Biological soil crust influence on germination and rooting of two key species in a Stipa tenacissima steppe

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In Mediterranean steppes, Stipa tenacissima tussocks facilitate the establishment of vascular plants. We hypothesized that this effect may partially reflect the indirect interaction between Stipa tenacissima, biological soil crusts (BSC), and seeds. METHODS: We explored the rela...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant and soil 2014-02, Vol.375 (1-2), p.267-274
Main Authors: Mendoza-Aguilar, Dinorah O, Cortina, Jordi, Pando-Moreno, Marisela
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural research
Biological soil crusts
Biology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Brachypodium
Ecology
Environmental aspects
Flowers & plants
Forest steppe soils
Germination
Grasses
Growth
Heterogeneity
hydrophobicity
Lichens
Life Sciences
mosses and liverworts
Pistacia lentiscus
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Plant-soil relationships
Plants
Regular Article
Rooting
Seed germination
Seedlings
Seeds
soil crusts
Soil Science & Conservation
Soil surfaces
Soil water
Soils
Steppe soils
Steppes
Stipa tenacissima
surface roughness
vascular plants
Vegetation cover
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Summary:BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In Mediterranean steppes, Stipa tenacissima tussocks facilitate the establishment of vascular plants. We hypothesized that this effect may partially reflect the indirect interaction between Stipa tenacissima, biological soil crusts (BSC), and seeds. METHODS: We explored the relationship between BSC composition and soil surface conditions (surface roughness and hydrophobicity by using the water drop penetration time test), and seed germination and seedling rooting in a S. tenacissima steppe in southeastern Spain. We explored the causal factors of seed germination at two spatial scales and used SADIE index to represents the soil surface heterogeneity. RESULTS: Microsites strongly differed in BSC composition and soil surface conditions. Germination of two key species, Pistacia lentiscus and Brachypodium retusum, was not affected by BSC type. In contrast, rooting was lower on soil from open areas covered by BSC than on soil from open areas dominated by bare soil and soil collected under the tussocks. The effect was similar in both species. Lichens were probably responsible for the decrease in rooting. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that lichen cover and the cover of bare soil and mosses may hamper and facilitate rooting, respectively. By affecting seedling rooting, BSC may contribute to the facilitative effect of Stipa tenacissima.
ISSN:0032-079X
1573-5036
DOI:10.1007/s11104-013-1958-8