Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina

Question: What effects do low-density afforestation with Pinus elliottii have on the site conditions and plant diversity of the mountains of central Argentina? Location: Sierra de Comechingones, central Argentina. Methods: We studied the species richness and diversity and the physical and chemical...

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Autores principales: Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio, Plevich, Jose Omar, Tarico, Juan Carlos, Nuñez, César, Rusch, Veronica Elena, Gyenge, Javier
Formato: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/3208
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12385
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12385
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author Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio
Plevich, Jose Omar
Tarico, Juan Carlos
Nuñez, César
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Gyenge, Javier
author_browse Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio
Gyenge, Javier
Nuñez, César
Plevich, Jose Omar
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Tarico, Juan Carlos
author_facet Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio
Plevich, Jose Omar
Tarico, Juan Carlos
Nuñez, César
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Gyenge, Javier
author_sort Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio
collection INTA Digital
description Question: What effects do low-density afforestation with Pinus elliottii have on the site conditions and plant diversity of the mountains of central Argentina? Location: Sierra de Comechingones, central Argentina. Methods: We studied the species richness and diversity and the physical and chemical properties of soils, in both the non-afforested steppe (US) and the understorey of P. elliottii silvopastoral systems (SPS). Measurements were performed on three plots located in US and 18 experimental plots located in SPS, which differ in tree density (150, 250 and 450 trees/ha), pruning (with/without) and position (below – UC –, or outside – BC –, the vertical projection of the tree crown). In each plot, we measured soil variables organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture content (RH) and relative proportion of coarse fragments; as well as photosynthetically active radiation that reached the ground surface (PARi). At the same time, a floristic survey was performed, consisting of 117 sampling plots distributed equally between treatments. Richness, diversity and evenness indices were calculated for each treatment. Then, we carried out a PCA in order to identify the differences in life forms and environmental variables across the treatments. Results: PARi and pH were statistically significantly higher in US, while EC and RH were statistically significantly higher in SPS. Diversity indices did not differ significantly among the non-afforested steppe (US) and the patches between crowns (BC), but were significantly higher in both these treatments than below the crown (UC). The higher richness in some of the life forms and light availability clearly separated US from UC in the PCA. All the species of interest (endemic, N-fixing, medicinal, fodder) were found in the SPS. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the changes in site variables produced by low-density afforestation generate niches for some species and, simultaneously, constitute a barrier to others. However, the fact that diversity indices and the presence of the species of interest showed no differences among the between-crowns patches and the non-afforested steppe, highlights the complex environment–vegetation relationships that take place in this kind of system.
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spelling INTA32082018-08-28T13:24:43Z Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio Plevich, Jose Omar Tarico, Juan Carlos Nuñez, César Rusch, Veronica Elena Gyenge, Javier Pinus Elliottii Forestación Recursos Forestales Forestation Forest Resources Environmental Factors Afforestation Factores Ambientales Aforestación Argentina Question: What effects do low-density afforestation with Pinus elliottii have on the site conditions and plant diversity of the mountains of central Argentina? Location: Sierra de Comechingones, central Argentina. Methods: We studied the species richness and diversity and the physical and chemical properties of soils, in both the non-afforested steppe (US) and the understorey of P. elliottii silvopastoral systems (SPS). Measurements were performed on three plots located in US and 18 experimental plots located in SPS, which differ in tree density (150, 250 and 450 trees/ha), pruning (with/without) and position (below – UC –, or outside – BC –, the vertical projection of the tree crown). In each plot, we measured soil variables organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), moisture content (RH) and relative proportion of coarse fragments; as well as photosynthetically active radiation that reached the ground surface (PARi). At the same time, a floristic survey was performed, consisting of 117 sampling plots distributed equally between treatments. Richness, diversity and evenness indices were calculated for each treatment. Then, we carried out a PCA in order to identify the differences in life forms and environmental variables across the treatments. Results: PARi and pH were statistically significantly higher in US, while EC and RH were statistically significantly higher in SPS. Diversity indices did not differ significantly among the non-afforested steppe (US) and the patches between crowns (BC), but were significantly higher in both these treatments than below the crown (UC). The higher richness in some of the life forms and light availability clearly separated US from UC in the PCA. All the species of interest (endemic, N-fixing, medicinal, fodder) were found in the SPS. Conclusions: Our study indicates that the changes in site variables produced by low-density afforestation generate niches for some species and, simultaneously, constitute a barrier to others. However, the fact that diversity indices and the presence of the species of interest showed no differences among the between-crowns patches and the non-afforested steppe, highlights the complex environment–vegetation relationships that take place in this kind of system. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche Fil: Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Departamento de Producción Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Plevich, José Omar. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Departamento de Producción Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Tarico, Juan Carlos. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Departamento de Producción Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Nuñez, Cesar. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Departamento de Ecología Agraria; Argentina Fil: Rusch, Verónica Elena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Área Forestal. Grupo de Ecología Forestal; Argentina Fil: Gyenge, Javier Enrique. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Balcarce, Agencia de Extensión Rural Tandil; Argentina 2018-08-28T13:03:12Z 2018-08-28T13:03:12Z 2018-07 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/3208 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12385 1402-2001 1654-109X https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12385 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Applied Vegetation Science 21 (3) : 442-450 (2018)
spellingShingle Pinus Elliottii
Forestación
Recursos Forestales
Forestation
Forest Resources
Environmental Factors
Afforestation
Factores Ambientales
Aforestación
Argentina
Fiandino, Santiago Ignacio
Plevich, Jose Omar
Tarico, Juan Carlos
Nuñez, César
Rusch, Veronica Elena
Gyenge, Javier
Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title_full Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title_fullStr Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title_short Effects of low-density Pinus elliottii (Slash pine) afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity, in the mountains of central Argentina
title_sort effects of low density pinus elliottii slash pine afforestation on environmental conditions and native plant diversity in the mountains of central argentina
topic Pinus Elliottii
Forestación
Recursos Forestales
Forestation
Forest Resources
Environmental Factors
Afforestation
Factores Ambientales
Aforestación
Argentina
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/3208
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/avsc.12385
https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12385
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