Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?

[ENG]Aims: Unravelling the most prevalent causal direction between diversity and function in naturally recovered plant assemblages can greatly improve our understanding of the functional significance of diversity and its applications under the ongoing envi- ronmental changes. In this study, we apply...

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Autores: Madrigal González, Jaime, Fernández Santos, María Belén, Silla Cortés, Fernando, García Rodríguez, José Antonio
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/154444
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/154444
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:complementarity
energy–diversity theory
land use abandonment
Mediterranean shrublands
species richness
total shrub cover
24 Ciencias de la vida
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spelling Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?Madrigal González, JaimeFernández Santos, María BelénSilla Cortés, FernandoGarcía Rodríguez, José Antoniocomplementarityenergy–diversity theoryland use abandonmentMediterranean shrublandsspecies richnesstotal shrub cover24 Ciencias de la vida[ENG]Aims: Unravelling the most prevalent causal direction between diversity and function in naturally recovered plant assemblages can greatly improve our understanding of the functional significance of diversity and its applications under the ongoing envi- ronmental changes. In this study, we apply a structural equation model framework to unravel the most plausible causal direction in the diversity–productivity relationship in subseral Mediterranean shrub-dominated communities. Methods: Total shrub cover (as a proxy of productivity when controlled by the time since land use cessation or the last wildfire), the number of species, and the number of functional types based on the dominant life forms (phanerophytes vs. chamaephytes), and the dominant foliar syndromes (deciduous vs. evergreen, needled vs. broad- leaved), were sampled in 195 circular plots distributed along an elevation gradient ranging from 400 to 1400 m a.s.l. in the Central Iberian Peninsula. We first explored the distribution of functional types along the elevation gradient using a non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Secondly, a structural equation model (SEM) frame- work using mixed-effects models was defined to unveil the prevalent causal direction between diversity (species and functional types) and productivity at the landscape scale. Results: Model selection using the Fisher's C information criterion supported a causal direction from total shrub cover to diversity in this landscape. Interestingly, the best supported model also supported a positive relationship between species richness and the number of functional types, which in turn is driven by the total shrub cover along the elevation gradient. Conclusions: Our results suggest that more species might not necessarily boost pro- ductivity. On the contrary, ongoing warming temperatures and aridity, which are characteristic of low elevations compared to highlands, might significantly reduce the number of species (victim rather than rescuer) through deleterious effects on productivity.Wiley202420242023info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10366/154444reponame:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamancainstname:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)InglésSA013G19 (Junta de Castilla y León).Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:gredos.usal.es:10366/1544442026-06-07T06:28:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
title Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
spellingShingle Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
Madrigal González, Jaime
complementarity
energy–diversity theory
land use abandonment
Mediterranean shrublands
species richness
total shrub cover
24 Ciencias de la vida
title_short Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
title_full Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
title_fullStr Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
title_full_unstemmed Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
title_sort Shrub diversity in Mediterranean shrublands: Rescuer or victim of productivity?
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Madrigal González, Jaime
Fernández Santos, María Belén
Silla Cortés, Fernando
García Rodríguez, José Antonio
author Madrigal González, Jaime
author_facet Madrigal González, Jaime
Fernández Santos, María Belén
Silla Cortés, Fernando
García Rodríguez, José Antonio
author_role author
author2 Fernández Santos, María Belén
Silla Cortés, Fernando
García Rodríguez, José Antonio
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv complementarity
energy–diversity theory
land use abandonment
Mediterranean shrublands
species richness
total shrub cover
24 Ciencias de la vida
topic complementarity
energy–diversity theory
land use abandonment
Mediterranean shrublands
species richness
total shrub cover
24 Ciencias de la vida
description [ENG]Aims: Unravelling the most prevalent causal direction between diversity and function in naturally recovered plant assemblages can greatly improve our understanding of the functional significance of diversity and its applications under the ongoing envi- ronmental changes. In this study, we apply a structural equation model framework to unravel the most plausible causal direction in the diversity–productivity relationship in subseral Mediterranean shrub-dominated communities. Methods: Total shrub cover (as a proxy of productivity when controlled by the time since land use cessation or the last wildfire), the number of species, and the number of functional types based on the dominant life forms (phanerophytes vs. chamaephytes), and the dominant foliar syndromes (deciduous vs. evergreen, needled vs. broad- leaved), were sampled in 195 circular plots distributed along an elevation gradient ranging from 400 to 1400 m a.s.l. in the Central Iberian Peninsula. We first explored the distribution of functional types along the elevation gradient using a non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Secondly, a structural equation model (SEM) frame- work using mixed-effects models was defined to unveil the prevalent causal direction between diversity (species and functional types) and productivity at the landscape scale. Results: Model selection using the Fisher's C information criterion supported a causal direction from total shrub cover to diversity in this landscape. Interestingly, the best supported model also supported a positive relationship between species richness and the number of functional types, which in turn is driven by the total shrub cover along the elevation gradient. Conclusions: Our results suggest that more species might not necessarily boost pro- ductivity. On the contrary, ongoing warming temperatures and aridity, which are characteristic of low elevations compared to highlands, might significantly reduce the number of species (victim rather than rescuer) through deleterious effects on productivity.
publishDate 2023
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2023
2024
2024
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10366/154444
url http://hdl.handle.net/10366/154444
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv SA013G19 (Junta de Castilla y León).
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
instname:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
instname_str Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
reponame_str GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
collection GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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