Invasive plants and plant diversity as affected by groundwater depth and microtopography in the Great Basin

ABSTRACT We evaluated invasive exotic weeds and plant species diversity in relation to depth to groundwater (DTW) and microtopography in areas with DTW from 0·3–4 m in Owens Valley, California. Transects dominated by common plant species of the area were read at 1‐cm intervals, and species cover was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecohydrology 2012-09, Vol.5 (5), p.648-655
Main Authors: Mata-González, R., Martin, D. W., McLendon, T., Trlica, M. J., Pearce, R. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
annual weeds
Bassia hyssopifolia
exotic species
Owens Valley
Salsola tragus
species richness
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Summary:ABSTRACT We evaluated invasive exotic weeds and plant species diversity in relation to depth to groundwater (DTW) and microtopography in areas with DTW from 0·3–4 m in Owens Valley, California. Transects dominated by common plant species of the area were read at 1‐cm intervals, and species cover was obtained at different scales: 1‐m transect portions (microsites), whole transects (68 m average length), and the whole study area. Species richness and the Shannon–Wiener diversity index were obtained in microsites. DTW and microtopographical variation (soil‐surface relative elevations) were jointly measured along the vegetation transects. Found in 34% of the sampled transects, the annual Bassia hyssopifolia was the most common exotic weed of the area. Its cover in the whole study area was only 0·9%, but it was the second most dominant species (19% cover) in microsites. B. hyssopifolia coexisted mainly with herbaceous species, typically in places with shallow groundwater (average
ISSN:1936-0584
1936-0592
DOI:10.1002/eco.252