Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments

Anthropogenic activities such as cattle grazing and forest clearing have led to the establishment of early successional grass layers in some native forests, which may inhibit or entirely prevent native tree regeneration. We hypothesize that increased grass coverage reduces or eliminates the establis...

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Main Authors: Trinco, Fabio Daniel, Rusch, Veronica Elena, Cardozo, Andrea, Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro, Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/20219
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ldr.5303
https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5303
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author Trinco, Fabio Daniel
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Cardozo, Andrea
Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author_browse Cardozo, Andrea
Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Trinco, Fabio Daniel
author_facet Trinco, Fabio Daniel
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Cardozo, Andrea
Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
author_sort Trinco, Fabio Daniel
collection INTA Digital
description Anthropogenic activities such as cattle grazing and forest clearing have led to the establishment of early successional grass layers in some native forests, which may inhibit or entirely prevent native tree regeneration. We hypothesize that increased grass coverage reduces or eliminates the establishment of native tree seedlings by limiting water availability to seeds and seedlings. This study aims to evaluate the impact of grass cover on tree seedling survival under varying levels of soil water stress. We conducted a field experiment using 36 experimental exclosures in two northwest Patagonian valleys, representing a regional gradient in altitude, rainfall, and tree canopy openness. Additionally, a greenhouse experiment was performed with 36 pots, manipulating four levels of grass cover and three levels of water stress. Results from both experiments showed similarities: in the field, the likelihood of finding a live tree seedling was approximately 2.78 times higher in areas without grass compared with grass-covered sites. In the greenhouse, the presence of grass reduced the final number of established seedlings by an average of 43% across all irrigation levels, indicating significant water competition. These findings suggest that management practices promoting grass invasion could severely hinder tree regeneration in forests not adapted to large herbivore intensive grazing. Such situation may be exacerbated in regions suffering water limitation in the growing season or where the climate change would intensify water stress.
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spelling INTA202192024-11-11T13:01:03Z Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments Trinco, Fabio Daniel Rusch, Veronica Elena Cardozo, Andrea Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro Tittonell, Pablo Adrian Bosques Gramineas Estrés de Sequia Regeneración Ordenación Forestal Invernaderos Forests Grasses Drought Stress Regeneration Forest Management Greenhouses Estrés Hídrico Water Stress Anthropogenic activities such as cattle grazing and forest clearing have led to the establishment of early successional grass layers in some native forests, which may inhibit or entirely prevent native tree regeneration. We hypothesize that increased grass coverage reduces or eliminates the establishment of native tree seedlings by limiting water availability to seeds and seedlings. This study aims to evaluate the impact of grass cover on tree seedling survival under varying levels of soil water stress. We conducted a field experiment using 36 experimental exclosures in two northwest Patagonian valleys, representing a regional gradient in altitude, rainfall, and tree canopy openness. Additionally, a greenhouse experiment was performed with 36 pots, manipulating four levels of grass cover and three levels of water stress. Results from both experiments showed similarities: in the field, the likelihood of finding a live tree seedling was approximately 2.78 times higher in areas without grass compared with grass-covered sites. In the greenhouse, the presence of grass reduced the final number of established seedlings by an average of 43% across all irrigation levels, indicating significant water competition. These findings suggest that management practices promoting grass invasion could severely hinder tree regeneration in forests not adapted to large herbivore intensive grazing. Such situation may be exacerbated in regions suffering water limitation in the growing season or where the climate change would intensify water stress. EEA Bariloche Fil: Trinco, Fabio Daniel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Trinco, Fabio Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Trinco, Fabio Daniel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Grupo de Agroecología, Ambiente y Sistemas de Producción; Argentina Fil: Rusch, Verónica Elena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Rusch, Verónica Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Cardozo, Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Cardozo, Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Cardozo, Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Grupo de Agroecología, Ambiente y Sistemas de Producción; Argentina Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones de Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; Argentina Fil: Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones de Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Grupo de Agroecología, Ambiente y Sistemas de Producción; Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Groningen University. Institute of Evolutionary Life Science; Países Bajos Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias de Bariloche (IFAB); Argentina Fil: Tittonell, Pablo Adrian. Universite de Montpellier. Centre de cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement. Agroecologie et Intensification Durable; Francia. 2024-11-11T12:57:35Z 2024-11-11T12:57:35Z 2024-11 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/20219 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ldr.5303 1085-3278 1099-145X https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5303 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Wiley Land Degradation & Development : 1-15 (First published: 04 November 2024)
spellingShingle Bosques
Gramineas
Estrés de Sequia
Regeneración
Ordenación Forestal
Invernaderos
Forests
Grasses
Drought Stress
Regeneration
Forest Management
Greenhouses
Estrés Hídrico
Water Stress
Trinco, Fabio Daniel
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Cardozo, Andrea
Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro
Tittonell, Pablo Adrian
Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title_full Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title_fullStr Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title_short Effect of Grasses on Native Tree Seedling Establishment Along a Water Stress Gradient: Results of Forest and Greenhouse Experiments
title_sort effect of grasses on native tree seedling establishment along a water stress gradient results of forest and greenhouse experiments
topic Bosques
Gramineas
Estrés de Sequia
Regeneración
Ordenación Forestal
Invernaderos
Forests
Grasses
Drought Stress
Regeneration
Forest Management
Greenhouses
Estrés Hídrico
Water Stress
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/20219
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ldr.5303
https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5303
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