Tall-statured grasses: a useful functional group for invasion science

0504793 - BÚ 2020 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Canavan, S. - Meyerson, L. A. - Packer, J. G. - Pyšek, Petr - Maurel, N. - Lozano, V. - Richardson, D. M. - Brundu, G. - Canavan, K. - Cicatelli, A. - Čuda, Jan - Dawson, W. - Essl, F. - Guarino, F. - Guo, Wen-Yong - van Kleunen, M. - Kreft, H. - Lambertini, C. - Pergl, Jan - Skálová, Hana - Soreng, R. J. - Visser, V. - Vorontsova, M. S. - Weigelt, P. - Winter, M. - Wilson, J. R. U.
Tall-statured grasses: a useful functional group for invasion science.
Biological Invasions. Roč. 21, č. 1 (2019), s. 37-58. ISSN 1387-3547. E-ISSN 1573-1464
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-15414S; GA ČR GB14-36079G
Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1002
Program: Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : Poaceae * plant functional groups * invasive species
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 3.087, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access

Of the c. 11,000 grass species globally, 929 qualify (c. 8.6%) as TSGs (tall-statured grasses). 80.6% of TSGs are woody bamboos, with the remaining species scattered among 21 tribes in seven subfamilies. When all grass species were analysed, TSGs and non-TSGs did not differ significantly in the probability of naturalisation. However, when we analysed woody bamboos separately from the other grasses, the percentage of TSGs that have naturalised was 2–4 times greater than that of non-TSGs for both bamboos and non-bamboo groups. Our analyses suggest that woody bamboos should be analysed separately from other TSGs when considering naturalisation, within the over 2 m height class they do not naturalise at the same rate as other TSGs. Rapid growthrate and the capacity to accumulate biomass (a function of height) give many TSGs a competitive advantage and allow them to form monospecific stands, accumulate dense and deep litter mats, reduce light availability at ground level, and alter fire and nutrient-cycling regimes, thereby driving rapid ecosystem transformation. While the height distribution in grasses is continuous (i.e. no obvious break is evident in heights), the 2 m designation for TSGs defines an important functional group in grasses that can improve predictive modelling for management and biosecurity.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0296347