Grass seed production in the central Monte desert during successive wet and dry years

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dc.contributor.authorPol, Rodrigo G.
dc.contributor.authorPirk, Gabriela I.
dc.contributor.authorMarone, Luis
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T00:06:04Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T00:06:04Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.description.abstractIn desert regions, water availability triggers primary production, which determines seed production, the composition and size of soil seed reserves and the abundance and behaviour of seed-eating animals. In the central Monte desert, large precipitation events (a parts per thousand yen10 mm) account for a high proportion of growing season's rainfall. Our first objective here was to assess whether and how timing and amount of seed production of C-3 and C-4 perennial grasses are linked to spring and summer precipitation pulses and to estimate the seasonal and year-to-year variability in seed production. Our second aim was to calculate grass seed production and compare it with seed requirements by granivorous animals to infer whether the animals can exert top-down effects on plant populations. Seed production of C-3 and C-4 species was triggered by significant spring and summer rainfall, respectively. Such distinct response may be associated with the effect of precipitation during flower development and seed set in both functional groups. In all species, seed production varied among years. Rainfall pulses in the summer triggered and positively affected the magnitude of seed production in most C-4 grasses. However, all perennial grasses were able to produce high amount of seeds even during a year subjected to extreme drought, suggesting that perenniality would allow these species to make large reproductive investment despite harsh environmental conditions. The comparative assessment of seed production and consumer demands suggests that it is unlikely that granivory exerts a top-down control on grasses in the Monte desert.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s11258-009-9688-y
dc.identifier.eissn1573-5052
dc.identifier.issn1385-0237
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9688-y
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/95574
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000277182000006
dc.issue.numero1
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final75
dc.pagina.inicio65
dc.revistaPlant ecology
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectDrought
dc.subjectGranivory
dc.subjectMasting
dc.subjectPerennial grasses
dc.subjectRainfall pulses
dc.subjectSeed production
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.ods14 Life Below Water
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.subject.odspa14 Vida submarina
dc.titleGrass seed production in the central Monte desert during successive wet and dry years
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen208
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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