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Spatial patterns of shrub encroachment in neighbouring grassland communities in the Pyrenees: floristic composition heterogeneity drives shrub proliferation rates

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Abstract

We studied the role of floristic composition and associational resistance in shrub dynamics by comparing spatial patterns of shrub cover after prescribed burning in neighbouring grassland communities with different palatability. The study focused on the shrub Cytisus balansae ssp. europaeus (G. López and Jarvis) Muñoz Garmendia. Seven two-dimensional transects (20 × 0.5 m) were established to monitor shrub cover for at least 10 years after prescribed burning. Shrub cover and spatial patterns were assessed in each transect. Floristic similarity between transects and Cytisus associations with different species were estimated. Over an entire transect, shrub cover and shrub scale of pattern and patch size were lowest in the unpalatable Festuca eskia grasslands and highest in F. paniculata grasslands. At short distances, we found negative associations between Cytisus and most of the grasses, except for F. nigrescens and Agrostis capillaris, which showed positive associations with Cytisus. Thus, the effects of associational resistance on shrub encroachment were not as marked as expected, F. eskia grasslands showing the lowest shrub encroachment rates after fire. By contrast, Cytisus was positively associated with the most palatable grasses in the site, namely F. nigrescens and A. capillaris. We conclude that differences in floristic composition drive shrub encroachment rates in these spatially heterogeneous communities.

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Acknowledgements

FM received a grant for an academic mission at the University of Northern British Columbia (2008 BE-1 00493) as well as a PhD fellowship (2005FI 00801) awarded by DURSI-Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Social Fund. Additional support came from the Spanish Ministerio de Agricultura (INIA, Balangeis, SUM 2006-00030-CO2-00) and the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (VULCA, CGL2005-08133-CO3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC), Ctra. de St. Llorenys de Morunys, Km 2 (Ctra. Vella), Solsona, 25280, Spain

    Francesc Montané, Pere Casals & Marc Taull

  2. Service élevage environnement, Bureau Commun Agricole (SIME-SUAMME), rue de la Gare, 66500, Prades, France

    Bernard Lambert

  3. University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada

    Mark R. T. Dale

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  1. Francesc Montané
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Correspondence to Francesc Montané.

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Montané, F., Casals, P., Taull, M. et al. Spatial patterns of shrub encroachment in neighbouring grassland communities in the Pyrenees: floristic composition heterogeneity drives shrub proliferation rates. Plant Ecol 211, 267–278 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-010-9788-8

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