, tree characteristics and canopy closure. Invasion impact was evaluated by comparing herbaceous species cover and diversity, and occurrence of indigenous tree seedlings. Soil characteristics under Prosopis and Mixed species canopies were similar except in pH and calcium content, and had lower silt and carbon contents than soil under Acacia canopy. Tree density was higher under Prosopis intermediate under Mixed and lower under Acacia canopies. Prosopis trees had lower diameters than Acacia tortilis trees. Diameter classes' distribution in Mixed species canopy revealed invasion of Prosopis into mature A. tortilis stands. Herbaceous species cover and diversity were negatively correlated to Prosopis tree density; thus explaining the lower herbaceous species cover and diversity under Prosopis than under Acacia and Mixed species canopies. The study suggests a gradual conversion of herbaceous rich A. tortilis woodland to herbaceous poor Prosopis species woodland or thickets, through indiscriminate Prosopis invasion.     

Effects of the abandonment of the burrowing mounds of fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus cretzschamar 1828) on vegetation and soil surface attributes along the coastal dunes of North Sinai,Egypt

Fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus) are strictly herbivorous and live in densely complex burrows in the desert of North Africa and the Middle East. Little is known however about the effect of their foraging and burrowing activities on surface morphology and plant community attributes. This study evaluated such effects by comparing burrow and mound surface morphology, canopy of the main host chenopod shrub Anabasis articulata, vegetation cover, and plant abundance and species richness on and off both active and abandoned colonies in the semi-stabilized sand dunes of the Northern Sinai. In general, active burrow systems were characterized by reduced A. articulata canopy area, and more soil disturbance, with higher and larger burrow mounds dominated by bare ground, dung, and dead and fresh litter. The abandonment of mounds for five years has resulted in significant increases of plant cover, canopy height, abundance and species richness. Vegetation structure and plant species assemblages differed between mound and non-mound patches of both active and abandoned sites. The results suggest that fat sand rats can have significant direct and indirect, short-term and long-term effects on vegetation dynamics and structure through their mound building and foraging.     

岷江干旱河谷豆科植物多样性及其空间格局

为研究岷江干旱河谷的豆科植物物种多样性及其在纬度和海拔梯度上的分布格局,在从四川汶川到松潘的干旱河谷两岸选择了7个地点,通过204个样方 (2 m×2 m) 调查,分析了不同纬度和海拔豆科物种组成、高度、盖度与根系结瘤的空间分布特点.结果表明:(1) 在所有样方中共出现乡土豆科植物16属,38种,其中灌木7属19种;草本植物7属17种,1或2 a生草本 6种,多年生草本11种.仅刺槐 (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) 和葫芦巴 (Trigonellae foenum-graecum L.) 为栽培物种.灌木在该地区豆科植物中占较大优势,50%以上灌木的频度与盖度均＞10%,尤其白刺花 (Sophora davidii)、小马鞍羊蹄甲 (Bauhinia brachycarpa var.microphylla)、岷谷木蓝 (Indigofera lenticellata) 等灌木频度＞20%,而所有草本植物的频率及盖度都＜10%. (2) 豆科植物丰富度及生长具有较为明显的空间差异,干旱河谷核心地区的干热、贫瘠环境中,总物种丰富度较高,但是其盖度与高度较小.随着纬度升高,灌木丰富度和频度均减少,草本丰富度与和频度增加.随着海拔上升,灌木丰富度与总物种丰富度都减小,草本植物丰富度变化不明显;植物平均高度与盖度高度也无明显的垂直变化规律.(3) 植物根系结瘤能力很低,66%物种未结瘤,并且幼苗结瘤能力显著大于成株.这一结果可为豆科植物资源的保护和开发利用提供科学依据.     

Influence of soil, tree cover and large herbivores on field layer vegetation along a savanna landscape gradient in northern Botswana

The response of the field layer vegetation to co-varying resource availability (soil nutrients, light) and resource loss (herbivory pressure) was investigated along a landscape gradient highly influenced by elephants and smaller ungulates at the Chobe River front in Botswana. TWINSPAN classification was used to identify plant communities. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were used to explore the vegetation-environment relationships. Four plant communities were described: Panicum maximum woodland, Tribulus terrestris woodland/shrubland, Chloris virgata shrubland and Cynodon dactylon floodplain. Plant height, species richness and diversity decreased with increasing resource availability and resource loss. The species composition was mainly explained by differences in soil resources, followed by variables related to light availability (woody cover) and herbivory, and by interactions between these variables. The vegetation structure and species richness, on the other hand, followed the general theories of vegetation responses to herbivory more closely than resource related theories. The results suggest a strong interaction between resource availability and herbivory in their influence on the composition, species richness and structure of the plant communities.     

Abundance and diversity of small-bird assemblages in the Monte desert, Argentina

Assemblages of small bird species (<90 g body mass) from the Monte desert in Argentina were studied to analyze spatial and temporal variation in abundance and species richness. Mean species richness was higher during breeding season than in non-breeding season. The same pattern was observed in aerial insectivores, while granivores and substrate insectivores did not differ between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Overall bird abundance was similar across seasons. Species richness was positively correlated with bird abundance and negatively correlated with dominance; bird abundance and dominance were not correlated. These patterns could be explained by distinct responses of functional groups of birds; dominant species were granivores in the non-breeding season and aerial insectivores during the breeding season, and bird abundance in functional groups changed according to food supply. Most species are residents or regular migrants, while there are few nomadic and transient species. Predictable annual fluctuations in rainfall and resource availability should favor a migratory strategy more than nomadic movements. Similarly, breeding is strongly seasonal and most species start breeding when the first summer rains have generally not yet fallen. Finally, concordances in assemblage structure at local and regional scale suggest that similar mechanisms are acting on the local bird assemblages across the Monte.     

干旱半干旱区草原灌丛化的原因及影响-争议与进展

灌丛化作为全球干旱半干旱区草原普遍发生的现象,其定义为草原生态系统中灌木/木本的生物量、密度、盖度的增加以及草本的生物量、密度、盖度的减少。草原灌丛化是气候变化和人类活动多种因素综合作用的结果。过度放牧被认为是引发草原灌丛化的主要原因之一。最新的研究结果表明过度放牧并不能导致草原灌丛化,但过度放牧后实施休牧却改变了草本与灌木的种间作用,有可能导致灌木的扩张。灌木入侵草原长期以来被认为是草原的退化,结论来源于干旱区土壤沙化的情形,在沙化的灌木林中,土壤碳库被局限于灌木株丛及其周边,使草原的碳截留和储存降低。但最近的全球性集成研究表明草原中灌木覆盖率盖度增加对生态系统可以产生积极作用,灌木可以增加土壤水分的下渗,有利于生态系统的水分储存和和养分的转化(如加强氮的矿化过程)。草原灌丛化对生态系统结构和功能影响存在景观尺度和斑块尺度上的差异。进一步研究适应灌丛化过程的管理机制,综合不断变化的气候条件因素和地域因素,采取合理的草原管理策略,对于全球草原区生产具有极其重要的意义。     

The significance of atmospheric nutrient inputs and canopy interception of precipitation during ecosystem development in piñon–juniper woodlands of the southwestern USA

In arid ecosystems, widely spaced vegetation and prolonged dry periods may enhance canopy capture of nutrients from dry deposition. Additionally, differences in precipitation type, plant canopy architecture, and soil nutrient limitation could affect canopy exchange of atmospherically derived nutrients. We collected bulk precipitation and throughfall underneath piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma) along a substrate age gradient to determine if canopy interception or throughfall chemistry differed among tree species, season, or substrate age. The Substrate Age Gradient of Arizona consists of four sites with substrate ages ranging from 1 ky to 3000 ky-old, which exhibit classic variations in soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability with substrate age. Greater nutrient inputs below canopies than in intercanopy areas suggest throughfall contributes to the “islands of fertility” effect. Canopy interception of precipitation did not differ between tree species, but was greater in the summer/fall than winter/spring. We found that net canopy retention of atmospherically derived N was generally greater when N availability in the soil was low, but retention also occurred when N availability was relatively high. Taken together, our results were inconclusive in determining whether the degree of soil nutrient limitation alters canopy exchange of plant growth-limiting nutrients.     

The influence of flood frequency, geomorphic setting and grazing on plant communities and plant biomass on a large dryland floodplain

Plant communities on semi-arid floodplains are ecologically important and support a diverse local and regional fauna and often pastoral economies. Water resource development may affect these communities and economies by decreasing water supply; determining the nature of these relationships is not straightforward because of the complex nature of plant responses to wetting and possible interactions with other drivers. We investigate the effects of reduced wetting on vegetation by examining spatial patterns in plant communities and above-ground herbaceous plant biomass across a flood frequency gradient, geomorphic settings and grazing exclosures. Community and biomass changes were also examined over time in relation to wetting events. The results demonstrate the importance of wetting on plant communities across timescales. At longer timescales, flood frequency influences community composition; at shorter timescales, wetting increase plant biomass and has a secondary influence on community composition. Plant biomass is also influenced in the short-term by grazing, but there is little influence of grazing on community composition. Soil nutrients do not vary systematically across the floodplain and have little influence on species distributions. We conclude that reduced water availability due to water resource development will result in reduced productivity in the short-term and community composition changes in the long-term.