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Ecological disturbance and restoration effects on plant functional composition and diversity

Glover, Rachael
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu166113058679703

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
Restoration ecology is a relatively new science and aims to actively assist in the recovery of degraded ecosystems. As climate change, disturbance, and anthropogenic pressures all threaten the function and extent of ecosystems across the world, many of the management and restoration methods we have relied upon in the past are becoming less relevant. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new restoration and management approaches. Restoration ecologists are thus turning towards functional traits to answer difficult ecological questions and inform the restoration of degraded habitats. One particular benefit of over-utilizing a functional rather than species-based approach is that functional composition and diversity can inform generalizable rules that can be applied across ecosystems. My overarching aim was to take a functional trait approach to evaluate how disturbance and management influence the functional composition of plant communities. To achieve this, I evaluated functional communities within two degraded systems; 1) an unmanaged prairie on a reclaimed strip mine, and 2) two sagebrush steppe sites with varying abiotic conditions, and that experience repeated disturbances. Many of the plots within these sagebrush sites have also received some form of restoration. My three specific objectives were to i) identify how restoration influences the plant functional type community 8 years post establishment; ii) evaluate whether an understanding of baseline functional composition can assist in restoration decisions that will ultimately increase restoration success; and iii) determine how repeated disturbances, varying abiotic conditions, as well as restoration efforts, influence functional composition and functional diversity. I first evaluated the functional community of an eight year old reclaimed mine land prairie established using combinations of fertilizer, deep ripping, and various seed mixes. Seed mix was the strongest driver of functional composition but there were significant interactions between seed mix and fertilizer and deep ripping. Plots dominated by warm season grasses or rhizomatous forbs had a lower abundance of non-native species, suggesting restoration success can be improved by focusing seed mixes on native rhizomatous species and/or warm season grasses to suppress exotic species, however, ratios of seed mixes should be carefully composed as monocultures of these functional types also reduce species richness and suppress the presence of other functional types. Secondly, I utilized the known functional community of the mine land prairie to test seed mix and out-planting treatments that used species with either contrasting or similar root traits to those already dominant. Survival and growth of the planted functional type was dependent on the functional community they were planted in. Specifically, tap-rooted forbs performed well in legume-rich plots, while legumes were more successful in the absence of competition. This suggests management should consider the competitive traits within a recipient community as some traits may assist the establishment of some functional traits while inter-specific competition can also be a driving factor in reducing species of similar functional types. Plant functional type performance varied between species within plant functional types suggesting accounting for the functional composition of the recipient community may improve out-planting success, but a wider range of traits may be more important than those I considered. Finally, I evaluated the functional composition and diversity of two sagebrush steppe sites in the Columbia Basin, WA, according to a range of traits related to resilience and recovery following disturbance. Abiotic variables were strong drivers of functional composition and diversity at both sites, with higher functional richness at higher elevations and lower functional richness at lower elevations. Additionally, repeated or more frequent fire negatively influenced functional diversity, shifting populations towards communities dominated by annual forbs. These results suggest that while complicated by abiotic constraints, continued reduction of non-native species is necessary, especially at lower elevations, where ruderal species are dominant. Continued suppression of exotics will aid in the reduction of fire frequency and promote assemblages more resilient to disturbance. The following chapters provide support for current literature focused on functional ecology as not only a conceptual framework but also as a useful methodological approach for designing ecosystems that improve specific functional properties, including ecosystem services, and create resilient communities that can persist in novel climates and ecosystems. If we know which traits are responsible for a given ecosystem property or ecosystem service, it is possible to predict how a community will respond to change and create or adapt management methods into functional trait, rather than specific species, targets to enhance restoration success.
Matt Davies (Advisor)
Rebecca Swab (Committee Member)
Stephen Matthews (Committee Member)
Stephen Hovick (Committee Member)
161 p.
Ecology; Environmental Management; Plant Biology
Restoration Ecology; Functional Traits; Functional Ecology; Disturbance

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Glover, R. (2022). Ecological disturbance and restoration effects on plant functional composition and diversity [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu166113058679703

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Glover, Rachael. Ecological disturbance and restoration effects on plant functional composition and diversity. 2022. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu166113058679703.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Glover, Rachael. "Ecological disturbance and restoration effects on plant functional composition and diversity." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu166113058679703

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu166113058679703
159
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