A5060131828- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Plant responses to water stress
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Forest Management and Policy
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Agriculture, Soil, Plant Science
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Botanical Research and Applications
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
Northern Arizona University
2015-2025
Ecological Society of America
2017-2020
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2017-2020
Rocky Mountain Research (United States)
2018
Rocky Mountain Research Station
2018
The University of Melbourne
2016
University of California, Berkeley
2009-2012
Arizona State University
2008-2010
Abstract Interactions among species determine local‐scale diversity, but local interactions are thought to have minor effects at larger scales. However, quantitative comparisons of the importance biotic relative other drivers rarely made Using a data set spanning 78 sites and five continents, we assessed climate in determining plant diversity alpine ecosystems dominated by nurse‐plant cushion species. Climate variables related with water balance showed highest correlation richness global...
Abstract Motivation Trait data are fundamental to the quantitative description of plant form and function. Although root traits capture key dimensions related responses changing environmental conditions effects on ecosystem processes, they have rarely been included in large‐scale comparative studies global models. For instance, remain absent from nearly all that define spectrum Thus, overcome conceptual methodological roadblocks preventing a widespread integration trait into analyses we...
Summary Functional traits can be used to describe the composition of communities through indices that seek explain factors drive community assembly, biotic effects on ecosystem processes or both. Appropriately representing functional is therefore essential for predicting consequences environmental context and management actions provisioning multiple services ( ES s) in heterogeneous landscapes. constructed from single traits; however, it not clear how they differ information content ability...
Summary Here, we incorporate facilitation into trait‐based community assembly theory by testing two mutually compatible facilitative mechanisms: changes in the environmental filter, causing either an increase range of trait values (i.e. a expansion effect) and/or shift distributions effect); and spacing, suggesting effect on niche differentiation. We analyzed distribution three functional traits – leaf dry matter content, specific area lateral spread plant communities dominated...
Abstract Biotic interactions can shape phylogenetic community structure (PCS). However, we do not know how the asymmetric effects of foundation species on communities extend to PCS. We assessed PCS alpine plant around world, both within cushion and adjacent open ground, compared climate alpha (within‐microsite), beta (between cushion) gamma (open combined) In open, shifted from highly related distantly with increasing potential productivity. found no relationship between climate, due...
Plant communities vary dramatically in the number and relative abundance of species that exhibit facilitative interactions, which contributes substantially to variation community structure dynamics. Predicting species' responses neighbors based on readily measurable functional traits would provide important insight into factors plant communities. We measured a suite seedlings 20 mature plants 54 shrubs from three arid biogeographic regions. hypothesized with different regeneration...
Summary Our ability to generalize about broad patterns and outcomes of competitive interactions among plants has improved from a better understanding functional traits. Facilitative also exhibit strong trait‐based patterns; however, very little empirical research addressed the trait basis different facilitative mechanisms or applicability traditionally defined strategies facilitation. We present series predictions regarding variety based on responses environmental filters knowledge...
Climate change presents new challenges for selecting species restoration. If migration fails to keep pace with climate change, as models predict, the most suitable sources restoration may not occur locally at all. To address this issue, we propose a strategy of “prestoration”: utilizing in which site represents habitat now and into future. Using Colorado Plateau, United States, case study, assess ability grass currently used regionally persist future using projections ecological niche (or...
Biodiversity confers economic value by enhancing carbon storage in grasslands, an argument for biodiversity conservation.
Biological diversity depends on multiple, cooccurring ecological interactions. However, most studies focus one interaction type at a time, leaving community ecologists unsure of how positive and negative associations among species combine to influence biodiversity patterns. Using surveys plant populations in alpine communities worldwide, we explore patterns triads (modules) their relationship local biodiversity. Three modules, each incorporating both associations, were overrepresented, thus...
Summary 1. New insights into the mechanisms and outcomes of facilitation have led to important advances in our understanding ecological patterns processes. However, effects on non‐successional community dynamics yet be developed a general theory. 2. By synthesizing spatial temporal relationships between biotic interactions environmental severity, new model facilitation‐driven is presented that applies any facilitative mechanism related abiotic stress or resource limitation. 3. In general,...
Summary Facilitative interactions are defined as positive effects of one species on another, but bidirectional feedbacks may be positive, neutral, or negative. Understanding the nature these is a fundamental prerequisite for assessment potential evolutionary consequences facilitation. In global study combining observational and experimental approaches, we quantified impact cover richness associated with alpine cushion plants reproductive traits benefactor cushions. We found decline in seed...
Summary The nature of the relationship between water limitation and facilitation has been one most contentious debates surrounding stress‐gradient hypothesis ( SGH ), which states that plant‐plant interactions shift from competition to with increasing environmental stress. We take a closer look at potential role soil moisture in mediating interaction outcomes by assessing effects climate texture on plant modulation moisture. Using an empirically‐parameterized model, we simulated dynamics...
Foundation species can change plant community structure by modulating important ecological processes such as assembly, yet this topic is poorly understood. In alpine systems, cushion plants commonly act foundation ameliorating local conditions. Here, we analyze diversity patterns of species' assembly within cushions and in adjacent surrounding open substrates (83 sites across five continents) calculating floristic dissimilarity between replicate plots, using linear models to relationships...
Abstract Understanding the mechanisms underlying ecosystem resilience – why some systems have an irreversible response to disturbances while others recover is critical for conserving biodiversity and function in face of global change. Despite widespread acceptance a positive relationship between resilience, empirical evidence this remains fairly limited scope localized scale. Assessing at large landscape regional scales most relevant land management conservation practices has been by ability...
Restoration treatments, such as revegetation with seeding or invasive species removal, have been applied on U.S. public lands for decades. Temporal trends in these management actions not extensively summarized previously, particularly the southwestern United States where plant species, drought, and fire altered dryland ecosystems. We assessed long‐term (1940–2010) restoration using approximately 4,000 vegetation treatments conducted Bureau of Land Management across States. found that since...
Abstract The challenges of restoration in dryland ecosystems are growing due to a rise anthropogenic disturbance and increasing aridity. Plant functional traits often used predict plant performance can offer window into potential outcomes efforts across environmental gradients. We analyzed database including 15 yr seeding 150 sites on the Colorado Plateau, cold desert ecoregion western United States, independent interactive effects (seed mass, height, specific leaf area) local biologically...
Ecological processes of low‐productivity ecosystems have long been considered to be driven by abiotic controls with biotic interactions playing an insignificant role. However, existing studies present conflicting evidence concerning the roles these factors, in part due short temporal extent most data sets and inability test indirect effects environmental variables modulated interactions. Using structural equation modeling analyze 65 years perennial vegetation change Sonoran Desert, we found...
The functional diversity of a community can influence ecosystem functioning and reflects assembly processes. large number disparate metrics used to quantify the range attributes underlying this concept, generally summarized as richness, evenness, divergence. However, in practice, we know very little about which drive functions, due lack field-based tests. Here test association between eight leading (Rao's Q, FD, FDis, FEve, FDiv, convex hull volume, species group richness) that emphasize...
Species distributions are theorized to be more intensively constrained by abiotic factors in severe than benign environments. A similar concept can applied assemblages of species: environmental filtering is expected increase intensity colder and drier To assess the effects climate on vegetation at a regional scale, niche values were estimated for 338 woody species across 93 types from arid sub‐tropical alpine ecosystems southwest USA. The standardized range spacing climatic each type – used...
Abstract Land management agencies are increasing the use of native plant materials for vegetation treatments to restore ecosystem function and maintain natural ecological integrity. This shift toward natives has highlighted a need increase diversity available. A key problem is agreeing on how many, which, new accessions should be developed. Here we describe methods that address this problem. Our climate data calculate similarity index between two points in defined extent. can used predict...
Abstract Drylands are Earth's largest terrestrial biome and support one‐third of the global population. However, they also highly vulnerable to land degradation. Despite widespread demand for dryland restoration rehabilitation, little information is available help managers effectively re‐establish native perennial vegetation across drylands. RestoreNet an emerging network that systematically tests revegetation techniques environmental gradients. Using experimental framework, we tested...