Rainfall manipulation experiment in a Mediterranean shrubland - set-up and first year results

Abstract

What are the changes at individual and community level derived from altered climatic regime in a typical secondary Mediterranean shrubland?

Full text

Rifll i lti i ti
Rainfall manipulation experiment in a
Rainfall manipulation experiment in a
Rainfall manipulation experiment in a
M dit h bl d
1t lt
Mediterranean shrubland
1st year results
Mediterranean shrubland
-
1st year results
Mediterranean shrubland
1st year results
A MATURANO
2
DFUENTES
1,2
A VALDECANTOS
1,2
A. MATURANO
, D. FUENTES
,
, A. VALDECANTOS
,
1
dó l (
)
2
l
f
l(
)
lld
1
Fundación CEAM, Alicante (
Spain
);
2
Dept
.
Ecology
,
University
of
Alicante (
Spain
);
E
-
mail: a.valdecantos@ua.es
,(
p
);
p
gy
,
y
(
p
);
@
Hthi
Th Q ti
Hypothesis
The Question
Plant growth phenological pattern and productivity at the community level will be
Plant growth, phenological pattern and productivity at the community level will be
What are the changes at individual and community level derived from
reduced and delayed following a gradient of water shortage. These impacts will
gy
altered climatic regime in a typical secondary Mediterranean shrubland?
ygg g p
determine changes in community structure and hence fire risk
altered climatic regime in a typical secondary Mediterranean shrubland?
determine changes in community structure and, hence, fire risk.
Mthd
Methods
St d it A hi hl d d d ff t d b t fi i E S i
Study site: A highly degraded area affected by recurrent fires in E Spain
(Ayora, Valencia Region)
(y , g )
Low Mediterranean shrubland community (
Rosmarinus officinalis
-
Ro
,
y(
,
Ulex parviflorus
–
Up
and
Cistus albidus
–
Ca mainly)
Ulex parviflorus
Up,
and
Cistus albidus
Ca, mainly)
3 field treatments of rainfall regime (Control
-
C, Exclusion
-
E, Watering
3 field treatments of rainfall regime (Control
C, Exclusion
E, Watering
W) Additionally Roofed Control (CR) level was included
-
W). Additionally, Roofed Control (CR) level was included.
Established on October 2016
Established on October 2016
Sil
t
di
Soil
water
dynamics
y
0
100
0
90
100
10
90
20
80
%)
()
Wt l
20
70
nt(%
pp(mm)
Watersupply
C
W
30
60
0
onten
C
W
60
m)
erco
CR
E
4050
(mm
wate
50
40
pp
soilw
50
30
tives
60
30
Relat
20
R
70
10
80
0
80
0
14/03/2017
14/04/2017
14/05/2017
14/06/2017
14/07/2017
14/08/2017
Date
Results
Results
Effects on community production
Effects on plant growth and phenology
Effects on community production
pg p gy
h
f
ff l
hd
h
f
ff l
hd
0,4
In
the
first
year
Rosmarinus
officinalis
showed
a
In
the
first
year
Rosmarinus
officinalis
showed
a
Root production
b
y
significant
response
to
rainfall
exclusion
by
:
y
significant
response
to
rainfall
exclusion
by
:
significant
response
to
rainfall
exclusion
by
:
significant
response
to
rainfall
exclusion
by
:
-3
)
0,3
b
F= 5.39
p 0 025
16
16
R. officinalis RGR
Atii ti
th
bii
f
th
fl i
Atii ti
th
bii
f
th
fl i
g cm
-
ab
p= 0.025
Branch length
14
1,6
Branch diameter
14
1,6
-
Anticipating
the
beginning
of
the
flowering
-
Anticipating
the
beginning
of
the
flowering
(mg
1,4
1,4
p = 0.006
F=8797
seasonseason
nsity
0,2 a
3
)
1,2
1,2
F 8.797
a
3
)
seasoseaso
den
a
-1
·10
3
1,0 1,0
b
y
-1
·10
Increasing
the
total
production
of
flowers
Increasing
the
total
production
of
flowers
Root
(day
-
0,8 0,8
ab
(day
-
Increasing
the
total
production
of
flowers
-
Increasing
the
total
production
of
flowers
R
0,1
RGR
0,6 0,6
RGR
R
0,4 0,4
b
b
R
-
Increasing
the
growth
of
branches
(
both
-
Increasing
the
growth
of
branches
(
both
0,2
0,2
Increasing
the
growth
of
branches
(
both
treatments
with
roofs
)
Increasing
the
growth
of
branches
(
both
treatments
with
roofs
)
0,0
00
00
treatments
with
roofs
)
treatments
with
roofs
)
Literfall production
b
ECRCW
0,0
ECRCW
0,0
3
b
Rainfall
exclusion
caused
overlapping
of
Rainfall
exclusion
caused
overlapping
of
ab
F= 7.25
p= 0 011
Rainfall
exclusion
caused
overlapping
of
flowering
of
the
two
key
species
Ulex
Rainfall
exclusion
caused
overlapping
of
flowering
of
the
two
key
species
Ulex
ab
p= 0.011
12
flowering
of
the
two
key
species
,
Ulex
ifl
d
Ri
ffi i li
flowering
of
the
two
key
species
,
Ulex
ifl
d
Ri
ffi i li
l (g)
2
a
R. officinalis
flowering
E
CR
p = 0.02
a
b
parvifloru
s
and
Rosmarinus
officinalis
.
parvifloru
s
and
Rosmarinus
officinalis
.
erfall
2
10
CR
C
*
*
p
F = 16.147
b
b
Litte
10
W
b
m
1
ste
8
ical
/ ap
6
ProductivityProductivity
atat
thethe
communitycommunity
levellevel
respondedresponded
toto
0
ers /
ProductivityProductivity
atat
thethe
communitycommunity
levellevel
respondedresponded
toto
thethe
differentdifferent
rainfallrainfall
patternspatterns
Litter descomposition rate b
owe
4
thethe
differentdifferent
rainfallrainfall
patternspatterns
..
%)
5
b
Flo
4
e (%
ab
2
OverallOverall
communitycommunity
productionproduction
traitstraits
increasedincreased
n rate
4ab
F592
2
OverallOverall
communitycommunity
productionproduction
traitstraits
increasedincreased
withwith
waterwater
availabilityavailability
beingbeing
significantlysignificantly
greatergreater
sition
F= 5.92
p= 0.020
withwith
waterwater
availabilityavailability
,,
beingbeing
significantlysignificantly
greatergreater
ii
hh
WiWi
hh
ii
hh
EliEli
mpos
3
0
inin
thethe
WateringWatering
treatmenttreatment
thanthan
inin
thethe
ExclusionExclusion
,,
scom
a
Mon 06
Mon 20
Mon 03
Mon 17
Mon 01
Mon 15
Mon 29
whilewhile
ControlControl
treatmenttreatment
releasedreleased
intermediateintermediate
des
2
Dates
whilewhile
ControlControl
treatmenttreatment
releasedreleased
intermediateintermediate
productivityproductivity
valuesvalues
Litter
productivityproductivity
valuesvalues
..
L
1
ClFli
12 12
0
Control Flowering
10
R
Exclusion Flowering Overlap
10
R
T
E
C
CR
W
m
10
Ro
Up
m
10
Ro
Up
Preliminar
Conclusions
Treatment
stem
8
stem
8
Preliminar
Conclusions
pical
6
pical
6
rs / a
6
rs / a
6
•
The Drought Experiment towards a gradient of rainfall has been succefully implemented
ower
4
ower
4
•
The Drought Experiment towards a gradient of rainfall has been succefully implemented
realising some different responses at the individual and community levels
Flo
2
Flo
2
realising some different responses at the individual and community levels.
2
2
0 0
•
Phenological traits seem more sensitive to changes in the rainfall pattern than
6/mar.
20/mar.
3/abr.
17/abr.
1/may.
15/may.
29/may.
6/mar.
20/mar.
3/abr.
17/abr.
1/may.
15/may.
29/may.
Phenological traits seem more sensitive to changes in the rainfall pattern than
morphological
2017
2
1
15
29
2017
2
1
15
29
morphological.
•
The assessed community level variables were more sensitive than the individual ones.
More pronounced effects are expected to occur in the following years
•
More pronounced effects are expected to occur in the following years.
Acknowledgements
Research funded by Generalitat Valenciana (DESESTRES project, ref PROMETEUII/2014/038) and the Ministry of Economy and
Competitivity
(project
SURVIVE
-
2
CGL
2015
-
69773
-
C
2
-
2
-
P)
.