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Mowing influences community‐level variation in resource‐use strategies and flowering phenology along an ecological succession on Mediterranean road slopes
Author(s) -
Bouchet Diane C.,
Cheptou PierreOlivier,
Munoz François
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
applied vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.096
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1654-109X
pISSN - 1402-2001
DOI - 10.1111/avsc.12311
Subject(s) - ecological succession , phenology , chronosequence , ecology , intraspecific competition , biology , plant community , mediterranean climate , vegetation (pathology) , medicine , pathology
Questions How do species composition, resource‐use strategy and flowering phenology change and relate to each other in road slope plant communities along an ecological succession after construction work? How does recurrent mowing influence resource‐use successional trajectory and flowering phenology in communities? Does intraspecific variation contribute to these community‐level functional responses? Location Road slopes in Mediterranean southern France. Methods We designed a chronosequence of 25 road slopes, each including both unmown and yearly mown parts. We analysed the influence of age and mowing on community‐level trait values ( CWM ) of LDMC , SLA , onset of flowering Date ( OFD ), end of flowering date ( EFD ) and flowering duration ( FD ur). We tested for contribution of intraspecific variation of traits to these functional variations. We also tested for relationship between changes in taxonomic composition, environmental parameters and functional responses. Results We found slower successional variation of resource‐use strategies in communities undergoing recurrent mowing, compared to unmown vegetation. Onset of flowering was earlier in mown communities. End of flowering and flowering duration did not directly depend on successional stage or mowing but related to resource‐use strategies. Species turnover was an important driver of functional variation and the major components of plant taxonomic variation were primarily related to environmental and functional changes. Conclusions On road slopes, successional changes in functional and taxonomic composition were influenced by mowing, which did not totally prevent vegetation changes. Disturbance by mowing impacted resource‐use strategy and indirectly influenced flowering phenology by limiting plant investment into resource conservation in aerial parts. Community‐level relationship between resource‐use strategy and flowering phenology suggests a consistent trade‐off between vegetative growth and flowering phenology among plant species within communities. Our findings help to understand how recurrent disturbances can influence successional trajectories in mediterranean ecosystems.