Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://dspace.utpl.edu.ec/handle/123456789/19175
Title: Climate and grazing control nurse effects in an Ecuadorian dry shrubby community
Authors: Espinosa íñiguez, C.
Keywords: altitude
biotic indices
community ecology
croton wagneri
diversity
ecuador
environmental gradient
facilitation
patch structure
spatial scale
Publisher: Journal of Tropical Ecology
Abstract: Abstract: Positive plant interactions have strong effects on plant diversity at several spatial scales, expanding species distribution under stressful conditions. We evaluated the joint effect of climate and grazing on the nurse effect of Croton wagneri, by monitoring several community attributes at two spatial scales: microhabitat and plant community. Two very close locations that only differed in grazing intensity were surveyed in an Ecuadorian dry scrub ecosystem. At each location, two 30 � 30-m plots were established at four altitudinal levels (1500, 2630, 1959 and 2100 m asl) and 40 microsites were surveyed in each plot. Croton wagneri acted as community hubs, increasing species richness and plant cover at both scales. Beneath nurses mean richness and cover values were 3.4 and 21.9%, and in open areas 2.3 and 4.5%, respectively. Magnitude of nurse effect was dependent on climate and grazing conditions. In ungrazed locations, cover increased and diversity reduced with altitude, while grazed locations showed the opposite trend. In ungrazed plots the interactions shifted from positive to negative with altitude, in grazed locations interactions remained positive. We conclude that the nurse effect is a key mechanism regulating community properties not only at microsite but also at the entire community scale. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013.
URI: http://dspace.utpl.edu.ec/handle/123456789/19175
ISBN: 2664674
Other Identifiers: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0266467413000692
Appears in Collections:Artículos de revistas Científicas

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