Article
Ecology
Feng Zhang, Jonathan A. Bennett, Bin Zhang, Tianqi Zhao, Keyu Bai, Mengli Zhao, Guodong Han
Summary: Mowing for hay is a significant land use in grasslands, and it is greatly affected by precipitation variability. The natural variation in precipitation can impact plant responses to changes in mowing intensity. Decreasing mowing intensity can increase plant productivity and forage yield in the whole community, but it may have negative effects on other plant species.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, Susheel Verma, Renu Gupta, Masood Majaz Ganaie, Gaurav Nigam, Hesham M. Shafik, Fahad A. Al-Misned
Summary: This study investigated the nutrient analysis and species diversity of alpine grasslands in Kashmir Himalaya. The findings showed that soil pH and available macro-nutrients decreased with increasing altitude, precipitation, and decreasing temperature. The study reported a total of 66 plant species predominantly from the Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Plantaginaceae families. The results also showed relatively low dissimilarity among the studied alpine sites and variability in plant phenophases under different environmental conditions and altitudinal gradients.
Article
Agronomy
Thabo Patrick Magandana, Abubeker Hassen, Eyob H. Tesfamariam
Summary: The study found that under reduced rainfall conditions, grassland vegetation's annual net primary productivity is impacted to varying degrees, with lower and moderate intensities showing resilience but severe reduction significantly decreasing productivity. Shifts in species composition and contribution from different ecological groups (decreasers vs. increasers) along with changes in functional group contributions were observed in response to different intensities of rainfall reduction.
Article
Plant Sciences
Helena Castro, Maria Celeste Dias, Jose Paulo Sousa, Helena Freitas
Summary: Enhanced drought, more frequent rainfall events and increased inter-annual variability of precipitation are expected for the Mediterranean. Through an experiment, we assessed the response of Mediterranean plant species to water deficit and found that different species have different abilities to cope with drought. Despite different responses, severe water deficit negatively affected plant biomass in all species studied. These findings provide important insights for predicting plant diversity and species composition in Mediterranean grasslands and Montado under climate change conditions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alessandra Fidelis, Cassy Anne Rodrigues, Mariana Dairel, Carolina C. Blanco, Valerio D. Pillar, Joerg Pfadenhauer
Summary: Fire plays a crucial role in influencing the regeneration strategies of plants in Brazilian subtropical grasslands. Most species tend to resprout after treatments, with limited new establishments from seedlings. While there were no significant differences in the number of seedlings and resprouts between burned and mowed plots in each site, a higher number of species with seedlings was observed in sites with frequent burning, indicating the importance of fire in promoting plant diversity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William Drose, Luciana R. Podgaiski, Martin M. Gossner, Sebastian T. Meyer, Julia-Maria Hermann, Jan Leidinger, Christiane Koch, Johannes Kollmann, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Milton de S. Mendonca Jr, Gerhard E. Overbeck
Summary: Understanding the impact of historical land uses and current management practices on biodiversity, particularly on ant communities in subtropical grasslands, is crucial. Secondary grasslands showed lower ant species diversity and distinct community composition compared to permanent grasslands, with the latter showing differences in composition based on management intensity. Passive recovery of grasslands may not fully restore ant communities, while traditional management practices enhance ant diversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeffrey T. Hutchinson
Summary: Ephemeral streams in central Texas have been overlooked despite their common occurrence. This study examined the vegetation composition in an ephemeral dry stream channel and pools, revealing similarities in plant species between the two habitats. Panicum virgatum emerged as the dominant species, with a higher coverage than other plants. Perennial grasses and forbs were more abundant than annuals, and graminoids and forbs had greater coverage compared to trees, shrubs, vines, and ferns. Native species had greater coverage than non-native species. Droughts, flash floods, and scouring events were found to promote the dominance of perennial grasses and forbs in Leon Creek.
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gabriele Midolo, Patrick Kuss, Camilla Wellstein
Summary: Functional traits of mountain grassland communities are strongly influenced by temperature variation along elevational gradients, with interactions with water availability, soil properties, and land-use types shaping the responses of plant traits. Water availability and land-use type significantly interact with temperature, influencing the functional diversity of grasslands in response to climate warming.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhili Feng, Tingting Xiao, Qing Xu, Gang Zhang, Deli Wang
Summary: This study investigated the GEM exchange fluxes over soil covered by two vegetation communities and found that plant coverage and meteorological conditions significantly affected GEM exchange. The results demonstrated that grassland served as a source for atmospheric mercury during the growing season and the plant community played an important role in mercury exchange between soil and atmosphere.
Article
Agronomy
Andraz Carni, Mirjana Cuk, Daniel Krstonosic, Zeljko Skvorc
Summary: This article explored the impact of ecological conditions, floristic composition, and management on forage quality in grasslands. Through data organization and correlation analysis, it was found that wet meadows and wet pastures have the highest forage quality.
Article
Plant Sciences
Huan Yang, Yuan-Yuan Duan, Jie Li, Qian Wang, Zheng-Gang Guo
Summary: Foraging-tunnel disturbances created by plateau zokors have varying effects on above-ground biomass and species richness of graminoids and forbs in alpine grasslands. The disturbances decreased the species richness and biomass of forbs, while the response of graminoid species richness was different among the study sites. Reintroducing legumes may help mitigate the negative impact of foraging-tunnel disturbances on plant diversity and soil fertility.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Huan Yang, Yuan-Yuan Duan, Jie Li, Qian Wang, Zheng-Gang Guo
Summary: Foraging-tunnel disturbances created by herbivorous mammals have a significant impact on above-ground plant biomass and species richness in alpine grasslands. These disturbances decrease plant species richness and biomass, particularly for forbs. However, they seem to improve forage availability for livestock by increasing the proportion of graminoids.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Judit Hazi, Karoly Penksza, Andras Barczi, Szilard Szentes, Gergely Papay
Summary: This study focuses on the vegetation of seminatural dry grasslands and demonstrates the effectiveness of biennial mowing in modifying the botanical composition of the grassland, increasing species diversity, and controlling native invader species.
Article
Agronomy
Xu Luo, Jianping Li, Yingzhong Xie, Yutao Wang, Jianfei Yu, Xiaoqian Liang
Summary: To enhance the ecological and service function of grasslands in the face of climate change and human activity, effective management is crucial. In a long-term fenced desert grassland, we conducted experiments on different mowing frequencies and vegetation coverage. Our findings showed that mowing twice or thrice per year promoted the growth of certain plants and increased species diversity. The interaction between mowing and covering had the greatest impact on grassland productivity. Rating: 8
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chao Wang, Huijuan Jia, Jingxin Wei, Wanling Yang, Yuan Gao, Qianfu Liu, Dayan Ge, Naicheng Wu
Summary: The study investigated the bioindicators of aquatic environments using phytoplankton functional groups (FGs) in a subtropical estuarine river delta system. While water quality in 2015 was better than in 2012, there were no interannual differences in phytoplankton FGs similarities, suggesting that current water quality improvements were insufficient to affect the interannual alterations of FGs. Dominant FG diversity could be a good indicator of spatial and seasonal variations in water quality, showing lower diversity in high eutrophic conditions and higher diversity when water quality was better. Continuing efforts to improve water quality may enhance the diversity of dominant FGs in the study area.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pablo Garcia-Diaz, Lia Montti, Priscila Ana Powell, Euan Phimister, Jose Cristobal Pizarro, Laura Fasola, Barbara Langdon, Anibal Pauchard, Eduardo Raffo, Joselyn Bastias, Gabriella Damasceno, Alessandra Fidelis, Magdalena F. Huerta, Eirini Linardaki, Jaime Moyano, Martin A. Nunez, Maria Ignacia Ortiz, Ignacio Rodriguez-Jorquera, Ignacio Roesler, Jorge A. Tomasevic, David F. R. P. Burslem, Mario Cava, Xavier Lambin
Summary: Formulating effective management plans for addressing the impacts of invasive non-native species requires a multi-disciplinary approach and stakeholder involvement. By integrating multiple sources of information, clear priorities, targets, and high-level actions can be established to manage the various ecological, social, and economic impacts of invasive species.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Fernando A. O. Silveira, Carlos A. Ordonez-Parra, Livia C. Moura, Isabel B. Schmidt, Alan N. Andersen, William Bond, Elise Buisson, Giselda Durigan, Alessandra Fidelis, Rafael S. Oliveira, Catherine Parr, Lucy Rowland, Joseph W. Veldman, R. Toby Pennington
Summary: The study identified disparities in attention, action, and knowledge among different biomes in tropical restoration science, practice, and policy, with forests receiving more focus than open biomes. The findings suggest a need to increase awareness and recognition of the value of open biomes for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, climate change mitigation, and human livelihoods, in order to effectively achieve the goals of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Paulina Meller, Marion Stellmes, Alessandra Fidelis, Manfred Finckh
Summary: This study provides the first comprehensive understanding of the often overlooked growth form of geoxyle species by analyzing their diversity, functionality, ancestry, and ecology. It highlights the importance of frost as a correlate of geoxyle diversity and emphasizes the need for further studies to understand this important growth form.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Vagner Zanzarini, Alan N. Andersen, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: This study describes the variation in flammability among different growth forms and seasons in Brazilian Cerrado, and finds that grasses are the most flammable growth form, with the highest flammability in the middle of the dry season. Dead biomass, moisture content, and specific leaf area are strongly correlated with flammability.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alessandra Fidelis, Heloiza L. Zirondi, Davi R. Rossatto, Vagner Zanzarini
Summary: Post-fire flowering is an important plant trait in fire-prone ecosystems. In a study conducted in a tropical savanna, it was found that both wet- and dry-season fires can stimulate flowering in grass species. Exclusion of fire led to a decrease in the number of flowering individuals and reproductive tillers of grass species.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Aline Bertolosi Bombo, Beatriz Appezzato-da-Gloria, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: Belowground bud bank regeneration is an important strategy for plants in fire-prone areas, relying on dormant and viable buds stored underground. The diversity of underground bud-bearing organ system, combined with frequent fire events, ensures the availability of a bud bank that enables plants to survive and regrow after disturbances. Changes in fire exclusion and frequency can affect the persistence and regeneration traits of the herbaceous layer in tropical savannas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juliana Teixeira, Lara Souza, Soizig Le Stradic, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: Fire is an important environmental factor in tropical savanna ecosystems, influencing functional diversity, carbon pools, and fluxes. The study found that fire promoted biomass increase, improved functional diversity, and had varying effects on carbon balance. However, the specific role of functional diversity and ecosystem structure in mediating the impact of fire on ecosystem functions needs further investigation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elise Buisson, Sally Archibald, Alessandra Fidelis, Katharine N. Suding
Summary: Grasslands, covering nearly 40% of terrestrial biosphere, are home to vast biodiversity and provide livelihoods for over 1 billion people. Despite the rapid destruction and degradation of grasslands, recent research shows that complete recovery of biodiversity and essential functions takes a long time or may not occur at all. Grassland restoration has received less attention compared to restoration of forests, mainly because grasslands are considered to be able to reassemble quickly. Recognizing grassland restoration as a long-term process that aims to achieve old-growth endpoints, taking feedbacks and threshold shifts into account, is crucial in guiding the recovery of this globally important ecosystem.
Article
Ecology
Carlos A. Ordonez-Parra, Roberta L. C. Dayrell, Daniel Negreiros, Antonio C. S. Andrade, Leticia G. Andrade, Yasmine Antonini, Leilane C. Barreto, Fernanda de V. Barros, Vanessa da Cruz Carvalho, Blanca Auxiliadora Dugarte Corredor, Antonio Claudio Davide, Alexandre A. Duarte, Selma Dos Santos Feitosa, Alessandra F. Fernandes, G. Wilson Fernandes, Maurilio Assis Figueiredo, Alessandra Fidelis, Leticia Couto Garcia, Queila Souza Garcia, Victor T. Giorni, Vanessa G. N. Gomes, Carollayne Goncalves-Magalhaes, Alessandra R. Kozovits, Jose P. Lemos-Filho, Soizig Le Stradic, Isabel Cristina Machado, Fabiano Rodrigo Maia, Andrea R. Marques, Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues, Maria Cristina T. B. Messias, Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato, Moemy Gomes de Moraes, Bruno Moreira, Flavia Peres Nunes, Ademir K. M. Oliveira, Yumi Oki, Alba R. P. Rodrigues, Carolina Pietczak, Jose Carlos Pina, Silvio Junio Ramos, Marli A. Ranal, Joao Paulo Ribeiro-Oliveira, Flavio H. Rodrigues, Denise G. Santana, Fernando M. G. Santos, Ana Paula M. S. Senhuk, Rodrigo A. Silveira, Natalia Costa Soares, Olivia Alvina Oliveira Tonetti, Vinicius Augusto da Silveira Vieira, Leticia Cristiane de Sena Viana, Marcilio Zanetti, Heloiza L. Zirondi, Fernando A. O. Silveira
Summary: The Rock n' Seeds database provides functional trait data and germination experiments from Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation, including 16 functional traits for 383 taxa and 48 germination experiments for 281 taxa. This database will be valuable for synthesizing germination data, advancing comparative functional ecology, and guiding seed-based restoration and biodiversity conservation in tropical megadiverse ecosystems.
Article
Plant Sciences
Gerhard Ernst Overbeck, Eduardo Velez-Martin, Luciana da Silva Menezes, Madhur Anand, Santiago Baeza, Marcos B. Carlucci, Michele S. Dechoum, Giselda Durigan, Alessandra Fidelis, Anaclara Guido, Marcelo Freire Moro, Cassia Beatriz Rodrigues Munhoz, Marcelo Reginato, Rodrigo Schutz Rodrigues, Milena Fermina Rosenfield, Alexandre B. Sampaio, Fernando Henrique Barbosa da Silva, Fernando A. O. Silveira, Enio Egon Sosinski, Ingmar R. Staude, Vicky M. Temperton, Caroline Turchetto, Joseph W. Veldman, Pedro L. Viana, Daniela C. Zappi, Sandra C. Muller
Summary: This study aims to improve the communication and recognition of Brazil's diverse grassy ecosystems by presenting the key drivers that control these ecosystems and synthesizing their main features and dynamics. The study also proposes relevant terminology and identifies key research needs for the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.
PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Izadora S. de Carvalho, Swanni T. Alvarado, Thiago Sanna Freire Silva, Carlos Leandro de Oliveira Cordeiro, Alessandra Fidelis, Raysa Valeria Carvalho Saraiva, Fabio A. M. M. A. Figueiredo, Jose Roberto P. de Sousa, Tiago Massi Ferraz
Summary: The aim of this study was to reconstruct the fire history of Chapada das Mesas National Park and its surroundings over a period of 28 years. The results showed that 86% of the park's area experienced at least one fire event between 1990 and 2017. However, there was a change in the seasonality of fires after the establishment of the park.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cassy Anne Rodrigues, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: Different fire frequencies can result in changes in plant communities of open savannas in central Brazil, but do not affect species richness. Annual fire treatments show consistency in post-fire regeneration, while biennial treatments show more variation. Species that appear immediately after a fire may not persist in the long term.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriella Damasceno, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: The impacts of invasive alien species are influenced by their abundance and do not follow linear trends due to ecological interactions. Abundance-impact curves help inform management interventions by showing how per-capita impact changes as the invader becomes more abundant. This study found that increasing abundance of the invasive grass Urochloa decumbens had nonlinear effects on microhabitat properties, but linearly reduced temperature fluctuations. The invader had higher per-capita effects on native grasses at low abundance levels and on species richness at moderate invasion levels.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Caio S. Ballarin, Guilherme Jose Mores, Guilherme Alcaras de Goes, Alessandra Fidelis, Tatiana Cornelissen
Summary: Plant-animal interactions are important in terrestrial ecosystems and provide ecological information for biodiversity conservation. However, there is still limited knowledge about how fire affects these interactions. Therefore, conducting a systematic review to evaluate the effects of fire on plant-animal interactions is crucial for guiding future research.
Article
Ecology
Bianca Fazio Rius, Joao Paulo Darela Filho, Katrin Fleischer, Florian Hofhansl, Carolina Casagrande Blanco, Anja Rammig, Tomas Ferreira Domingues, David Montenegro Lapola
Summary: This research uses the CAETE model to examine the impact of plant trait diversity on vegetation carbon storage in the Amazon basin. The study found that including trait variability improves the model's representation of net primary productivity and vegetation carbon storage. Simulated reductions in precipitation resulted in a 60% loss of vegetation carbon storage across the basin. The trait-based approach allows for functional reorganization of the plant community in response to climate change.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
