RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 The effects of native shrub, fencing, and acorn size on the emergence of contrasting co-occurring oak in Mediterranean grazed areas
A1 Díaz Hernández, Roberto
A1 Vicente Villardón, José Luis
A1 Martínez Ruiz, Carolina
A1 Fernández Santos, Belén
K1 Arbustos
K1 Robles - España - Castilla y León
K1 Encinas - España - Castilla y León
K1 Árboles - España
K1 Arbustos - España
K1 Plants - Effect of stress on
K1 Herbivores - Ecology
K1 Medio ambiente - Mediterráneo, Región del
K1 Bosques y silvicultura
K1 31 Ciencias Agrarias
K1 3106 Ciencia Forestal
AB Research Highlights: The regeneration of Quercus species is usually very difficult in manyoak woodlands transformed by livestock farming. Some studies have reported that shrubs canfacilitate regeneration. However, the strength of interaction may vary depending on, among otherfactors, the shrub species and the stress tolerance of the oak species. Moreover, further studies arenecessary to clarify the relative importance of the two facilitation mechanisms in the same community.Background and Objectives: Cytisus multiflorus (L’Her.) Sweet is a predominant shrub species inthe Mediterranean grazed open-oak-woodlands found in the central west of the Iberian Peninsula(bioclimatic limit) and is present with Quercus pyrenaicaWilld and Quercus ilex subsp. ballota Samptrees. Thus, we assessed the effect of these native shrubs and acorn size, and the effect of excludinglarge herbivores, on the seedling emergence of two contrasting co-occurring Quercus species undera bioclimatic limit. Materials and Methods: A manipulative field experiment was carried outconsidering four treatments as a combination of shrubs (shrub/no-shrub) and fence (fenced/open)factors. A total of twenty plots, five replicates for each treatment were available. In each plot,20 acorns were sown: 10 acorns (5 small and 5 large) for each Quercus species. Acorn emergence wasrecorded during the first four years following the sowing. Results: Seedling emergence took placemostly in the spring of the first year after sowing. The presence of shrub was the main significantfactor and incremented the emergence of both Q. ilex and Q. pyrenaica. The effect of the fencedepended on the Quercus species considered, improving only the emergence of Q. pyrenaica. Anegative effect with the small acorns was detected but only for Q. pyrenaica. In all treatments, Q. ilexemerged more than Q. pyrenaica. Conclusions: C. multiflorus had a clear facilitative effect on theseedling emergence of Q. ilex and Q. pyrenaica, which was much greater than the physical effect thatacorn size and excluding large herbivores had. As such, this native shrub may have a key role inoak regeneration in Mediterranean grazed areas. Furthermore, in these areas of contact betweenmarcescent and sclerophyllous Quercus species, Q. ilex currently emerges more than Q. pyrenaica. Thiscould be indicative of a shift towards more xeric climatic conditions, which could lead to a change inthe dominant tree species in the future. However, this change could be modulated by the effects ofnative shrub and large herbivores.
PB MDPI
SN 1999-4907
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/59636
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/59636
LA eng
NO Forests, 2021, Vol. 12, Nº. 3, 307
NO Producción Científica
DS UVaDOC
RD 24-nov-2024