Scale-Dependent Feedbacks Between Patch Size and Plant Reproduction in Desert Grassland

Theoretical models suggest that scale-dependent feedbacks between plant reproductive success and plant patch size govern transitions from highly to sparsely vegetated states in drylands, yet there is scant empirical evidence for these mechanisms. Scale-dependent feedback models suggest that an optim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecosystems (New York) 2015-01, Vol.18 (1), p.146-153
Main Authors: Svejcar, Lauren N, Bestelmeyer, Brandon T, Duniway, Michael C, James, Darren K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
arid lands
Arid zones
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bouteloua eriopoda
Critical path
Desert plants
Deserts
Ecology
Ecosystems
Environmental Management
Geoecology/Natural Processes
Grasses
Grasslands
Hydrology/Water Resources
Life Sciences
Plant reproduction
Plant Sciences
Reproduction
vegetation structure
Zoology
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Summary:Theoretical models suggest that scale-dependent feedbacks between plant reproductive success and plant patch size govern transitions from highly to sparsely vegetated states in drylands, yet there is scant empirical evidence for these mechanisms. Scale-dependent feedback models suggest that an optimal patch size exists for growth and reproduction of plants and that a threshold patch organization exists below which positive feedbacks between vegetation and resources can break down, leading to critical transitions. We examined the relationship between patch size and plant reproduction using an experiment in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland. We tested the hypothesis that reproductive effort and success of a dominant grass (Bouteloua eriopoda) would vary predictably with patch size. We found that focal plants in medium-sized patches featured higher rates of grass reproductive success than when plants occupied either large patch interiors or small patches. These patterns support the existence of scale-dependent feedbacks in Chihuahuan Desert grasslands and indicate an optimal patch size for reproductive effort and success in B. eriopoda. We discuss the implications of these results for detecting ecological thresholds in desert grasslands.
ISSN:1432-9840
1435-0629
DOI:10.1007/s10021-014-9818-9