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Impacts of shrub encroachment on ecosystem structure and functioning: towards a global synthesis
David J Eldridge1, Matthew A Bowker, Fernando T Maestre
1Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water c/- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. d.eldridge@unsw.edu.au
Ecology Letters
|May 20, 2011
Summary
Shrub encroachment into grasslands has mixed effects on ecosystem functions globally. Shrub traits influence these outcomes, challenging the idea that encroachment universally leads to ecosystem degradation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Woody plant encroachment into grasslands is a growing ecological concern.
- Previous syntheses of encroachment effects were geographically limited and focused on specific land uses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if shrub encroachment universally declines ecosystem functions.
- To investigate if shrub traits influence the functional outcomes of encroachment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized univariate analyses, meta-analysis, and structural equation modeling.
- Analyzed 43 ecosystem attributes from 244 global case studies.
Main Results:
- Most ecosystem attributes showed variable responses to encroachment; some increased (soil C, N), others decreased (grass cover, pH).
- Shrub traits were linked to significant, albeit weak, structural and functional changes.
- Encroachment exhibited mixed effects on ecosystem structure and functioning at a global scale.
Conclusions:
- The assumption that shrub encroachment universally degrades ecosystems is not supported by global literature.
- Shrub traits play a role in determining the functional consequences of grassland encroachment.
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