Articles | Volume 22, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-22-75-2022
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the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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https://doi.org/10.5194/we-22-75-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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The BIODESERT survey: assessing the impacts of grazing on the structure and functioning of global drylands
Fernando T. Maestre
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón
Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante,
Spain
David J. Eldridge
Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and
Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South
Wales 2052, Australia
Nicolas Gross
INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Unité Mixte
de Recherche Ecosystème Prairial, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet
Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, Avignon Université, IRD, IMBE,
Technopôle Arbois-Méditerranée, Bât. Villemin – BP 80,
13545 Aix-en-Provence, CEDEX 04, France
Hugo Saiz
Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain
Beatriz Gozalo
Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón
Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
Victoria Ochoa
Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón
Margalef”, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
Juan J. Gaitán
Instituto
de Suelos-CNIA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham 1686, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Departamento de Tecnología,
Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján 6700, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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We focus on the consequences of land-use intensity on functional trait variation within species. In general, only few effects on intraspecific trait variation were found showing a decreasing variation with increasing land-use intensity in forests but an increasing variation in grasslands. Although many studies confirmed strong land-use impacts on arthropod communities, we were not able to confirm similar effects at the intraspecific level.
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Forest–steppe habitats have contrasting canopy structure with strong influence on the spatio-temporal variability of ecosystem functions. In our study, environmental and functional variables were evaluated in this transition zone. We found that topography and vegetation structure have co-varying effects on abiotic–biotic factors. Our observations are valuable for assessing the dynamics of functional and driving variables in this natural transition zone of the temperate vegetation.
Claudia Tluste, Udo Bröring, Tomáš Němec, and Klaus Birkhofer
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The Roman snail has a high conservation status in Germany, and it is important to study the impact of predators and parasites on local populations. Morphometric traits and signs of external attack and internal utilization were studied in eight subpopulations. External attacks by predators were more frequently recorded on larger shells, while internal utilization depended on body density and local soil pH values. This highlights the value of abiotic habitat conditions and trophic interactions.
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Can organisms other than vascular plants establish and develop on road slopes? Yes, biological soil crusts (or biocrusts) can. Here, we found that lichen biocrusts are common and relatively abundant in road slopes after ~20 years of construction with no assistance needed. These findings are of critical importance for dryland restoration because biocrusts can speed up ecosystem recovery by stabilizing soil surface, improving soil fertility and facilitating vascular plant establishment.
F. Amaral and M. Abelho
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In this study we assessed carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil and soil microbial biomass subject to conventional farming and three different organic farming practices. The results showed that microbial biomass was P-limited in soils subject to conventional farming and to organic farming with alfalfa green manure. Organic farming with compost amendment showed the best results in terms of microbial performance.
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The state of “ecosystem” ecology before 1970 is discussed briefly with emphasis on development of a new paradigm – systems ecology. The philosophy and theory embedded in ecosystem science, the methodologies introduced for conducting research, and the development of a vast warehouse of knowledge as they developed after 1970 are explored. The discussion ends with the contributions of the new paradigm to current and future local- to global-scale environmental and societal problems and solutions.
M. Abelho
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H. Doi
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S. Bocking
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Short summary
Here we introduce the BIODESERT survey, the first systematic field survey devoted to evaluating the joint impacts of grazing by domestic livestock and climate on the structure and functioning of dryland ecosystems worldwide. We describe the major characteristics and the field protocols used in this survey and the organizational aspects followed to carry it out succesfully.
Here we introduce the BIODESERT survey, the first systematic field survey devoted to evaluating...
Special issue