There are less than 10% of woody species that can have both tree and shrub growth forms globally. At the xeric timberline, we observed tree-to-shrub shift Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.. Few studies explored underlined mechanism this morphological transition in arid regions. To examine whether affects carbohydrate allocation to verify effect life stage on non-structural (NSC) storage, measu...

Seed size is a key functional trait that affects plant fitness at the seedling stage and may vary greatly with species fruit size, growth form and fecundity. Using structural equation modelling (SEM) and correlated trait evolution analysis, we investigated the interaction network between seed size and fecundity, postfire regeneration strategy, fruit size, plant height and serotiny (on-plant see...

Shrub encroachment, a global phenomenon with management implications, is examined in two papers in the current issue of Applied Vegetation Science. Barbosa da Silva et al. show that encroachment simplifies herbaceous community, and Pittarello et al. illustrate how pastoral practices can restore encroached grasslands. While detrimental effects of shrub encroachment on grassland vegetation are of...

Climate change is facilitating rapid changes in the composition and distribution of vegetation at northern latitudes, raising questions about the responses of wildlife that rely on arctic ecosystems. One widely observed change occurring in arctic tundra ecosystems is an increasing dominance of deciduous shrub vegetation. Our goals were to examine the tolerance of arctic-nesting bird species to ...

Sustainability of woody species in riparian forests requires information on its regeneration status, which is crucial for proper management and conservation these but the generally lacking Nigeria. This knowledge status common guarantees their survival through conservation. Sampling was done via random method five (5) 10 m × plots were selected from study sites giving a total 45 plots. Therefor...

In tundra ecosystems, bryophytes influence soil processes directly and indirectly through interactions with overstory shrub species. We experimentally manipulated moss cover and measured seasonal soil properties and processes under two species of deciduous shrubs with contrasting canopy structures, Salix planifolia pulchra and Betula glandulosa-nana complex. Soil properties (seasonal temperatur...

Salvage logging after natural disturbance has received increased scrutiny in recent years because of concerns over detrimental effects on tree regeneration and increased fine fuel levels. Most research on tree regeneration after salvage logging comes from fire-prone systems and is short-term in scope. Limited information is available on longer term responses to salvage logging after windstorms ...

Many factors can influence the structures and distributions of plant communities. Plant diversity swamp forests reflect responses to water stress conditions. We evaluated floristic diversity, structure, composition regenerating shrub-tree species six in veredas ecosystems (northern Minas Gerais, Brazil), similarities between them. All individuals ? 1 cm diameter at ground level < 3 breast heigh...