C4 plant species and geographical distribution in relation to climate in the desert vegetation of China

Water use efficiency of C₄ plants is higher than that of C₃ plants, and CAM (Crassulaceae Acid Metabolism) plants have the highest water use efficiency. In the desert regions of China, CAM plants are scarce, and C₄ plants, especially C₄ woody plants, have an important position and role in the desert ecosystem. There are 45 species of C₄ woody plants in the desert regions of China, including semi-woody plants, accounting for 6% of the total desert plant species in China, and most of them are concentrated in the families of Chenopodiaceae and Polygonaceae, which are 19 species and 26 species, respectively. The number of C₄ herbaceous plants is 107 species, including 48 monocot species and 59 dicot species. C₄ woody plants mainly inhabit the northwestern arid desert regions of China west of the Helan Mountains. The drought-resistance and drought-tolerance of C₄ herbaceous plants are worse than C₄ woody plants, and C₄ herbaceous plants mainly inhabit areas with shallow groundwater depth and better water conditions in the desert regions, and are widely distributed along the margins of oases. The abundance of C₄ woody plants is closely correlated with drought, but the abundance of C₄ herbaceous plants increases with wet conditions.     

Spatial and temporal variations in C3 and C4 plant abundance over the Chinese Loess Plateau since the last glacial maximum

Stable carbon isotopes of soil organic matter from 12 sites in the southern Chinese Loess Plateau are reviewed to examine spatial and temporal patterns of C₃ and C₄ plants in the arid to semiarid monsoonal region during three key periods - last glacial maximum, mid-Holocene, and modern. We have tentatively corrected the effects of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and precipitation amounts on the δ¹³C endmembers for C₃ plants to reconstruct the relative proportion of C₄ plants because the δ¹³C values of C₃ plants are variable under different CO₂ and climate conditions. The results indicate that C₄ grasses increase from northwest to southeast spatially, which is consistent with present-day increasing precipitation and temperature patterns. This suggests that for a monsoon-dominant arid to semiarid region, such as the Loess Plateau, warm-season rainfall is a primary factor limiting C₄ plants growth, and thus C₄ grasses have been outcompeted by C₃ grasses/shrubs under cold-dry climate conditions. However, temporal fluctuations in atmospheric CO₂ concentration may also affect plant growth through altering water-use efficiency (WUE). Enhanced drought caused by decreased WUE due to low atmospheric CO₂ concentrations during glacial periods, combined with a cold-dry climate, leads to a decline in C₄ grasses, canceling out any advantages gained from lowered atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. To reconstruct accurately the abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants in an ecosystem and explore their controlling factors, process-based vegetation models integrating CO₂ and climatic parameters interactive with plant physiology are necessary.     

Isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen in desert fauna: investigations into the effects of diet, physiology, and seasonality

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of bone apatite were measured in 14 endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates native to the Chihuahuan Desert and collected in June and July of 1999 and 2000. The δ⁸O values of most reptiles were very high, up to 44‰ (standard mean ocean water (SMOW), some of the highestδ¹⁸ O values ever measured for an animal. The δ¹⁸O values of rodents and birds were lower (32±5‰ vSMOW), and the earless lizard Holbrookia maculata were the lowest of all species analysed (25‰). Omnivorous grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) had lower δ¹⁸O values than granivorous rodents. Results from oxygen analysis likely reflect variation in diet and body water flux differences between endotherms and ectotherms. Carbon isotope analysis revealed a dramatic shift in diet from C₃ plants in 1999 to C₄ plants in 2000 in most rodents and birds. Kangaroo rats and reptiles did not change, having a constantδ¹³ C value indicative of a C₃-based diet in both years. This suggests reliance on winter annual plant seed caches for kangaroo rats, but not other rodents. The carbon isotope data can be explained in terms of seasonal differences within and between years in the timing and intensity of the seasonal rainfall events, and the productivity of summer and winter annual plants. This study illustrates that stable isotope analysis is a powerful method for tracking dietary change and feeding behavior in desert vertebrates.     

Phytomass and plant functional diversity in early restoration of the degraded, semi-arid grasslands in northern China

We analysed vegetation data recorded in the degraded lowland grasslands in Otindag Sandland during the first 4-years of restoration (2001–2004) to investigate: (1) the contribution of individual plant functional type (PFT) to PFT diversity of community and (2) the relationships between primary productivity and biodiversity both at species and PFT levels. Sixteen PFTs were distinguished based on the following traits: (1) life-span (annual vs. perennial); (2) photosynthetic pathway (C₃ vs. C₄); (3) reproductive mode (clonal vs. non-clonal); and (4) growth form (grass vs. forb). Analysis of data indicates that density, coverage, number of species, phytomass, and relative importance of PFTs depended strongly on life-span, photosynthetic pathway, reproductive mode and growth form. Phytomass was significantly correlated with PFT diversity, but not species diversity. However, the relationship between phytomass and PFT diversity varied greatly with year, with a positive relationship in 2001 and 2004 and a negative one in 2002 and 2003. As the restoration proceeds, the perennial C₃ clonal grass became the greatest contributor to PFT diversity.     

Stable isotopes and soil-geomorphology as indicators of Holocene climate change, northern Chihuahuan Desert

Coeval δ¹³C shifts recorded in buried soils at both piedmont slope and basin floor sites in the northern Chihuahuan Desert indicate a major shift from C₄grasses to C₃desert-scrub between 7 and 9 ka. The age assignments are based on stratigraphic correlations to charcoal dates and carbon-14 dates of carbonate. This shift is synchronous with a period of cooling in the North Atlantic that may have triggered a period of drought in the south-western United States. Coinciding with this vegetation change, geomorphic evidence in Rio Grande, piedmont, and basin floor eolian environments indicates a major period of erosion. Subsequent gradual enrichment of pedogenic carbonateδ¹³ C values in younger deposits suggests that C₄grasses rebounded in the late Holocene (approximately 4 ka), which is consistent with other evidence of increased moisture regionally. A period of less severe aridity at approximately 2·2 ka is indicated by erosion and subsequent deposition along the alluvial fans and within the basin, and correlates with depleted pedogenic carbonate δ¹³C values suggesting a decrease in C₄grasses. Isotope and packrat midden records should be used together to infer past environmental conditions at different elevations.     

Effects of fire, grazing, and the presence of shrubs on Chihuahuan desert grasslands

Responses of herbaceous and suffrutescent species to fire, grazing, and presence of Prosopis glandulosa were examined in a Chihuahuan desert grassland in south-central New Mexico. Treatments were assigned randomly to eight 12×8 m plots within each of two blocks. Following fires in June 1995, unfenced plots were exposed to livestock grazing over 4 years. Plots were established that either included or excluded P. glandulosa. Perennial grass cover, primarilyBouteloua eriopoda , decreased by 13% in burned plots but increased 5% in unburned areas. Conversely, perennial forb cover was 4% greater after fire. Perennial grass frequency decreased 30% more and perennial forb frequency increased 10% more following burning. Further, increases in evenness after fire resulted in a 225% increase in species diversity. Grazing also resulted in a decrease in perennial grass cover while frequency decreased 22% more in grazed than ungrazed plots. Only frequency and not cover of perennial forbs and annual grasses increased more following grazing. Presence of P. glandulosa had no differential effect on responses of non-shrub species. Fires were conducted during near drought conditions while grazing occurred during years of precipitation equivalent to the long-term average. Precipitation immediately following fire may be critical for recovery of B. eriopoda -dominated desert grasslands; relationships between fire and post-fire precipitation patterns require future investigation.     

Clubmoss, precipitation, and microsite effects on emergence of graminoid and forb seedlings in the semiarid Northern Mixed Prairie of North America

Clubmoss (Selaginella densa Rydb.) provides extensive ground cover throughout the Northern Mixed Prairie of North America, but little is known about how this cryptogam affects seedling emergence relative to precipitation. Seedbed treatments including a control, Glyphosate applied to kill clubmoss, and clubmoss removal were factorially combined with ambient precipitation, precipitation reduced, and irrigation. Graminoid and forb emergence in the seedbeds and the microsites of live clubmoss, dead clubmoss, bare soil, litter, and caespitose grasses was determined. Forb emergence was greatest with clubmoss removal and irrigation. About 2.6-3.6-fold more forbs emerged from bare soil microsites, but clubmoss reduced forb emergence by 32-76%. Litter reduced forb emergence in 2 of 3 years. Graminoid emergence did not vary among seedbeds (P ≥ 0.780), but irrigating increased seedling emergence. Graminoid emergence was unaffected or improved in live clubmoss, dead clubmoss, bare soil, and litter microsites. In the semiarid Northern Mixed Prairie, above-average precipitation combined with bare soil will favor emergence of forbs. By contrast, clubmoss does not limit graminoids because seedlings emerge from a range of seedbeds and microsites provided diaspores are present and precipitation is above average. Emergence of graminoids and forbs is constrained primarily by precipitation in the semiarid Northern Mixed Prairie.     

梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)叶片气孔导度与气体交换对典型降水事件的响应

C4植物以其较高的水分利用效率而表现出较强利用荒漠环境有限降水的能力,但对其气孔行为和气体交换对降水响应的理解并不深入。本研究选择荒漠区沙丘上6~7年生的梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron),利用自制的降水拦截设施,将每次降水事件后样地中接受的降水量分别减少和增加10%、20%和30%,形成包括对照在内的7个降水梯度,研究梭梭气孔导度(Gs)与净光合速率(Pn)对典型降水事件的响应。结果表明:6~12mm的降水对土壤水分的补给集中在50cm土壤深度范围内。降水量每增加10%,Gs和Pn分别增加9.17%和4.17%;Gs和Pn在降水前后呈现先增加后降低的单峰型趋势,峰值出现在降水后第1天,两者与土壤水分含量(SVWC)、空气相对湿度(RH)以及水汽压差(VPD)显著相关。降水后梭梭黎明前叶水势在-2.08~-2.74 MPa时叶片气体交换主要受气孔因素影响,而当叶水势降至-3.16MPa以下时主要受非气孔因素控制。     

Stable carbon isotope ratios in lake and swamp sediments as a proxy for prehistoric forest clearance and crop cultivation in the Neotropics

Close correspondence between stable carbon isotope ratios ( ¹³ C), pollen, and charcoal profiles in sediment cores from Laguna Zoncho and Machita swamp, Costa Rica, shows that prehistoric forest clearance and crop cultivation can be detected in the stable carbon isotope ratios of total organic carbon ( ¹3C _TOC ). Analyses of δ 13C _TOC complement evidence from pollen, charcoal, and phytoliths and provide a proxy that is sensitive to the intensity and/or proximity to core sites of prehistoric forest clearance and agriculture in watersheds. Stable carbon isotope analyses are particularly useful in situations in which other evidence of forest clearance and agriculture is limited.     

Late glacial environment and climate development in northeastern China derived from geochemical and isotopic investigations of the varved sediment record from Lake Sihailongwan (Jilin Province)

Total organic carbon (TOC) content, total nitrogen (TN) content, stable nitrogen isotope (δ¹⁵N) and stable organic carbon isotope (δ¹³C_org) ratios were continuously analysed on a high resolution sediment profile from Lake Sihailongwan (SHL), covering the time span between 16,500 and 9,500 years BP. Strong variations of the investigated proxy parameters are attributed to great climatic fluctuations during the investigated time period. Variations in organic carbon isotope ratios and the ratio of TOC/TN (C/N ratio) are discussed with respect to changing proportions of different organic matter (OM) sources to bulk sedimentary OM. Phases of high TOC content, high TN content, depleted δ¹³C_org values and high δ¹⁵N values are interpreted as times with increased productivity of lacustrine algae in relation to input of terrigenous organic matter. Two distinct phases of enriched nitrogen isotope ratios from 14,200 to 13,700 and 11,550 to 11,050 years BP point towards a reduced phytoplankton discrimination against ¹⁵N due to a diminished dissolved inorganic nitrogen pool. The combination of geochemical (TOC, TN, C/N ratio) and isotopic (δ¹³C_org, δ¹⁵N) proxy parameters points to a division of climate development into four stages. A cold and dry stage before 14,200 years BP, a warm optimum stage with high phytoplankton productivity from 14,200 to 12,450 BP, a colder and drier stage from 12,450 to 11,600 BP and a stage of climatic amelioration with high variability in TOC and TN contents after 11,600 BP. These results are discussed in relation to monsoon variability and Northern Hemisphere climate development of the late glacial.     

Late Quaternary lake response to climate change and anthropogenic impact: biomarker evidence from Lake Constance sediments

This study used organic matter in oligotrophic Lake Constance (southern Germany) to reconstruct lake environment and to disentangle the multiple factors, such as climate change and human impacts, which influence sedimentation in large lakes. A sediment core from Upper Lake Constance, which represents 16,000 years of Late Glacial and Holocene lake history, was analysed for organic biomarkers, hydrogen index and elements calcium, strontium, and magnesium. Magnetic susceptibility was measured to establish a high-resolution stratigraphic framework for the core and to obtain further information about changes with respect to relative allochthonous versus autochthonous sedimentation. Dinosterol—a biomarker for dinoflagellates—and calcium have low concentrations in Younger Dryas sediments and consistently high concentrations between 10,500 and 7,000 cal. years BP. These variations are attributed to changes in lake productivity, but are not reflected in the proportion of total organic carbon within the sediment. During the Younger Dryas and between 6,000 and 2,800 cal. years BP, concentrations and accumulation rates of land-plant-derived C₂₉-steroids (β-sitosterol, stigmastanol and stigmasterol), in combination with a relatively low HI, indicate periods of enhanced terrigenous input to the lake. For the Younger Dryas, higher runoff can be attributed to a cold climate, leading to decreased vegetation cover and increased erosion. After 6,000 cal. years BP, high terrestrial input may be explained by enhanced precipitation. Biomarker and HI results, in combination with archaeological studies, raise the question as to whether lakeshore settlements affected sedimentation in Upper Lake Constance between 6,000 and 2,800 cal. years BP.     

Influence of shrubs on soil characteristics and their function in Sahelian agro-ecosystems in semi-arid Niger

Soil beneath shrubs form ‘fertile islands’ in fallow sites and millet fields in semi-arid Niger. To gain more information about this phenomena different shrub species in fallow sites following a gradient from 350–650 mm precipitation were examined. For each shrub two different areas were distinguished: an area under the canopy of the shrubs and an area in the nearby open land. Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0–10 cm and analysed for C_org, N_total, P_Bray, pH(H₂O), exchangeable cations, effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and soil texture. Significantly higher concentrations between 38–51% for C, N, P and 22% on ECEC for K⁺were found in the soil under the shrubs. The pH showed only slight but significant differences, whereas Al³⁺and H⁺rates on ECEC under the shrubs were increased by 44–55%. For Guiera senegalensis, the most common shrub of the studied area, enrichment ratios of most soil properties increased relatively more with increasing aridity. In general, enrichment ratios decreased with the age of the fallows, whereas concentrations showed no clear evolution. The chemical composition of the shrub litter seems to influence the degree of soil enrichment. The main step of fertile island formation takes place during the cultivation period by trapping wind-blown sediment. This work shows that shrubs are of vital importance for the accumulation of nutrients and maintenance of soil fertility within agro-ecosystems of Niger.     

植被功能型、气候和土壤氮素对中国东部南北样带叶片氮浓度空间格局的影响

我们通过采集中国东部南北样带（NSTEC）上112个样点的102种植物叶片样品,分析了植物叶片氮浓度对植被功能型（PFTs）以及环境因素的响应特征。研究结果表明：（1）植物叶片氮浓度均值为17．7mg.g^-1,最大值和最小值分别出现在落叶阔叶植物和常绿针叶植物中。对乔木而言,叶片氮浓度表现为落叶植物〉常绿植物,阔叶植物〉针叶植物;乔木和灌木的叶片氮浓度显著高于草本植物,而乔木和灌木之间则无显著差异。（2）叶片氮浓度与年均温度（MAT）呈现凸型二次曲线关系,与年均降水量（MAP）则呈现显著的线性负相关关系,与土壤氮素浓度（Nsoil）则线性正相关,并且这种关系并不随着植被功能型的改变而改变。（3）PFTs,气候和Nsoil共同解释植物叶片氮浓度空间格局变异的46．1％,其中PFTs,气候和Nsoil可分别独立解释植物叶片氮浓度空间格局变异的15．6％,2．3％,4．7％。该研究结果表明,气候和土壤氮素对植物叶片氮浓度的影响主要是通过作用于生态系统中的物种组成,而非直接作用实现的。这种基于较大区域尺度上的野外观测分析有助于我们准确的理解植被功能型和环境因素对叶片氮浓度变异的影响机制。     

Climate conditions and relative abundance of C<Subscript>3</Subscript> and C<Subscript>4</Subscript> vegetation during the past 40 ka inferred from lake sediments in Wudalianchi,northeast China

Paleoclimate and paleovegetation changes over the last 40 cal ka were recorded by multiple variables in a sediment core from Qingshi, Wudalianchi City, northeast China. The history of vegetation types inferred from n-C₂₇/n-C₃₁ and average chain length of n-alkanes indicates the paleovegetation went through several distinct stages, consistent with pollen records from the study area. Compound-specific carbon isotope composition was also determined for C₂₇, C₂₉ and C₃₁ n-alkanes in the Qingshi core sediments. The relative abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants was calculated using a binary model and indicates that C₃ plants were the dominant input during the last glacial and Holocene. There were, however, shifts in the ratio of C₃ to C₄ vegetation abundance that correspond to changes in climate conditions. Generally, the long-term trend towards greater C₄ plant abundance from the last glacial to Holocene correlated with an increase in pCO₂, higher temperature, greater precipitation and more growing season precipitation. Our results suggest that temperature and seasonality of precipitation played a strong role in altering the relative abundance of C₃ and C₄ plants in the study area. These results provide information for predicting future vegetation changes in response to on-going global warming.     

30种藜科C_4植物同化器官解剖结构及δ~(13)C值

观测了藜科滨藜族(Atripliceae)、樟味藜族(Camphorosmeae)、碱蓬族(Suaedeae)和猪毛菜族(Salsoleae)30种C4植物的同化器官的解剖结构和δ13 C值,共见到12种解剖结构类型。滨藜族包含2种类型,Atriplicoid-Ⅰ型和Atriplicoid-Ⅱ型,它们的差异仅在于结构中是否含有皮下组织。樟味藜族包括3种解剖结构类型,即含有皮下组织的Kochioid-Ⅰ型、叶肉细胞和维管束鞘细胞形成近似于环形的Kochioid-Ⅱ型和不含有皮下组织的Kochioid-Ⅲ型。碱蓬族包含3种类型,Kranz-Suaedoid-Ⅰ型和Kranz-Suaedoid-Ⅱ型结构中具有皮下组织,但是Kranz-Suaedoid-Ⅱ型结构中只具有一层叶肉细胞,这种结构存在于异子蓬属的异子蓬(Borszczowia aralocaspica),而Kranz-Suaedoid-Ⅲ型结构中不具有皮下组织。猪毛菜族植物叶片/同化枝的解剖结构类型有4种,它们的差异在于结构中是否含有皮下组织、次要的较小的维管束的位置以及环形的维管束鞘细胞是否被打断。30种植物的δ13 C值范围-11.1‰~-14.5‰,显示为C4植物,与其同化器官解剖结构相对应。     

Quaternary alluvial-fan development, climate and morphologic dating of fault scarps in Laguna Salada, Baja California, Mexico

Late Quaternary slip across the Cañada David detachment has produced an extensive array of Quaternary scarps cutting alluvial-fans along nearly the entire length (~ 60 km) of the range-bounding detachment. Eight regional alluvial-fan surfaces (Q₁ [youngest] to Q₈ [oldest]) are defined and mapped along the entire Sierra el Mayor range-front. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide ¹⁰Be concentrations from individual boulders on alluvial-fan surfaces Q₄ and Q₇ yield surface exposure ages of 15.5 ± 2.2 ka and 204 ± 11 ka, respectively. Formation of the fans is probably tectonic, but their evolution is strongly moderated by climate, with surfaces developing as the hydrological conditions have changed in response to climate change on Milankovitch timescales. Systematic mapping reveals that the fault scarp array along active range-bounding faults in Sierras Cucapa and El Mayor can be divided into individual rupture zones, based on cross-cutting relationships with alluvial-fans. Quantitative morphological ages of the Laguna Salada fault-scarps, derived from linear diffusive degradation modeling, are consistent with the age of the scarps based on cross-cutting relationships. The weighted means of the maximum mass diffusivity constant for all scarps with offsets < 4 m is 0.051 and 0.066 m²/ka for the infinite and finite-slope solutions of the diffusion equation, respectively. This estimate is approximately an order of magnitude smaller than the lowest diffusivity constants documented in other regions and it probably reflects the extreme aridity and other microclimatic conditions that characterize the eastern margin of Laguna Salada.     

四川盆地中三叠统雷口坡组雷三、雷四段盐岩沉积环境与成因研究

四川盆地雷口坡组大量钻井资料揭示中三叠统雷口坡组主要成盐期分别为雷三2期和雷四2期。岩性组合特征、沉积环境研究表明,在川中的平昌—南充—遂宁一带发育雷三2期浓缩盐膏质蒸发泻湖微相,在川中-川西地区的南部—盐亭—成都—邛崃地区发育雷四2期盐膏湖盆微相。两期盐岩差异主要表现是,雷三2期时,盆地处于频繁的海进、海退过程中,沉积环境变化较快,成盐环境相对开放,盐盆往往多次蒸发浓缩、补给、淡化,海水表现出接近或者达到盐岩沉积浓度,其间往往夹杂石膏和云质团块沉积。雷四2期时,四川盆地处于持续的海退蒸发期,蒸发量远远大于补给量,海水以蒸发浓缩为主,海水表现为超过石盐沉积浓度,沉积石盐中夹杂卤石,局部地区钾含量极高。     

A review on the ambit and prospects of C3 and C4 plants in Nigeria

Despite the enormous applications of photosynthesis in global carbon budget and food security, photosynthesis research has not been adequately explored as a research focus in Nigeria. Previous works on C₃ and C₄ plants in Nigeria were mainly on the use of anatomical characteristics to delimit plant species into their respective pathways, with no attention being paid to its applications. In this review, past and present knowledge gaps in this area of study are elucidated. Information used in this review were sourced from referred research articles and books in reputable journals. The results revealed that C₃ and C₄ plants are distributed among 21 genera and 11 families in Nigeria. In addition there is dearth of informatio such that only three genera have been classified based on diverse photosynthetic pathways with no information found on the physiological and biochemical characterization of these genera. Moreover, further research is also suggested for tackling new challenges in the area of food productivity and climate change.     

Effects of climatic change on biomass and biomass allocation in Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) along the North-east China Transect (NECT)

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of large-scale climatic changes on biomass and biomass allocation in Leymus chinensis on an 11 longitude gradient along the North-east China Transect (NECT) in 2000. Ten sites, selected for plant sampling along the gradient, experienced approximately uniform theoretical radiation, but differed in precipitation and geographical elevation. The total biomasses, vegetative shoot biomass and reproductive shoot biomass of the species increased from the west to the east with the decrease of aridity or the increase of precipitation, but that of rhizome biomass decreased in the spatial ranging from 116° to 120° E. Vegetative shoot biomass allocation increased from the west to the east along the gradient; rhizome allocations, however, dropped significantly. Unlike those of rhizome and vegetative shoot, reproductive shoot biomass allocations at the two ends were remarkably lower than that in the middle of the gradient. In general, the total and component biomass and their allocations showed strong correlation with precipitation or aridity index along the gradient.     

The influence of plant removal on succession in Wyoming big sagebrush

Restoration treatments are based on the largely untested notion that desired recovery of plant communities following disturbance wouldn’t occur in the absence of active intervention. We identified rate of short-term (10 year) floristic changes following removal of plant functional groups in Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities in 1999-2005 and 2008. Treatments imposed on 6 × 6 m plots were: 1) removal of all plant functional groups, 2) perennial grass removal, 3) shrub removal and 4) control. Our data suggest recovery of the shrub component on shrub removal plots could take decades. Similarly, perennial grass cover and density on perennial grass removal plots was less than half that of unaltered plots 10 years after treatment. When all functional groups were removed, cover of annual forbs, annual grasses, and shrubs returned to unaltered levels within ten years or less. Perennial forbs were unaffected (p > 0.05) by treatment. The fact that natural recovery of some components occurred within a relatively short post-disturbance time interval (i.e. <10 years) suggests that intervention may not be necessary for some functional groups. Restoring shrubs in areas dominated by perennial grasses may require targeted reductions of competing perennial grasses. Conversely, shrub dominance may limit perennial grass re-establishment.