Grazing networks provide useful functional connectivity for plants in fragmented systems
Grazing networks provide useful functional connectivity for plants in fragmented systems
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1654-1103.2012.01413.x
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发表时间：
2012-10-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Cousins, Sara A. O.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Auffret, Alistair G.;Schmucki, Reto;Cousins, Sara A. O.
问题在何种程度上的运动，动物之间的破碎的栖息地补丁提供功能的连接通过endozoochorous种子传播？地点瑞典的斯德哥尔摩群岛。方法我们跟踪了一个放牧季节中岛屿之间牲畜的所有运动。每次移动后，收集粪肥，并通过出苗评估其种子含量。幼苗数据进行了比较，从放牧岛屿的植被调查方面的功能特性。结果光和氮需求的本地丰富的物种，那些相对较小的和持久的种子更容易在岛屿之间移动。对于数量性状，只有可用性状范围的一个子集被分散，留下了极端值。从粪便样本中出现了明显专门用于其他传播方式的物种。无论是分散的性状，也不种子密度随时间的运动，但种子丰富度和多样性都增加了整个赛季。在已建立的植被endozoochorously分散的物种的子集比非分散的牲畜岛屿之间的子集更相似。结论放牧网络有助于系统中核心物种的连接，并为破碎化景观中的草地管理提供有用的工具。
Question To what extent does the movement of animals between fragmented habitat patches provide functional connectivity via endozoochorous seed dispersal? Location The Stockholm archipelago, Sweden. Methods We followed all movements of livestock between islands during one grazing season. After each movement, manure was collected and its seed content assessed through seedling emergence. Seedling data were then compared to vegetation surveys from the grazed islands with regard to functional traits. Results Light- and nitrogen-demanding locally abundant species, and those with relatively small and persistent seeds were more likely to be moved between islands. For quantitative traits, only a subset of the available trait ranges were dispersed, with extreme values left behind. Species apparently specialized to other means of dispersal emerged from the manure samples. Neither dispersed traits nor seed density changed with timing of movement, but seed richness and diversity both increased throughout the season. The subsets of endozoochorously-dispersed species in the established vegetation were more similar than non-dispersed subsets between islands linked by livestock. Conclusions Grazing networks contribute to the connectivity of the core species in the system, and could provide useful tools for grassland management in fragmented landscapes.