J 2020

Weather fluctuations drive short-term dynamics and long-term stability in plant communities: A 25-year study in a Central European dry grassland

MIRANDA FISCHER, Felicia, Kryštof CHYTRÝ, Jakub TĚŠITEL, Jiří DANIHELKA, Milan CHYTRÝ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Weather fluctuations drive short-term dynamics and long-term stability in plant communities: A 25-year study in a Central European dry grassland

Authors

MIRANDA FISCHER, Felicia (76 Brazil, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Kryštof CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jakub TĚŠITEL (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jiří DANIHELKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Journal of Vegetation Science, Oxford, Wiley, 2020, 1100-9233

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10611 Plant sciences, botany

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.685

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/20:00114370

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

000540532400001

Keywords in English

climate change; Czech Republic; drought; permanent plots; plant community; repeated vegetation survey; vegetation dynamics; weather patterns

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 21/10/2020 16:27, prof. RNDr. Milan Chytrý, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Question: Infrequent events of extreme drought or extreme temperatures may considerably affect the structure and functioning of vegetation. Here we investigate how fluctuations in precipitation and temperature shape year-to-year dynamics and plant species composition in a dry grassland community, and how this variation affects plants with different life histories. Location Dry grassland (Festucion valesiacae) in the Pavlov Hills, SE Czech Republic. - Methods: Long-term trends in vegetation change in the grassland studied were assessed by the ordination of plot records from vegetation surveys performed between 1930 and 2019. In addition, year-to-year changes in vegetation were studied in seven permanent plots of 16 m2surveyed annually from 1993 to 2018. Variation in species composition and abundances was related to temperature and precipitation in the preceding two springs, summers, autumns and winters using ordinations and mixed-effect linear models. - Results: There were no remarkable directional changes in the grassland community over the period 1930-2019. However, during the last 25 years, the community exhibited pronounced year-to-year fluctuations, which depended on weather conditions in the previous two years. Species with different life histories (e.g. perennials vs. annuals) and different ecology (e.g. ruderal vs. dry-grassland species) responded differently to specific weather patterns. Perennials were sustained by wet summers, annuals benefitted from wet springs and autumns and moderately warm and wet winters, and covers of ruderals of mixed life histories increased after dry summers. - Conclusions: Plant species composition in a Central European dry grassland shows remarkable year-to-year dynamics in response to weather patterns over the previous two years. These community changes are non-directional and contribute to the stability of this grassland, which has not changed considerably over the past 90 years. However, increasing frequency of drought events because of ongoing climate change can result in a directional change with an expansion of ruderal species.

Links

EF16_027/0008360, research and development project
Name: Postdoc@MUNI
GX19-28491X, research and development project
Name: Centrum pro evropské vegetační syntézy (CEVS) (Acronym: CEVS)
Investor: Czech Science Foundation