No other species can replace them: evidence for the key role of dominants in an alpine Festuca varia grasslandстатья
Статья опубликована в высокорейтинговом журнале
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Дата последнего поиска статьи во внешних источниках: 21 августа 2017 г.
Аннотация:Questions. Festuca varia grasslands occupy extensive areas in the alpine belt of the Caucasus. In the Teberda reserve the dominant, narrow-leaved grasses Festuca varia and Nardus stricta contribute up to 56% and 22% respectively to the total biomass of the community. How does community composition and structure change after removal of the dominant, and is any species able to replace the dominants in abundance and function?
Location. Teberda State Biosphere Reserve, the northwestern Caucasus, Russia.
Methods. We experimentally removed Festuca varia and Nardus stricta (as single dominants and both together). After 20 years of treatment we compared the expected increase in species richness per plot, aboveground phytomass, community biomass-weighted mean specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content, as well as the interannual dynamics of functional groups and the most abundant species.
Results. Dominant removal led to a decrease in litter after removal of Festuca varia and of both dominants and to a decrease in total phytomass after removal of both dominants. Biomass of dominants did not respond to the treatments, however Nardus stricta increased shoot number after Festuca varia removal. Non-dominant narrow-leaved grasses increased in all the treatments both in biomass and shoot numbers. Community biomass-weighted specific leaf area increased in all the treatments, and leaf dry matter content decreased.
Conclusions. Dominants play a key role in alpine Festuca varia grasslands and determine the functional structure and composition of the community. Species from other functional groups and, remarkably, species from the same group are not able to completely replace them. Traits of Festuca varia, as the main dominant, control community weighted leaf traits and litter accumulation.