Vegetation structure is as important as climate for explaining ecosystem function across Patagonian rangelands

1. Drylands cover about 41 per cent of Earth`s land surface, and 65 per cent of their area supports domestic livestock that depends on the above-ground net primary productivity [ANPP] of natural vegetation. Thus, understanding how biotic and abiotic factors control ANPP and related ecosystem functio...

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Otros Autores: Gaitán, Juan José, Oliva, Gabriel Esteban, Bran, Donaldo Eduardo, Maestre, Fernando Tomás, Aguiar, Martín Roberto, Jobbágy, Esteban G., Buono, Gustavo Gabriel, Ferrante, Daniela, Nakamatsu, Viviana B., Ciari, Georgina, Salomone, Jorge M., Massara Paletto, Virginia Daniela
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://ri.agro.uba.ar/files/intranet/articulo/2014gaitan1.pdf
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Aporte de:Registro referencial: Solicitar el recurso aquí
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245 1 0 |a Vegetation structure is as important as climate for explaining ecosystem function across Patagonian rangelands 
520 |a 1. Drylands cover about 41 per cent of Earth`s land surface, and 65 per cent of their area supports domestic livestock that depends on the above-ground net primary productivity [ANPP] of natural vegetation. Thus, understanding how biotic and abiotic factors control ANPP and related ecosystem functions can largely help to create more sustainable land-use practices in rangelands, particularly in the context of ongoing global environmental change. 2. We used 311 sites across a broad natural gradient in Patagonian rangelands to evaluate the relative importance of climate [temperature and precipitation] and vegetation structure [grass and shrub cover, species richness] as drivers of ANPP, precipitation-use efficiency [PUE] and precipitation marginal response [PMR]. 3. Climatic variables explained 60 per cent, 52 per cent and 12 per cent of the variation in grass cover, shrub cover and species richness, respectively. Shrub cover increased in areas with warmer, drier and winter rainfall climates, while the response observed for both grass cover and species richness was the opposite. Climate and vegetation structure explained 70 per cent, 60 per cent and 29 per cent of the variation in ANPP, PUE and PMR, respectively. These three variables increased with increasing vegetation cover, particularly grass cover. Species richness also increased with ANPP, PUE and PMR. ANPP increased, and PUE decreased with increasing mean annual precipitation, whereas PMR increased with the proportion of precipitation falling in spring-summer. Temperature had a strong negative effect on ANPP and PUE, and a positive direct effect on PMR. Standardized total effects from structural equation modelling showed that vegetation structure and climate had similar strengths as drivers of ecosystem functioning. Grass cover had the highest total effect on ANPP [0.58], PUE [0.55] and PMR [0.41]. Among the climatic variables, mean annual precipitation had the strongest total effect on ANPP [0.51] and PUE [-0.41], and the proportion of the precipitation falling in spring-summer was the most influential on PMR [0.36]. 4. Synthesis. Vegetation structure is as important as climate in shaping ecosystem functioning Patagonian rangelands. Maintaining and enhancing vegetation cover and species richness, particularly in grasses, could reduce the adverse effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning in these ecosystems. 
653 0 |a ABOVE GROUND NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY 
653 0 |a DRYLANDS 
653 0 |a ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 
653 0 |a GRASS SHRUB BALANCE 
653 0 |a MEAN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 
653 0 |a PRECIPITATION MARGINAL RESPONSE 
653 0 |a PRECIPITATION USE EFFICIENCY 
653 0 |a SPECIES RICHNESS 
700 1 |a Gaitán, Juan José  |9 29038 
700 1 |a Oliva, Gabriel Esteban   |9 58105 
700 1 |a Bran, Donaldo Eduardo  |9 16042 
700 1 |a Maestre, Fernando Tomás  |9 59155 
700 1 |9 12939  |a Aguiar, Martín Roberto 
700 1 |a Jobbágy, Esteban G.  |9 7390 
700 1 |a Buono, Gustavo Gabriel  |9 27175 
700 1 |a Ferrante, Daniela  |9 33313 
700 1 |a Nakamatsu, Viviana B.  |9 51273 
700 1 |a Ciari, Georgina  |9 48618 
700 1 |a Salomone, Jorge M.  |9 51283 
700 1 |a Massara Paletto, Virginia Daniela  |9 32546 
773 |t Journal of ecology  |g Vol.102, no.6 (2014), p.1419-1428, grafs., mapas 
856 |u http://ri.agro.uba.ar/files/intranet/articulo/2014gaitan1.pdf  |i En reservorio  |q application/pdf  |f 2014gaitan1  |x MIGRADOS2018 
856 |u http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com  |x MIGRADOS2018  |z LINK AL EDITOR 
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