The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis

A vast body of literature demonstrated that anthropogenic disturbances such as overgrazing and fire are key drivers of abrupt transition between vegetation types in ecosystems. In this study, we propose that the hydrological context (described in terms of rainfall, evapotranspiration and water yield...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco, Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel, Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel, Ricard, Maria Florencia, Frank, Federico Carlos
Format: Artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4943
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eco.1540
https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1540
_version_ 1855483525122228224
author Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco
Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel
Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel
Ricard, Maria Florencia
Frank, Federico Carlos
author_browse Frank, Federico Carlos
Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel
Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel
Ricard, Maria Florencia
Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco
author_facet Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco
Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel
Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel
Ricard, Maria Florencia
Frank, Federico Carlos
author_sort Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco
collection INTA Digital
description A vast body of literature demonstrated that anthropogenic disturbances such as overgrazing and fire are key drivers of abrupt transition between vegetation types in ecosystems. In this study, we propose that the hydrological context (described in terms of rainfall, evapotranspiration and water yield) is a first‐order, primordial determinant of the propensity of ecosystems to undergo transition. This implies that the anthropogenic disturbance is a second‐order determinant that is strongly conditioned by the first one. Through the meta‐analysis of existing studies, a collection of 685 geo‐referenced study cases was organized to study the hydrological characteristics of three climatic regions and three ecosystems that vary in their relation between woody and grassy plants. Thus, humid, sub‐humid and dry climatic regions, respectively, receiving >1000, 500–1000 and <500 mm year−1, were studied, and possible transition mechanisms among grasslands/savannas, shrublands and forests were analysed. The results showed that the ecohydrological context determines the probabilities of ecosystems transitions in different climatic regions and the prevalence of alternative transition mechanisms. We showed that transition of forests into other ecosystems is highly improbable in high‐precipitation regions, more probable and likely subject to a bi‐stable and reversible regime in sub‐humid regions, and highly probable and irreversible in dry regions. Factors such as runoff, deep‐water drainage, fire, flammable/nonflammable biomass and overgrazing were considered as hypothetical transition mechanisms. As a novel finding, we demonstrate that ecohydrology, as a determinant of transition, is a factor that operates at a hierarchical level higher than that of the human‐driven disturbance. A synthetic graphical model was proposed to characterize resilience (the capacity of ecosystems to withstand transition) in the three study climatic regions.
format Artículo
id INTA4943
institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Wiley
publisherStr Wiley
record_format dspace
spelling INTA49432019-04-22T15:41:46Z The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel Ricard, Maria Florencia Frank, Federico Carlos Hydrology Ecosystems Evapotranspiration Resilience Anthropogenic Factors Woody Plants Hidrología Ecosistema Evapotranspiración Resiliencia Frente a Impactos y Crisis Factores Antropogénicos Plantas Leñosas Ecosystems Conversion A vast body of literature demonstrated that anthropogenic disturbances such as overgrazing and fire are key drivers of abrupt transition between vegetation types in ecosystems. In this study, we propose that the hydrological context (described in terms of rainfall, evapotranspiration and water yield) is a first‐order, primordial determinant of the propensity of ecosystems to undergo transition. This implies that the anthropogenic disturbance is a second‐order determinant that is strongly conditioned by the first one. Through the meta‐analysis of existing studies, a collection of 685 geo‐referenced study cases was organized to study the hydrological characteristics of three climatic regions and three ecosystems that vary in their relation between woody and grassy plants. Thus, humid, sub‐humid and dry climatic regions, respectively, receiving >1000, 500–1000 and <500 mm year−1, were studied, and possible transition mechanisms among grasslands/savannas, shrublands and forests were analysed. The results showed that the ecohydrological context determines the probabilities of ecosystems transitions in different climatic regions and the prevalence of alternative transition mechanisms. We showed that transition of forests into other ecosystems is highly improbable in high‐precipitation regions, more probable and likely subject to a bi‐stable and reversible regime in sub‐humid regions, and highly probable and irreversible in dry regions. Factors such as runoff, deep‐water drainage, fire, flammable/nonflammable biomass and overgrazing were considered as hypothetical transition mechanisms. As a novel finding, we demonstrate that ecohydrology, as a determinant of transition, is a factor that operates at a hierarchical level higher than that of the human‐driven disturbance. A synthetic graphical model was proposed to characterize resilience (the capacity of ecosystems to withstand transition) in the three study climatic regions. EEA Anguil Fil: Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Luis. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis; Argentina Fil: Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis "Prof. Ezio Marchi". Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico, Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada de San Luis; Argentina Fil: Ricard, Maria Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de la Pampa; Argentina Fil: Frank, Federico Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina 2019-04-22T14:24:53Z 2019-04-22T14:24:53Z 2015-07 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4943 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eco.1540 1936-0592 https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1540 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Wiley Ecohydrology 8 (5) : 911-921. (July 2015)
spellingShingle Hydrology
Ecosystems
Evapotranspiration
Resilience
Anthropogenic Factors
Woody Plants
Hidrología
Ecosistema
Evapotranspiración
Resiliencia Frente a Impactos y Crisis
Factores Antropogénicos
Plantas Leñosas
Ecosystems Conversion
Viglizzo, Ernesto Francisco
Nosetto, Marcelo Daniel
Jobbagy Gampel, Esteban Gabriel
Ricard, Maria Florencia
Frank, Federico Carlos
The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title_full The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title_fullStr The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title_full_unstemmed The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title_short The ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions: a meta‐analysis
title_sort ecohydrology of ecosystem transitions a meta analysis
topic Hydrology
Ecosystems
Evapotranspiration
Resilience
Anthropogenic Factors
Woody Plants
Hidrología
Ecosistema
Evapotranspiración
Resiliencia Frente a Impactos y Crisis
Factores Antropogénicos
Plantas Leñosas
Ecosystems Conversion
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/4943
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eco.1540
https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1540
work_keys_str_mv AT viglizzoernestofrancisco theecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT nosettomarcelodaniel theecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT jobbagygampelestebangabriel theecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT ricardmariaflorencia theecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT frankfedericocarlos theecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT viglizzoernestofrancisco ecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT nosettomarcelodaniel ecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT jobbagygampelestebangabriel ecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT ricardmariaflorencia ecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis
AT frankfedericocarlos ecohydrologyofecosystemtransitionsametaanalysis