Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.baae.2021.06.012
Document author version
Title (Primary) Climate change and grassland management interactively influence the population dynamics of Bromus erectus (Poaceae)
Author Lemmer, J.; Andrzejak, M.; Compagnoni, A.; Knight, T.M.; Korell, L.
Source Titel Basic and Applied Ecology
Year 2021
Department BZF; iDiv
Volume 56
Page From 226
Page To 238
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Keywords integral projection model; life table response experiment; grazing, mowing, grassland management; climate change experiment; plant population dynamics; elasticity analysis
Abstract Climate and land management are important environmental drivers that affect the structure of terrestrial plant communities worldwide. Demographic studies allow a mechanistic understanding of the pathways in which environmental factors change population size. Climate and land management might interactively influence vital rates and growth rates of populations, however, demographic studies have not heretofore considered both factors in combination. We used the Global Change Experimental Facility as a platform to study the effect of climate (ambient climate conditions vs. future climate conditions) and land management (sheep grazing vs. mowing) on the demography of the common grass, Bromus erectus growing in semi-natural grassland communities. Using an integral projection model, we found positive population growth rates for B. erectus under all treatment combinations, and an interactive effect of climate and land management. Under ambient climate conditions, population growth of B. erectus was higher in mowed than grazed grassland plots, while population growth rates were similar across both management types under future climatic conditions. This interaction was primarily due to between-treatment changes in seedling recruitment, a vital rate to which the population growth rate is particularly sensitive. The interaction found in this study highlights the importance of considering multiple environmental drivers in demographic studies, to better predict future plant population dynamics and ultimately changes in community structure.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=25061
Lemmer, J., Andrzejak, M., Compagnoni, A., Knight, T.M., Korell, L. (2021):
Climate change and grassland management interactively influence the population dynamics of Bromus erectus (Poaceae)
Basic Appl. Ecol. 56 , 226 - 238 10.1016/j.baae.2021.06.012