Grazing affects vegetation diversity and heterogeneity in California vernal pools. Issue 4 (15th March 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Grazing affects vegetation diversity and heterogeneity in California vernal pools. Issue 4 (15th March 2021)
- Main Title:
- Grazing affects vegetation diversity and heterogeneity in California vernal pools
- Authors:
- Michaels, Julia
Batzer, Evan
Harrison, Susan
Eviner, Valerie T. - Abstract:
- Abstract: Disturbance often increases local‐scale (α) diversity by suppressing dominant competitors. However, widespread disturbances may also reduce biotic heterogeneity (β diversity) by making the identities and abundances of species more similar among patches. Landscape‐scale (γ) diversity may also decline if disturbance‐sensitive species are lost. California's vernal pool plant communities are species rich, in part because of two scales of β diversity: (1) within pools, as species composition changes with depth (referred to here as vertical β diversity ), and (2) between pools, in response to dispersal limitation and variation in pool attributes (referred to here as horizontal β diversity ). We asked how grazing by livestock, a common management practice, affects vernal pool plant diversity at multiple hierarchical spatial scales. In terms of abundance‐weighted diversity, grazing increased α both within local pool habitat zones and at the whole‐pool scale, as well as γ at the pasture scale without influencing horizontal or vertical β diversity. In terms of species richness, increases in α diversity within habitat zones and within whole pools led to small decreases in horizontal β diversity as species occupancy increased. This had a dampened effect on species richness at the γ (pasture) scale without any loss of disturbance‐sensitive species. We conclude that grazing increases species richness and evenness (α) by reducing competitive dominance, without large disruptionsAbstract: Disturbance often increases local‐scale (α) diversity by suppressing dominant competitors. However, widespread disturbances may also reduce biotic heterogeneity (β diversity) by making the identities and abundances of species more similar among patches. Landscape‐scale (γ) diversity may also decline if disturbance‐sensitive species are lost. California's vernal pool plant communities are species rich, in part because of two scales of β diversity: (1) within pools, as species composition changes with depth (referred to here as vertical β diversity ), and (2) between pools, in response to dispersal limitation and variation in pool attributes (referred to here as horizontal β diversity ). We asked how grazing by livestock, a common management practice, affects vernal pool plant diversity at multiple hierarchical spatial scales. In terms of abundance‐weighted diversity, grazing increased α both within local pool habitat zones and at the whole‐pool scale, as well as γ at the pasture scale without influencing horizontal or vertical β diversity. In terms of species richness, increases in α diversity within habitat zones and within whole pools led to small decreases in horizontal β diversity as species occupancy increased. This had a dampened effect on species richness at the γ (pasture) scale without any loss of disturbance‐sensitive species. We conclude that grazing increases species richness and evenness (α) by reducing competitive dominance, without large disruptions to the critical spatial heterogeneity (β) that generates high landscape‐level diversity (γ). … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Ecology. Volume 102:Issue 4(2021)
- Journal:
- Ecology
- Issue:
- Volume 102:Issue 4(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 102, Issue 4 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 102
- Issue:
- 4
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0102-0004-0000
- Page Start:
- n/a
- Page End:
- n/a
- Publication Date:
- 2021-03-15
- Subjects:
- beta diversity -- disturbance -- grazing -- spatial scale -- wetlands
Ecology -- Periodicals
Ecology -- Periodicals
Écologie -- Périodiques
Ecologie
Écologie
Écologie animale
Écologie végétale
Ecology
Periodicals
577.05 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.jstor.org/journals/00129658.html ↗
http://www.esajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-archive&issn=0012-9658 ↗
http://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1939-9170/ ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1002/ecy.3295 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0012-9658
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 3650.000000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 23591.xml