L. Turnbull
Biotic and Abiotic Changes in Ecosystem Structure over a Shrub-Encroachment Gradient in the Southwestern USA
Turnbull, L.; Wainwright, J.; Brazier, R.E.; Bol, R.
Authors
J. Wainwright
R.E. Brazier
R. Bol
Contributors
Dr Laura Turnbull-Lloyd laura.turnbull@durham.ac.uk
Other
Abstract
In this study, we investigate changes in ecosystem structure that occur over a gradient of land-degradation in the southwestern USA, where shrubs are encroaching into native grassland. We evaluate a conceptual model which posits that the development of biotic and abiotic structural connectivity is due to ecogeomorphic feedbacks. Three hypotheses are evaluated: 1. Over the shrub-encroachment gradient, the difference in soil properties under each surface-cover type will change non-linearly, becoming increasingly different; 2. There will be a reduction in vegetation cover and an increase in vegetation-patch size that is concurrent with an increase in the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties over the shrub-encroachment gradient; and 3. Over the shrub-encroachment gradient, the range at which soil properties are autocorrelated will progressively exceed the range at which vegetation is autocorrelated. Field-based monitoring of vegetation and soil properties was carried out over a shrub-encroachment gradient at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, USA. Results of this study show that vegetation cover decreases over the shrub-encroachment gradient, but vegetation-patch size increases, with a concurrent increase in the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties. Typically, there are significant differences in soil properties between non-vegetated and vegetated surfaces, but for grass and shrub patches, there are only significant differences for the biotic soil properties. Results suggest that it is the development of larger, well-connected, non-vegetated patches that is most important in driving the overall behavior of shrub-dominated sites. Results of this study support the hypothesis that feedbacks of functional connectivity reinforce the development of structural connectivity, which increases the resilience of the shrub-dominated state, and thus makes it harder for grasses to re-establish and reverse the vegetation change.
Citation
Turnbull, L., Wainwright, J., Brazier, R., & Bol, R. (2010). Biotic and Abiotic Changes in Ecosystem Structure over a Shrub-Encroachment Gradient in the Southwestern USA. Ecosystems, 13(8), 1239-1255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-010-9384-8
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Date | Dec 1, 2010 |
Deposit Date | Apr 3, 2012 |
Journal | Ecosystems |
Print ISSN | 1432-9840 |
Electronic ISSN | 1435-0629 |
Publisher | Springer |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 13 |
Issue | 8 |
Pages | 1239-1255 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-010-9384-8 |
Keywords | Ecohydrology, Spatial autocorrelation, Grassland, Shrubland, Structure, Function - Land degradation. |
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