Influence of a Large Herbivore Reintroduction on Plant Invasions and Community Composition in a California Grassland

Abstract:  Despite many successful reintroductions of large mammalian herbivores throughout the world, remarkably little attention has focused on how these actions affect native and exotic vegetation at reintroduction sites. One such herbivore is tule elk ( Cervus elaphus nannodes ), which was on the brink of extinction in the mid 1800s, but now has numerous stable populations due to intensive reintroduction efforts. Here, we summarize results from a 5-year exclosure experiment that explored the effects of tule elk on a coastal grassland in northern California. Elk significantly altered the species composition of this community; the response of annual species (dominated heavily by exotic taxa) was dramatically different from perennial species. Elk herbivory increased the abundance and aboveground biomass of native and exotic annuals, whereas it either had no effect on or caused significant decreases in perennials. Elk also decreased the cover of native shrubs, suggesting that these herbivores play an important role in maintaining open grasslands. In addition, elk significantly reduced the abundance and biomass of a highly invasive exotic grass , Holcus lanatus, which is a major problem in mesic perennial grasslands. Our results demonstrate that the successful reintroduction of a charismatic and long-extirpated mammal had extremely complex effects on the plant community, giving rise to both desirable and undesirable outcomes from a management perspective. We suspect that these kinds of opposing effects are not unique to tule elk and that land managers will frequently encounter them when dealing with reintroduced mammals.     

宁南山区两种灌木林土壤矿化过程中PLFA指纹季节变化特征

研究土壤矿化过程中土壤微生物群落结构的变化特征,对深入理解土壤中物质转化和养分迁移机理、提高土壤质量具有重要意义.因此,本文以宁南山区典型的两种人工灌木林-柠条和山桃林地土壤为研究对象,采用PVC顶盖埋管法进行1年的原位矿化实验,每隔2个月采样测定土壤基本理化性质和磷脂脂肪酸(Phospholipid fatty acid,PLFA)含量,探讨土壤在矿化过程中微生物群落结构的变化特征.结果显示:土壤矿化过程中,柠条林地土壤有机碳、全氮、硝态氮、铵态氮和土壤含水率显著高于山桃林地(p0.05);两种灌木林地有机碳含量在矿化240 d和360 d时较低,显著小于其他矿化时期(p0.05),硝态氮、铵态氮含量均在矿化240 d时最低,全氮和土壤pH随时间变化不显著.柠条林土壤各菌群PLFA含量高于山桃林土壤;两种土壤各菌群PLFA随矿化时间大体呈现出夏季春、秋季冬季的趋势,且差异显著(p0.05);土壤细菌与真菌、革兰氏阳性(GP)和阴性菌(GN)的PLFA比值差异显著(p0.05),柠条林土壤细菌与真菌PLFA比值随矿化时间呈现出夏、秋季春、冬季的趋势,而山桃林土壤细菌与真菌PLFA比值在冬季最低,两种土壤革兰氏阳性和阴性菌PLFA比值在春季最大.PLFA主成分分析表明,柠条和山桃林土壤微生物群落结构不同,并且土壤微生物群落结构随矿化时间逐步发生变异,微生物结构的变化主要由以16∶0、16∶1ω9c、16∶1ω9t、17∶0、10Me18∶0和cy19∶0所代表的细菌及以18∶2ω9,12c所代表的真菌的变化引起.土壤微生物PLFA与土壤有机碳、硝态氮和土壤含水率显著相关,与土壤pH值不相关,说明土壤微生物PLFA与土壤理化性质联系紧密.     

Individual Responses to Annual Application of Different Mineral Fertilizers in Species of the Herbaceous–Dwarf Shrub Layer in a Southern Taiga Birch Forest

The species studied individually responded to different forms of mineral fertilizers introduced into the soil. Some species positively responded to the application of one nutrient (Easter-bell starwort, millet grass, and bilberry) or several nutrients (wood sorrel and hairy wood rush), whereas other species responded negatively.