Abstract
The fine-scale spatial distribution of leaves and shoots of Brachypodium pinnatum and Carex flacca, two rhizomatous graminoids, was investigated in two chalk grasslands in South Limburg (The Netherlands). The objective was to examine whether leaves and shoots of Brachypodium, a dominant species, had a regular distribution on a small scale, as has been suggested for other clonal species that form high-density stands. Patterns were compared to Carex, which is never found to be as abundant as Brachypodium.
The number of shoots and leaf contacts were counted in small quadrats, grouped in a grid. Using Moran's I analysis for autocorrelation, it appeared that leaves and shoots of both species were arranged in clumps, and that these clumps were randomly distributed across the soil surface. Shoot clumps in Carex were smaller in diameter and not as pronounced as those in Brachypodium.
In most cases, patterns of leaves and shoots were positively correlated, indicating that leaves were predominantly positioned above and around the groups of quadrats where the shoots were attached. However, in dense stands of Brachypodium the positions of leaf clumps were not correlated to those of shoot clumps. This is a result of the tall growth form of this species and its high shoot densities, and it is suggested that this will be a characteristic of any species that dominates a dense stand.
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Van der Hoeven, E.C., de Kroon, H. & During, H.J. Fine-scale spatial distribution of leaves and shoots of two chalk grassland perennials. Vegetatio 86, 151–160 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00031731
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00031731