Exotic grasses are becoming increasingly abundant in Neotropical savannas, with Melinis minutiflora Beauv. being particularly invasive.To better understand the consequences for the native flora, we performed a field study to test the effect of this species on the establishment, survival and growth of seedlings of seven tree species native to the savannas and forests of the Cerrado region of Bra...

Seedling is an indispensable stage in plant cycle life, and seedling survival is important during natural vegetation restoration, especially on the Loess Plateau. In 2007, we selected 4 plots of Artemisia scoparia communities (ASC) and 4 plots of Artemisia gmelinii + Artemisia giraldii communities (AGC), examined seedling richness, diversity during the rainy season, and examined mature vegetati...

1 Both ®re regimes and the conditions under which ®res occur vary widely. Abiotic conditions (such as climate) in combination with ®re season, frequency and intensity could in ̄uence vegetation responses to ®re. A variety of adaptations facilitate post-®re recruitment in mediterranean climate ecosystems, but responses of other communities are less well known. We evaluated the importance of clima...

Established trees influence the growth and physiology of seedlings by altering above- and belowground conditions; however, tree influences on seedling physiology via belowground interactions are not well understood. We used soil transfers to an open field to examine the belowground influences of a Quercus ellipsoidalis E.J. Hill dominated forest on Q. ellipsoidalis seedling mycorrhizal infectio...