Memorias de investigación
Artículos en revistas:
Climate and grazing control nurse effects in an Ecuadorian dry shrubby community
Año:2014
Áreas de investigación
  • Botánica,
  • Ecología
Datos
Descripción
Positive plant interactions have strong effects on plant diversity at several spatial scales, expanding species distribution under stressful conditions. We evaluated the joint effect of climate and grazing on the nurse effect of Croton wagneri, by monitoring several community attributes at two spatial scales: microhabitat and plant community. Two very close locations that only differed in grazing intensity were surveyed in an Ecuadorian dry scrub ecosystem. At each location, two 30 × 30-m plots were established at four altitudinal levels (1500, 2630, 1959 and 2100 m asl) and 40 microsites were surveyed in each plot. Croton wagneri acted as community hubs, increasing species richness and plant cover at both scales. Beneath nurses mean richness and cover values were 3.4 and 21.9%, and in open areas 2.3 and 4.5%, respectively. Magnitude of nurse effect was dependent on climate and grazing conditions. In ungrazed locations, cover increased and diversity reduced with altitude, while grazed locations showed the opposite trend. In ungrazed plots the interactions shifted from positive to negative with altitude, in grazed locations interactions remained positive. We conclude that the nurse effect is a key mechanism regulating community properties not only at microsite but also at the entire community scale.
Internacional
Si
JCR del ISI
Si
Título de la revista
Journal of Tropical Ecology
ISSN
0266-4674
Factor de impacto JCR
1,222
Información de impacto
Datos JCR del año 2013
Volumen
30
DOI
Número de revista
Desde la página
23
Hasta la página
32
Mes
SIN MES
Ranking
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Participantes
  • Autor: Carlos Iván Espinosa Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja
  • Autor: Arantzazu López Luzuriaga Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
  • Autor: Marcelino de la Cruz Rot UPM
  • Autor: Adrián Escudero Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Grupos de investigación, Departamentos, Centros e Institutos de I+D+i relacionados
  • Creador: Grupo de Investigación: Biodiversidad y conservación de recursos fitogenéticos
  • Departamento: Biotecnología - Biología Vegetal