Recruitment filters in a perennial grassland: The interactive roles of fire, competitors, moisture and seed availability

Journal of Ecology

Volumn 96, Issue 5, 2008, Pages 1033-1044

  Zimmermann, Julia ^a   Higgins, Steven I ^b   Grimm, Volker ^a   Hoffmann, John ^c   Münkemüller, Tamara ^a,d   Linstädter, Anja ^c  

^a HELMHOLTZ CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH UFZ   (Germany)

^b GOETHE UNIVERSITY   (Germany)

^c UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE   (Germany)

^d ETH ZURICH   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

Demography; Emergence; Full factorial experiment; Intraspecific competition; Irrigation; Recruitment limitation; Seed addition; Seedling survival; Semi arid savanna; Stipagrostis uniplumis

Indexed keywords

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL CUE; ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR; FIRE; FLOWERING; GRASS; GRASSLAND; GROWING SEASON; GROWTH RESPONSE; INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION; MOISTURE CONTENT; PERENNIAL PLANT; RECRUITMENT (POPULATION DYNAMICS); SAVANNA; SEED; SEEDLING EMERGENCE; SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT; SEMIARID REGION; SURVIVAL;

STIPAGROSTIS;

EID: 49649088652     PISSN: 00220477     EISSN: 13652745     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01409.x     Document Type: Article

References (91)

1. Aguiar, M.R., Soriano, A. Sala, O.E. (1992) Competition and facilitation in the recruitment of seedlings in Patagonian steppe. Functional Ecology, 6, 66 70.
2. Aguilera, M.O. Lauenroth, W.K. (1993) Seedling establishment in adult neighbourhoods - intraspecific constraints in the regeneration of the bunchgrass Bouteloua gracilis. Journal of Ecology, 81, 253 261.
3. Ash, A., McIvor, J.G., Mott, J.J. Andrew, M.H. (1997) Building grass castles: integrating ecology and management of Australia's tropical tallgrass rangelands. The Rangeland Journal, 19, 123 144.
4. Baskin, C.C. Baskin, J.M. (1998) Ecology of seed dormancy and germination in grasses. Population Biology of Grasses (ed. G.P. Cheplick pp. 30 83. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
5. Baxter, B.J.M., Vanstaden, J., Granger, J.E. Brown, N.A.C. (1994) Plant-derived smoke and smoke extracts stimulate seed germination of the fire-climax grass Themeda triandra. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 34, 217 223.
6. Beaufait, W.R. (1966) An integrating device for evaluating prescribed fires. Forest Science, 12, 27 29.
7. Bennett, L.T., Judd, T.S. Adams, M.A. (2002) Growth and nutrient content of perennial grasslands following burning in semi-arid, sub-tropical Australia. Plant Ecology, 164, 185 199.
8. Bertiller, M.B. Coronato, F. (1994) Seed bank patterns of Festuca pallescens in semiarid Patagonia (Argentina): a possible limit to bunch reestablishment. Biodiversity and Conservation, 3, 57 67.
9. Bisigato, A.J. Bertiller, M.B. (2004) Seedling recruitment of perennial grasses in degraded areas of the Patagonian Monte. Journal of Range Management, 57, 191 196.
10. Blank, R.R., Allen, F. Young, J.A. (1994) Extractable anions in soils following wildfire in a sagebrush-grass community. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 58, 564 570.
11. Busso, C.A. (1997) Towards an increased and sustainable production in semi-arid rangelands of central Argentina: two decades of research. Journal of Arid Environments, 36, 197 210.
12. Capon, M.H. O'Connor, T.G. (1990) The predation of perennial grass seeds in Transvaal savanna grasslands. South African Journal of Botany, 56, 11 15.
13. Casper, B.B. Jackson, R.B. (1997) Plant competition underground. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 28, 545 570.
14. Coffin, D.P. Lauenroth, W.K. (1989) Spatial and temporal variation in the seed bank of a semiarid grassland. American Journal of Botany, 76, 53 58.
15. Cook, S.J. Ratcliff, D. (1984) A study of the effects of root and shoot competition on the growth of green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume) seedlings in an existing grassland using root exclusion tubes. Journal of Applied Ecology, 21, 971 982.
16. Craig, G.C. (1998) Aerial Census of Wildlife in Northern Namibia. Internal Report, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
17. Crawley, M.J. (2002) Statistical Computing, an Introduction to Data Analysis Using S-Plus. John Wiley and Sons Ltd, England.
18. Daubenmire, R. (1968) Ecology of fire in grasslands. Advances in Ecological Research Vol. 5 (ed. J.B. Cragg pp. 209 266. Academic Press, New York.
19. De Villiers, P.A. Kok, O.B. (1988) Eto-ekologiese aspekte van olifante in die Nasionale Etoshawildtuin. Madoqua, 15, 319 338.
20. Defossé, G.E., Robberecht, R. Bertiller, M.B. (1997) Seedling dynamics of Festuca spp. in a grassland of Patagonia, Argentina, as affected by competition, microsites, and grazing. Journal of Range Management, 50, 73 79.
21. Du Plessis, W.P. (1997) Refinements to the burning strategy in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. Koedoe, 40, 63 76.
22. Du Plessis, W.P. (1999) Linear regression relationships between NDVI, vegetation and rainfall in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Journal of Arid Environments, 42, 235 260.
23. Dye, P.J. Walker, B.H. (1987) Patterns of shoot growth in a semi-arid grassland in Zimbabwe. Journal of Applied Ecology, 24, 633 644.
24. Engert, S. (1997) Spatial variability and temporal periodicity of rainfall in the Etosha National Park and surrounding areas in northern Namibia. Madoqua, 20, 115 120.
25. Erb, K.P. (2000) Aerial census of wildlife in northern Namibia. Internal Report, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
26. Ernst, W.H.O. (1991) Fire, dry heat and germination of savanna grasses in Botswana. Modern Ecology: Basic and Applied Aspects (eds G. Esser D. Overdieck pp. 349 361. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
27. Fair, J., Lauenroth, W.K. Coffin, D.P. (1999) Demography of Bouteloua gracilis in a mixed prairie: analysis of genets and individuals. Journal of Ecology, 87, 233 243.
28. Fowler, N.L. (1986a) The role of competition in plant communities in arid and semi-arid regions. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 17, 89 110.
29. Fowler, N.L. (1986b) Density-dependent population regulation in a Texas grassland. Ecology, 67, 545 554.
30. Fowler, N.L. (1988) What is a safe site? Neighbor, litter, germination date, and patch effects. Ecology, 69, 947 961.
31. Gorski, T., Gorska, K. Nowicki, J. (1977) Germination of seeds of various herbaceous species under leaf canopy. Flora, 166, 249 259.
32. Gorski, T., Gorska, K. Rybicki, J. (1978) Studies on germination of seeds under leaf canopy. Flora, 167, 289 299.
33. Grubb, P.J. (1977) The maintenance of species richness in plant communities: the importance of the regeneration niche. Biological Reviews, 52, 107 145.
34. Gurevitch, J. (1986) Competition and the local distribution of the grass Stipa neomexicana. Ecology, 67, 46 57.
35. Hagon, M.W. Groves, R.H. (1977) Some factors affecting the establishment of four native grasses. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 17, 90 96.
36. Hamilton, J.G., Holzapfel, C. Mahall, B.E. (1999) Coexistence and interference between a native perennial grass and non-native annual grasses in California. Oecologia, 121, 518 526.
37. Harper, J.L. (1977) Population Biology of Plants. Academic Press, London.
38. Kelt, D.A., Meserve, P.L. Gutierrez, J.R. (2004) Seed removal by small mammals, birds and ants in semi-arid Chile, and comparison with other systems. Journal of Biogeography, 31, 931 942.
39. Kerley, G.I.H. (1991) Seed removal by rodents, birds and ants in the semi-arid Karoo, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments, 20, 63 69.
40. Kigel, J. (1995) Seed germination in arid and semiarid regions. Seed Development and Germination (ed s J. Kigel G. Galili pp. 645 699. Dekker, New York.
41. Kilian, J.W. (2002) Aerial Census of Wildlife in Northern Namibia. Internal Report, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
42. Klaassen, E.S. Craven, P. (2003) Checklist of grasses in Namibia. SABONET Report No. 20, 130.
43. Knapp, A.K. (1984) Water relations and growth of three grasses during wet and drought years in a tallgrass prairie. Oecologia, 65, 35 43.
44. Kolberg, H. (2004) Aerial Census of Wildlife in Northern Namibia. Internal Report, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
45. Lambert, F.J., Bower, M., Whalley, R.D.B., Andrews, A.C. Bellotti, W.D. (1990) The effects of soil-moisture and planting depth on emergence and seedling morphology of Astrebla lappacea (Lindl) Domin. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 41, 367 376.
46. Lauenroth, W.K. Aguilera, M.O. (1998) Plant-plant interactions in grasses and grasslands. Population Biology of Grasses (ed. G.P. Cheplick pp. 209 230. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
47. Lauenroth, W.K., Sala, O.E., Coffin, D.P. Kirchner, T.B. (1994) The importance of soil-water in the recruitment of Bouteloua gracilis in the shortgrass steppe. Ecological Applications, 4, 741 749.
48. Le Roux, C.J.G., Grunow, J.O., Morris, J.W., Bredenkamp, G.J., Schneepers, J.C. (1988) A classification of the vegetation of the Etosha National Park. South African Journal of Botany, 54, 1 10.
49. Linzey, A.V. Washok, K.A. (2000) Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe. African Zoology, 35, 295 299.
50. Lock, J.M. Milburn, T.R. (1970) The seed biology of Themeda triandra Forsk. in relation to fire. The Scientific Management of Animal and Plant Communities for Conservation (eds E. Duffey A.S. Watt pp. 337 349. Blackwell, Oxford.
51. Malan, J.S. Owen-Smith, G.L. (1974) The ethnobotany of Kaokoland. Cimbebasia, 2, 131 178.
52. Maze, K.M., Koen, T.B. Watt, L.A. (1993) Factors influencing the germination of six perennial grasses of central New South Wales. Australian Journal of Botany, 41, 79 90.
53. McDougall, K.L. (1989) The re-establishment of Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass): implications for the restoration of grassland. Technical Report Series No. 89, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research.
54. McIvor, J.G. Gardener, C.J. (1991) Soil seed densities and emergence patterns in pastures in the seasonally dry tropics of northeastern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology, 16, 159 169.
55. Mendelsohn, J., Jarvis A., Roberts C. Robertson, T. (2002) Atlas of Namibia - A Portrait of the Land and its People. David Philip Publishers, Cape Town.
56. Milton, S.J. Dean, W.R.J. (2000) Disturbance, drought and dynamics of desert dune grassland, South Africa. Plant Ecology, 150, 37 51.
57. Moloney, K.A. (1990) Shifting demographic control of a perennial bunchgrass along a natural habitat gradient. Ecology, 71, 1133 1143.
58. Mott, J.J. (1978) Dormancy and germination in five native grass species from savannah woodland communities of Northern Territory. Australian Journal of Botany, 26, 621 631.
59. Mott, J.J. Andrew, M.H. (1985) The effect of fire on the population dynamics of native grasses in tropical savannas of north-west Australia. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia, 13, 231 239.
60. O'Connor, T.G. (1991) Local extinction in perennial grasslands: a life-history approach. American Naturalist, 137, 753 773.
61. O'Connor, T.G. (1994) Composition and population responses of an African savanna grassland to rainfall and grazing. Journal of Applied Ecology, 31, 155 171.
62. O'Connor, T.G. (1996) Hierarchical control over seedling recruitment of the bunch-grass Themeda triandra in a semi-arid savanna. Journal of Applied Ecology, 33, 1094 1106.
63. O'Connor, T.G. (1997) Micro-site influence on seed longevity and seedling emergence of a bunchgrass (Themeda triandra) in a semi-arid savanna. African Journal of Range and Forage Science, 14, 7 11.
64. O'Connor, T.G. Pickett, G.A. (1992) The influence of grazing on seed production and seed banks of some African savanna grasslands. Journal of Applied Ecology, 29, 247 260.
65. Old, S.M. (1969) Microclimate, fire, and plant production in an Illinois prairie. Ecological Monographs, 39, 355 384.
66. Oliva, G., Collantes, M. Humano, G. (2005) Demography of grazed tussock grass populations in Patagonia. Rangeland Ecology and Management, 58, 466 473.
67. Orr, D.M. (1998) A life cycle approach to the population ecology of two tropical grasses in Queensland, Australia. Population Biology of Grasses (ed. G.P. Cheplick pp. 366 389. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
68. Peart, M.H. (1984) The effects of morphology, orientation and position of grass diaspores on seedling survival. Journal of Ecology, 72, 437 453.
69. Potvin, M.A. (1993) Establishment of native grass seedlings along a topographic/moisture gradient in the Nebraska Sandhills. American Midland Naturalist, 130, 248 261.
70. Pyke, D.A. (1990) Comparative demography of co-occurring introduced and native tussock grasses: persistence and potential expansion. Oecologia, 82, 537 543.
71. R Development Core Team (2006) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL < http://www.R-project.org >.
72. Read, T.R., Bellairs, S.M., Mulligan, D.R. Lamb, D. (2000) Smoke and heat effects on soil seed bank germination for the re-establishment of a native forest community in New South Wales. Austral Ecology, 25, 48 57.
73. Sarmiento, G. (1992) Adaptive strategies of perennial grasses in South American savannas. Journal of Vegetation Science, 3, 325 336.
74. Scanlan, J.C. (1980) Effects of spring wildfires on Astrebla (Mitchell Grass) grasslands in north-west Queensland under varying levels of growing season rainfall. Australian Rangeland Journal, 2, 162 168.
75. Silva, J.F. Castro F. (1989) Fire growth and survivorship in a neotropical savanna grass Andropogon semiberbis in Venezuela. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 5, 387 400.
76. Silva, J.F., Raventos, J. Caswell, H. (1990) Fire and fire exclusion effects on the growth and survival of two savanna grasses. Acta Oecologica, 11, 783 800.
77. Snyman, H.A. (2002) Fire and the dynamics of semi-arid grassland: influence of soil characteristics. African Journal of Range and Forage Science, 19, 137 145.
78. Snyman, H.A. (2004a) Short-term influence of fire on seedling establishment in a semi-arid grassland of South Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 70, 215 226.
79. Snyman, H.A. (2004b) Short-term response in productivity following an unplanned fire in a semi-arid rangeland of South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments, 56, 465 485.
80. Snyman, H.A. (2005) The effect of fire on the soil seed bank of a semi-arid grassland in South Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 71, 53 60.
81. Tothill, J.C. (1969) Soil temperatures and seed burial in relation to performance of Heteropogon contortus and Themeda australis in burnt native woodland pastures in eastern Queensland. Australian Journal of Botany, 17, 269 275.
82. Van Oudtshoorn, F. (1999) Guide to grasses of Southern Africa, 1st edn. Briza Publications, Pretoria.
83. Veenendaal, E.M., Ernst, W.H.O. Modise, G.S. (1996) Effect of seasonal rainfall pattern on seedling emergence and establishment of grasses in a savanna in south-eastern Botswana. Journal of Arid Environments, 32, 305 317.
84. Vilà, M. Lloret, F. (2000) Seed dynamics of the mast seeding tussock grass Ampelodesmos mauritanica in Mediterranean shrublands. Journal of Ecology, 88, 479 491.
85. Vilà, M. Lloret, F., Ogheri, E. Terradas, J. (2001) Positive fire-grass feedback in Mediterranean Basin woodlands. Forest Ecology and Management, 147, 3 14.
86. Westoby, M., Rice, B., Griffin, G. Friedel, M. (1988) The soil seed bank of Triodia basedowii in relation to time since fire. Australian Journal of Ecology, 13, 161 169.
87. Whelan, R.J. (1988) Patterns of recruitment to plant populations after fire in western Australia and Florida. Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia, 14, 169 178.
88. Williams, P.R., Congdon, R.A., Grice, A.C. Clarke, P.J. (2005) Germinable soil seed banks in a tropical savanna: seasonal dynamics and effects of fire. Austral Ecology, 30, 79 90.
89. Wilsey, B.J. Polley, H.W. (2003) Effects of seed additions and grazing history on diversity and productivity of subhumid grasslands. Ecology, 84, 920 931.
90. Wilson, A.M. Briske, D.D. (1979) Seminal and adventitious root growth of blue grama seedlings on the Central Plains. Journal of Range Management, 32, 209 213.
91. Zacharias, P.J.K., Tainton, N.M. Oberholster, C. (1988) The effect of fire on germination of five common veld grasses. Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa, 5, 229 230.