Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows

Interactions among ecosystem services are increasingly perceived as important to ecosystem service delivery. Synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services arise through direct ecological interactions or indirectly through correlated responses to other factors. To investigate whether and how inte...

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Main Authors: Sircely, Jason A., Naeem, S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34475
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author Sircely, Jason A.
Naeem, S.
author_browse Naeem, S.
Sircely, Jason A.
author_facet Sircely, Jason A.
Naeem, S.
author_sort Sircely, Jason A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Interactions among ecosystem services are increasingly perceived as important to ecosystem service delivery. Synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services arise through direct ecological interactions or indirectly through correlated responses to other factors. To investigate whether and how interactions of overstory trees and shrubs with livestock forage species growing beneath generate ecosystem service interactions, overstory and forage species were examined in smallholder fallows in western Kenya. In 18 grazed and 21 improved fallows, we estimated biomass and quantified soil properties. We assessed whether the overstory reduces forage biomass and quality through competition, and whether overstory niche complementarity ameliorates competition or enhances facilitation. In improved fallows, forage biomass declined with overstory biomass, indicating competition and a wood-forage trade-off. In grazed fallows, biomass of higher quality forage species increased with overstory biomass, indicating a synergy, likely indirect. Niche complementarity, quantified as taxonomic and functional diversity, did not appear influential. Forage quality was not associated with overstory characteristics, but declined with grazing intensity. The contrasting relationships between overstory and forage species among fallow types appear ultimately attributable to the presence and intensity of grazing and the dense overstory in improved fallows.
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spelling CGSpace344752024-08-27T10:36:47Z Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows Sircely, Jason A. Naeem, S. forestry research Interactions among ecosystem services are increasingly perceived as important to ecosystem service delivery. Synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services arise through direct ecological interactions or indirectly through correlated responses to other factors. To investigate whether and how interactions of overstory trees and shrubs with livestock forage species growing beneath generate ecosystem service interactions, overstory and forage species were examined in smallholder fallows in western Kenya. In 18 grazed and 21 improved fallows, we estimated biomass and quantified soil properties. We assessed whether the overstory reduces forage biomass and quality through competition, and whether overstory niche complementarity ameliorates competition or enhances facilitation. In improved fallows, forage biomass declined with overstory biomass, indicating competition and a wood-forage trade-off. In grazed fallows, biomass of higher quality forage species increased with overstory biomass, indicating a synergy, likely indirect. Niche complementarity, quantified as taxonomic and functional diversity, did not appear influential. Forage quality was not associated with overstory characteristics, but declined with grazing intensity. The contrasting relationships between overstory and forage species among fallow types appear ultimately attributable to the presence and intensity of grazing and the dense overstory in improved fallows. 2013-04 2014-02-02T09:49:32Z 2014-02-02T09:49:32Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34475 en Limited Access Springer Sircely, J. and Naeem, S. 2013. Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows. Agroforestry Systems 87:451-464
spellingShingle forestry
research
Sircely, Jason A.
Naeem, S.
Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title_full Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title_fullStr Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title_full_unstemmed Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title_short Relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
title_sort relationships of overstory trees and shrubs with forage species portray ecosystem service interactions in smallholder fallows
topic forestry
research
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34475
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