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Vegetation change in large clearings: Patterns in the Chilean matorral
Eduardo R Fuentes1, Alicia J Hoffmann1, Aldo Poiani1
1Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.
Oecologia
|March 18, 2017
Summary
Recolonization of cleared Chilean matorral relies on slow seed dispersal and shrub nursing, especially in dry sites with rabbits. Bird perches aid seed rain, but diffusion and nurse plants are key for shrub survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Botany
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Chilean matorral vegetation exists as continuous shrub matrices (wet sites) or shrub clumps (dry sites).
- Post-clearing succession involves annuals followed by Baccharis spp. or Acacia caven shrubs.
- Subsequent vegetation dynamics remain largely undocumented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate seed dispersal mechanisms and their role in matorral recolonization.
- To determine factors influencing transitions between different plant cover types.
- To elucidate the role of nurse plants in seedling survival and overall vegetation change.
Main Methods:
- Assessed seed rain and seed shadow size around bird perches.
- Analyzed the impact of seasonal droughts and European rabbits on vegetation transitions.
- Evaluated the significance of nurse plants (shrubs) versus abiotic factors (rocks, branches) for seedling survival.
Main Results:
- Bird-dispersed seed rain is significant only near perches; seed shadows are generally small.
- Recolonization of cleared areas primarily occurs through slow diffusion, influenced by perch availability.
- Shrub nursing is critical for seedling survival against desiccation and herbivory, particularly in dry sites with high rabbit populations.
Conclusions:
- Late-stage recolonization of Chilean matorral is a slow diffusion process, with bird perches playing a role.
- Seasonal droughts and herbivory by European rabbits significantly impact vegetation cover transitions.
- Nurse plants are essential for mature matorral shrub seedling survival, with their effect being more pronounced in drier, rabbit-prone areas.
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