Comparing Direct Abiotic Amelioration and Facilitation as Tools for Restoration of Semiarid Grasslands Export

@article{citeulike:3758005, abstract = {Desertification can be an irreversible process due to positive feedback among degraded plant and soil dynamics. The recovery of semiarid degraded ecosystems may need human intervention. In restoration practices, the abiotic conditions often need to be improved to overcome the positive plant2013soil feedback loops. Using nurse-plants to improve abiotic conditions for introduced individuals (facilitation) has been suggested as an alternative to direct abiotic amelioration. Here, we compared direct abiotic amelioration and facilitation as tools for restoration of semiarid grasslands in Spain. Seedlings and seeds of Lygeum spartum and Salsola vermiculata were planted and sown in a stably degraded semiarid area in Northeast Spain. Two levels of direct abiotic amelioration (ploughing and damming) and indirect abiotic amelioration through facilitation by Suaeda vera nurse shrubs were compared with a control with no amelioration treatment. The control treatment showed low plant establishment, confirming the practical irreversibility of the degraded state. Plant establishment was significantly higher in the three treatments with interventions than in the control treatment. The best treatment depended on the plant trait considered, but damming was in most cases better than plant facilitation. However, facilitation maintained the nutrient-rich topsoil layer. Given the relative success of facilitation, revegetation using the facilitative effect of nurse-plants would, in principle, be recommended for restoring semiarid grasslands. Direct abiotic amelioration would be needed under extreme degradation or harsh climatic conditions.}, address = {Department of Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologa (CSIC), Avda. Montaana 1005, PO Box 202, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain; SEO/Birdlife, Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053 Madrid, Spain}, author = {Pueyo, Yolanda and Alados, Concepci\'{o}n L. and Garc\'{\i}a-\'{A}vila, Beatriz and K\'{e}fi, Sonia and Maestro, Melchor and Rietkerk, Max}, citeulike-article-id = {3758005}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00474.x}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/121545135/ABSTRACT}, doi = {10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00474.x}, journal = {Restoration Ecology}, keywords = {abiotic, amelioration, desertification, ebro, effect, facilitation, grasslands, middle, nurse, restoration, valley}, number = {9999}, posted-at = {2008-12-08 21:00:41}, priority = {2}, title = {Comparing Direct Abiotic Amelioration and Facilitation as Tools for Restoration of Semiarid Grasslands}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00474.x}, volume = {9999}, year = {2008} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3758005 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3758005 N2 - Desertification can be an irreversible process due to positive feedback among degraded plant and soil dynamics. The recovery of semiarid degraded ecosystems may need human intervention. In restoration practices, the abiotic conditions often need to be improved to overcome the positive plant2013soil feedback loops. Using nurse-plants to improve abiotic conditions for introduced individuals (facilitation) has been suggested as an alternative to direct abiotic amelioration. Here, we compared direct abiotic amelioration and facilitation as tools for restoration of semiarid grasslands in Spain. Seedlings and seeds of Lygeum spartum and Salsola vermiculata were planted and sown in a stably degraded semiarid area in Northeast Spain. Two levels of direct abiotic amelioration (ploughing and damming) and indirect abiotic amelioration through facilitation by Suaeda vera nurse shrubs were compared with a control with no amelioration treatment. The control treatment showed low plant establishment, confirming the practical irreversibility of the degraded state. Plant establishment was significantly higher in the three treatments with interventions than in the control treatment. The best treatment depended on the plant trait considered, but damming was in most cases better than plant facilitation. However, facilitation maintained the nutrient-rich topsoil layer. Given the relative success of facilitation, revegetation using the facilitative effect of nurse-plants would, in principle, be recommended for restoring semiarid grasslands. Direct abiotic amelioration would be needed under extreme degradation or harsh climatic conditions. IS - 9999 JF - Restoration Ecology AD - Department of Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands; Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologa (CSIC), Avda. Montaana 1005, PO Box 202, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain; SEO/Birdlife, Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053 Madrid, Spain TI - Comparing Direct Abiotic Amelioration and Facilitation as Tools for Restoration of Semiarid Grasslands VL - 9999 KW - abiotic KW - amelioration KW - desertification KW - ebro KW - effect KW - facilitation KW - grasslands KW - middle KW - nurse KW - restoration KW - valley AU - Pueyo, Yolanda AU - Alados, Concepción AU - García-Ávila, Beatriz AU - Kéfi, Sonia AU - Maestro, Melchor AU - Rietkerk, Max PY - 2008/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2008.00474.x ER -