Plant community

About: Plant community is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14584 publications have been published within this topic receiving 471672 citations. The topic is also known as: phytocoenosis & phytocenosis.

The unseen majority: Soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract: Microbes are the unseen majority in soil and comprise a large portion of lifes genetic diversity. Despite their abundance, the impact of soil microbes on ecosystem processes is still poorly understood. Here we explore the various roles that soil microbes play in terrestrial ecosystems with special emphasis on their contribution to plant productivity and diversity. Soil microbes are important regulators of plant productivity, especially in nutrient poor ecosystems where plant symbionts are responsible for the acquisition of limiting nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogenfixing bacteria are responsible for c. 5‐20% (grassland and savannah) to 80% (temperate and boreal forests) of all nitrogen, and up to 75% of phosphorus, that is acquired by plants annually. Free-living microbes also strongly regulate plant productivity, through the mineralization of, and competition for, nutrients that sustain plant productivity. Soil microbes, including microbial pathogens, are also important regulators of plant community dynamics and plant diversity, determining plant abundance and, in some cases, facilitating invasion by exotic plants. Conservative estimates suggest that c. 20 000 plant species are completely dependent on microbial symbionts for growth and survival pointing to the importance of soil microbes as regulators of plant species richness on Earth. Overall, this review shows that soil microbes must be considered as important drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems.

Productivity and sustainability influenced by biodiversity in grassland ecosystems

Abstract: THE functioning and sustainability of ecosystems may depend on their biological diversity1–8. Elton's9 hypothesis that more diverse ecosystems are more stable has received much attention1,3,6,7,10–14, but Darwin's proposal6,15 that more diverse plant communities are more productive, and the related conjectures4,5,16,17 that they have lower nutrient losses and more sustainable soils, are less well studied4–6,8,17,18. Here we use a well-replicated field experiment, in which species diversity was directly controlled, to show that ecosystem productivity in 147 grassland plots increased significantly with plant biodiversity. Moreover, the main limiting nutrient, soil mineral nitrogen, was utilized more completely when there was a greater diversity of species, leading to lower leaching loss of nitrogen from these ecosystems. Similarly, in nearby native grassland, plant productivity and soil nitrogen utilization increased with increasing plant species richness. This supports the diversity–productivity and diversity–sustainability hypotheses. Our results demonstrate that the loss of species threatens ecosystem functioning and sustainability.

Disturbance, Diversity, and Invasion: Implications for Conservation

Abstract: Preservation of natural communities has historically consisted of measures protecting them from physical disturbance. Timber harvests and livestock grazing are usually excluded from preserves, and fire suppression has been practiced—within the U.S. system of national parks, for example. Ecologists and conservationists have come to recognize, however, that many forms of disturbance are important components of natural systems. Many plant communities and species are dependent on disturbance, especially for regeneration (Pickett & White 1985). Preserves should be large enough to allow the natural disturbance regime to operate and to support a mosaic of patches in different stages of disturbance, successional recovery, and community maturation (Pickett & Thompson 1978).

Vegetation Description and Analysis: A Practical Approach

Abstract: The Nature of Quantitative Plant Ecology and Vegetation Science. The Description of Vegetation in the Field. The Nature and Properties of Vegetation Data. Basic Statistical Analysis of Vegetation and Environmental Data. Ordination Methods I, 1950-1970. Ordination Methods II, 1970-1992. Phytosociology and the Zurick-Montpellier (Braun-Blanquet) School of Subjective Classification. Numerical Classification and Phytosociology. Computer Programs for Vegetation and Environmental Data Analysis. Quantitative Plant Ecology, Vegetation Science and the Future. References. Index.

Ecological impacts of invasive alien plants: a meta-analysis of their effects on species, communities and ecosystems

Abstract: Biological invasions cause ecological and economic impacts across the globe. However, it is unclear whether there are strong patterns in terms of their major effects, how the vulnerability of different ecosystems varies and which ecosystem services are at greatest risk. We present a global meta-analysis of 199 articles reporting 1041 field studies that in total describe the impacts of 135 alien plant taxa on resident species, communities and ecosystems. Across studies, alien plants had a significant effect in 11 of 24 different types of impact assessed. The magnitude and direction of the impact varied both within and between different types of impact. On average, abundance and diversity of the resident species decreased in invaded sites, whereas primary production and several ecosystem processes were enhanced. While alien N-fixing species had greater impacts on N-cycling variables, they did not consistently affect other impact types. The magnitude of the impacts was not significantly different between island and mainland ecosystems. Overall, alien species impacts are heterogeneous and not unidirectional even within particular impact types. Our analysis also reveals that by the time changes in nutrient cycling are detected, major impacts on plant species and communities are likely to have already occurred.