Experiments on disturbance in old-field plant communities: Impact on species richness and abundance
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Authors: J. J. Armesto, and S. T. A. Pickett
Date: 1985
Journal: Ecology
Volume: 66
Number: 1
Pages: 230-240
Summary of Methods: In disturbed plots, species richness decreased with intensity of disturbance in early summer and increased in midsummer. No difference in richness or species composition was detected between control and clipped plots. In the bi-layered old field, disturbances greatly disrupted the closed canopy of Solidago canadensis, thus providing resource patches for suppressed and invading species. In the young field, the impact of disturbance was only detectable in early and midsummer, and changes in richness were mainly related to the seasonal cycle of the dominant annual, Ambrosia artemisiifolia. These results indicate that the impact of disturbance on species richness depends largely on the nature of the dominant species and the rates of successional or seasonal change of the community.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: ambrosia artemisiifolia, solidago canadensis, disturbance, dominance, new jersey, old fields, species coexistence, species richness, succession
Annotation: Changes in species richness and abundance following experimental disturbance were studied in a 7th year old field dominated by S. canadensis and a 2nd year old field dominated by A. artemisiifolia. The two fields were disturbed late spring 1981 by clipping and removing aboveground plant biomass in experimental plots which were compared to undisturbed control plots. Treatments represented three intensities of disturbance-light, moderate, and heavy/severe.
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