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Old‐field grassland successional dynamics following cessation of chronic disturbance
Author(s) -
Tunnell Susan J.,
Engle David M.,
Jorgensen Eric E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2004.tb02281.x
Subject(s) - species richness , ecology , festuca , grassland , ecological succession , biology , old field , forb , plant community , abundance (ecology) , festuca rubra , agronomy , poaceae
Question: Does increasing Festuca canopy cover reduce plant species richness and, therefore, alter plant community composition and the relationship of litter to species richness in old‐field grassland? Location: Southeastern Oklahoma, USA. Methods: Canopy cover by species, species richness, and litter mass were collected within an old‐field grassland site on 16, 40 m × 40 m plots. Our study was conducted during the first three years of a long‐term study that investigated the effects of low‐level nitrogen enrichment and small mammal herbivory manipulations. Results: Succession was altered by an increase in abundance of Festuca over the 3‐yr study period. Species richness did not decline with litter accumulation. Instead, Festuca increased most on species‐poor plots, and Festuca abundance remained low on species‐rich plots. Conclusions:Festuca may act as an invasive transformer‐species in warm‐season dominated old‐field grasslands, a phenomenon associated more with invasions of cool‐season grasses at higher latitudes in North America.