Dataset Information

Species-specific adaptations explain resilience of herbaceous understorey to increased precipitation variability in a Mediterranean oak woodland.

ABSTRACT: To date, the implications of the predicted greater intra-annual variability and extremes in precipitation on ecosystem functioning have received little attention. This study presents results on leaf-level physiological responses of five species covering the functional groups grasses, forbs, and legumes in the understorey of a Mediterranean oak woodland, with increasing precipitation variability, without altering total annual precipitation inputs. Although extending the dry period between precipitation events from 3 to 6 weeks led to increased soil moisture deficit, overall treatment effects on photosynthetic performance were not observed in the studied species. This resilience to prolonged water stress was explained by different physiological and morphological strategies to withstand periods below the wilting point, that is, isohydric behavior in Agrostis, Rumex, and Tuberaria, leaf succulence in Rumex, and taproots in Tolpis. In addition, quick recovery upon irrigation events and species-specific adaptations of water-use efficiency with longer dry periods and larger precipitation events contributed to the observed resilience in productivity of the annual plant community. Although none of the species exhibited a change in cover with increasing precipitation variability, leaf physiology of the legume Ornithopus exhibited signs of sensitivity to moisture deficit, which may have implications for the agricultural practice of seeding legume-rich mixtures in Mediterranean grassland-type systems. This highlights the need for long-term precipitation manipulation experiments to capture possible directional changes in species composition and seed bank development, which can subsequently affect ecosystem state and functioning.

SUBMITTER: Jongen M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4667836 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Species-specific adaptations explain resilience of herbaceous understorey to increased precipitation variability in a Mediterranean oak woodland.

Jongen Marjan M Hellmann Christine C Unger Stephan S

Ecology and evolution 20150909 19

To date, the implications of the predicted greater intra-annual variability and extremes in precipitation on ecosystem functioning have received little attention. This study presents results on leaf-level physiological responses of five species covering the functional groups grasses, forbs, and legumes in the understorey of a Mediterranean oak woodland, with increasing precipitation variability, without altering total annual precipitation inputs. Although extending the dry period between precipi ...[more]

PMID: 26664676

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Project description:Interactions between soil, topography, and climatic site factors can exacerbate and/or alleviate the vulnerability of oak woodland to climate change. Reducing climate-related impacts on oak woodland habitats and ecosystems through adaptation management requires knowledge of different site interactions in relation to species tolerance. In Britain, the required thematic detail of woodland type is unavailable from digital maps. A species distribution model (SDM) ensemble, using biomod2 algorithms, was used to predict oak woodland. The model was cross-validated (50%:50% - training:testing) 30 times, with each of 15 random sets of absence data, matching the size of presence data, to maximize environmental variation while maintaining data prevalence. Four biomod2 algorithms provided stable and consistent TSS-weighted ensemble mean results predicting oak woodland as a probability raster. Biophysical data from the Ecological Site Classification (forest site classification) for Britain were used to characterize oak woodland sites. Several forest datasets were used, each with merits and weaknesses: public forest estate subcompartment database map (PFE map) for oak-stand locations as a training dataset; the national forest inventory (NFI) "published regional reports" of oak woodland area; and an "NFI map" of indicative forest type broad habitat. Broadleaved woodland polygons of the NFI map were filled with the biomod2 oak woodland probability raster. Ranked pixels were selected up to the published NFI regional area estimate of oak woodland and matched to the elevation distribution of oak woodland stands, from "NFI survey" sample squares. Validation using separate oak woodland data showed that the elevation filter significantly improved the accuracy of predictions from 55% (p = .53) to 83% coincidence success rate (p < .0001). The biomod2 ensemble, with masking and filtering, produced a predicted oak woodland map, from which site characteristics will be used in climate change interaction studies, supporting adaptation management recommendations for forest policy and practice.

Dataset Information

Species-specific adaptations explain resilience of herbaceous understorey to increased precipitation variability in a Mediterranean oak woodland.

Publications

Species-specific adaptations explain resilience of herbaceous understorey to increased precipitation variability in a Mediterranean oak woodland.

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