Species interactions across trophic levels mediate rainfall effects on dryland vegetation dynamics

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dc.contributor.authorFarias, Ariel A.
dc.contributor.authorArmas, Cristina
dc.contributor.authorGaxiola, Aurora
dc.contributor.authorCea, Alex P.
dc.contributor.authorLuis Cortes, Jose
dc.contributor.authorLopez, Ramiro P.
dc.contributor.authorCasanoves, Fernando
dc.contributor.authorHolmgren, Milena
dc.contributor.authorMeserve, Peter L.
dc.contributor.authorGutierrez, Julio R.
dc.contributor.authorKelt, Douglas A.
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-20T23:53:57Z
dc.date.available2025-01-20T23:53:57Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractArid ecosystems are strongly limited by water availability, and precipitation plays a major role in the dynamics of all species in arid regions, as well as the ecosystem processes that occur there. However, understanding how biotic interactions mediate long-term responses of dryland ecosystems to rainfall remains very fragmented. We report on a unique large-scale field experiment spanning 25 yr and three trophic levels (plants, small mammal herbivores, predators) in a dryland ecosystem in the northern Chilean Mediterranean Region where we assessed how biotic interactions influence the long-term plant community responses to precipitation. As the most persistent ecological changes in dryland systems may result from changes in the structure, cover, and composition of the perennial vegetation, we emphasized the interplay between bottom-up and top-down controls of perennial plants in our analyses. Rainfall was the primary factor affecting the dynamics of, and interactions among, plants and small mammals. Ephemeral plant cover dynamics closely tracked short-term annual rainfall, but seemed unaffected by top-down controls (herbivory). In contrast, the response of the perennial plant cover to precipitation was mediated by (1) a complex interplay between subtle top-down (herbivory) controls that become more apparent in the long-term, (2) competition with ephemeral plants during wet years, and (3) an indirect effect of predators on subdominant shrubs and perennial herbs. This long-term field experiment highlights how climate-induced responses of arid perennial vegetation are influenced by interactions across trophic levels and temporal scales. In the face of global change, understanding how multi-trophic controls mediate dryland vegetation responses to climate is essential to properly managing the conservation of biodiversity in arid systems.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/ecm.1441
dc.identifier.eissn1557-7015
dc.identifier.issn0012-9615
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1441
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/95009
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000613307600001
dc.issue.numero2
dc.language.isoen
dc.revistaEcological monographs
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectabiotic vs. biotic control
dc.subjectEl Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
dc.subjectherbivory
dc.subjectLong Term Research in Environmental Biology
dc.subjectLong Term Socio-economic and Ecosystem Research
dc.subjectresource pulses
dc.subjecttop-down and bottom-up controls
dc.subjecttrophic cascades
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.ods13 Climate Action
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.subject.odspa13 Acción por el clima
dc.titleSpecies interactions across trophic levels mediate rainfall effects on dryland vegetation dynamics
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen91
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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