Does the intensive grazing and aridity change the relations between the dominant shrub Artemisia kopetdaghensis and plants under its canopies?

0547180 - BÚ 2022 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Rahmanian, S. - Ejtehadi, H. - Farzam, M. - Hejda, Martin - Memariani, F. - Pyšek, Petr
Does the intensive grazing and aridity change the relations between the dominant shrub Artemisia kopetdaghensis and plants under its canopies?
Ecology and Evolution. Roč. 11, č. 20 (2021), s. 14115-14124. ISSN 2045-7758. E-ISSN 2045-7758
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : CSR plant strategies * facilitation * herbivory * plant-plant interaction
OECD category: Ecology
Impact factor: 3.167, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8124

We studied interspecific plant interactions along grazing and aridity stress gradients in northeastern Iran. The dominant species Artemisia kopetdaghensis showed the highest facilitation effect under high stress conditions (high grazing, high aridity), which turned into competition under the low stress conditions (low grazing, low aridity). In the arid region, the canopy of the shrub protected ruderals, annual forbs, and grasses in both high and low grazing intensities. In the semiarid region and high grazing intensity (low aridity/high grazing), the shrubs protected mostly perennial forbs with C-strategy. Our findings highlight the importance of context-dependent shrub management to restore the vegetation damaged by intensive grazing.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0325203