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1. Plant fire syndromes are usually defined as combinations of fire response traits, the most common being resprouting (R) and seeding (S). Plant flammability (F), on the other hand, refers to a plant's effects on communities and... more
1. Plant fire syndromes are usually defined as combinations of fire response traits, the most common being resprouting (R) and seeding (S). Plant flammability (F), on the other hand, refers to a plant's effects on communities and ecosystems. Despite its important ecological and evolutionary implications, F has rarely been considered to define plant fire syndromes and, if so, usually separated from response syndromes. 2. We propose a three-dimensional model that combines R, S and F, encapsulating both plant response to fire regimes and the capacity to promote them. Each axis is divided into three possible standardized categories, reflecting low, medium and high values of each variable, with a total of 27 possible combinations of R, S and F. 3. We hypothesized that different fire histories should be reflected in the position of species within the three-dimensional space, and that this should help assess the importance of fire as an evolutionary force in determining R-S-F syndromes. 4. To illustrate our approach, we compiled information on the fire syndromes of 24 dominant species of different growth forms from the Chaco seasonally dry forest of central Argentina, and we compared them to 33 species from different Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems (MTCEs) of the world. 5. Chaco and MTCEs species differed in the range (7 syndromes vs. 13 syndromes, respectively) and proportion of extreme syndromes (i.e. species with extreme values of R, S and/or F) representing 29% of species in the Chaco vs. 45% in the MTCEs. 6. In addition, we explored the patterns of R, S and F of 4032 species from seven regions with contrasting fire histories, and found significantly higher frequencies of extreme values (predominantly high) of all three variables in MTCEs compared to the other regions, where intermediate and low values predominated, broadly supporting our general hypothesis. 7. The proposed three-dimensional approach should help standardize comparisons of fire syndromes across taxa, growth forms and regions with different fire histories. This will contribute to the understanding of the role of fire in the evolution of plant traits and assist vegetation modelling in the face of changes in fire regimes.
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1. Plant fire syndromes are usually defined as combinations of fire response traits, the most common being resprouting (R) and seeding (S). Plant flammability (F), on the other hand, refers to a plant's effects on communities and... more
1. Plant fire syndromes are usually defined as combinations of fire response traits, the most common being resprouting (R) and seeding (S). Plant flammability (F), on the other hand, refers to a plant's effects on communities and ecosystems. Despite its important ecological and evolutionary implications, F has rarely been considered to define plant fire syndromes and, if so, usually separated from response syndromes.
2. We propose a three-dimensional model that combines R, S and F, encapsulating both plant response to fire regimes and the capacity to promote them. Each axis is divided into three possible standardized categories, reflecting low, medium and high values of each variable, with a total of 27 possible combinations of R, S and F.
3. We hypothesized that different fire histories should be reflected in the position of species within the three-dimensional space, and that this should help assess the importance of fire as an evolutionary force in determining R-S-F syndromes.
4. To illustrate our approach, we compiled information on the fire syndromes of 24 dominant species of different growth forms from the Chaco seasonally dry forest of central Argentina, and we compared them to 33 species from different Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems (MTCEs) of the world.
5. Chaco and MTCEs species differed in the range (7 syndromes vs. 13 syndromes, respectively) and proportion of extreme syndromes (i.e. species with extreme values of R, S and/or F) representing 29% of species in the Chaco vs. 45% in the MTCEs.
6. In addition, we explored the patterns of R, S and F of 4032 species from seven regions with contrasting fire histories, and found significantly higher frequencies of extreme values (predominantly high) of all three variables in MTCEs compared to the other regions, where intermediate and low values predominated, broadly supporting our general hypothesis.
7. The proposed three-dimensional approach should help standardize comparisons of fire syndromes across taxa, growth forms and regions with different fire histories. This will contribute to the understanding of the role of fire in the evolution of plant traits and assist vegetation modelling in the face of changes in fire regimes.
2. We propose a three-dimensional model that combines R, S and F, encapsulating both plant response to fire regimes and the capacity to promote them. Each axis is divided into three possible standardized categories, reflecting low, medium and high values of each variable, with a total of 27 possible combinations of R, S and F.
3. We hypothesized that different fire histories should be reflected in the position of species within the three-dimensional space, and that this should help assess the importance of fire as an evolutionary force in determining R-S-F syndromes.
4. To illustrate our approach, we compiled information on the fire syndromes of 24 dominant species of different growth forms from the Chaco seasonally dry forest of central Argentina, and we compared them to 33 species from different Mediterranean-type climate ecosystems (MTCEs) of the world.
5. Chaco and MTCEs species differed in the range (7 syndromes vs. 13 syndromes, respectively) and proportion of extreme syndromes (i.e. species with extreme values of R, S and/or F) representing 29% of species in the Chaco vs. 45% in the MTCEs.
6. In addition, we explored the patterns of R, S and F of 4032 species from seven regions with contrasting fire histories, and found significantly higher frequencies of extreme values (predominantly high) of all three variables in MTCEs compared to the other regions, where intermediate and low values predominated, broadly supporting our general hypothesis.
7. The proposed three-dimensional approach should help standardize comparisons of fire syndromes across taxa, growth forms and regions with different fire histories. This will contribute to the understanding of the role of fire in the evolution of plant traits and assist vegetation modelling in the face of changes in fire regimes.
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Effective policies to halt biodiversity loss require knowing which anthropogenic drivers are the most important direct causes. Whereas previous knowledge has been limited in scope and rigor, here we statistically synthesize empirical... more
Effective policies to halt biodiversity loss require knowing which anthropogenic drivers are the most important direct causes. Whereas previous knowledge has been limited in scope and rigor, here we statistically synthesize empirical comparisons of recent driver impacts found through a wide-ranging review. We show that land/sea use change has been the dominant direct driver of recent biodiversity loss worldwide. Direct exploitation of natural resources ranks second and pollution third; climate change and invasive alien species have been significantly less important than the top two drivers. The oceans, where direct exploitation and climate change dominate, have a different driver hierarchy from land and fresh water. It also varies among types of biodiversity indicators. For example, climate change is a more important driver of community composition change than of changes in species populations. Stopping global biodiversity loss requires policies and actions to tackle all the major d...
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Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed in adjacent cultivated and noncultivated habitats in an organic vegetable farm in a chaco serrano woodland, Córdoba, Argentina. Seven aphid species on eight vegetable... more
Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed in adjacent cultivated and noncultivated habitats in an organic vegetable farm in a chaco serrano woodland, Córdoba, Argentina. Seven aphid species on eight vegetable species were found in the cultivated habitat. Macrosiphum euphorbiae was present on all vegetable species. Four parasitoid species were recorded, of which Diaretiella rapae was the most common. It provided 21.32% of parasitism on Brevicoryne brassicae. In the non-cultivated habitat, 36 plant species hosted 22 aphid species and five parasitoid species. The aphid Myzus persicae was present on 17 plant species of eight different families. Macrosiphoniella artemisiae was the most abundant aphid species, with the associated Aphidius sp. being the most abundant parasitoid. Aphidius polygonaphis provided 10% of parasitism on Uroleucon aeneus. We report several wild plant species as important reservoirs of parasitoids, which are potential controllers of man...
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La sociedad usualmente concibe a los incendios como catástrofes naturales, con efectos negativos para los organismos y los ambientes. Esta visión, favorecida por el sensacionalismo de los medios de comunicación, quizás tiene sus bases en... more
La sociedad usualmente concibe a los incendios como catástrofes naturales, con efectos negativos para los organismos y los ambientes. Esta visión, favorecida por el sensacionalismo de los medios de comunicación, quizás tiene sus bases en percibir al fuego como un disturbio aislado en el tiempo y en el espacio, que elimina la totalidad de los organismos vivos, dejando solo cenizas y suelos estériles. Sin embargo, los incendios forman parte de la naturaleza, modelando la distribución de los ecosistemas terrestres y generando biodiversidad. El estudio del régimen de fuego, es decir las características de los incendios en una región determinada incluyendo su variabilidad temporal y espacial, es una concepción más holística que permite entender mejor la compleja relación entre el fuego y los ecosistemas. Existen regímenes de incendios que son sostenibles desde el punto de vista ecológico, por ejemplo los incendios de pastizales en los Parques Nacionales El Palmar o Quebrada del Condorito...
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El fuego es un factor ecológico de gran relevancia en muchos ecosistemas del mundo, afectando la dinámica de la vegetación a distintas escalas, desde individuos hasta comunidades. El comportamiento de las plantas en relación al fuego... more
El fuego es un factor ecológico de gran relevancia en muchos ecosistemas del mundo, afectando la dinámica de la vegetación a distintas escalas, desde individuos hasta comunidades. El comportamiento de las plantas en relación al fuego comprende, por un lado, su efecto sobre el ecosistema a través de su inflamabilidad; y por otro lado su respuesta a través del rebrote y el reclutamiento de nuevos individuos. A su vez, estos aspectos fundamentales dependen de las características morfo-anatómicas, fisiológicas y fenológicas de las plantas, y de sus interacciones y compromisos que determinan distintas combinaciones o síndromes en relación al factor fuego. Sin embargo, el avance en la ecología del fuego muchas veces se ha visto dificultado por la falta de protocolos estandarizados y accesibles para cuantificar estos aspectos fundamentales en un gran número de especies, y permitir avanzar en la identificación y comparación de patrones ecológicos y evolutivos entre distintas floras. Aquí nos enfocamos en resultados experimentales obtenidos para 34 especies leñosas y herbáceas dominantes en el Chaco seco de Argentina central. Por un lado, presentamos un aparato y protocolo asociado que permite la medición estandarizada de la inflamabilidad de individuos enteros o porciones de hasta 70 cm de largo; al preservar la arquitectura de las plantas este método es considerablemente más realistaque otros métodos que miden pequeños fragmentos como hojas o ramas. Por otro lado,presentamos dos índices cuantitativos parala medición de la capacidad de rebrote, basados en relaciones alométricas simples entre la cantidad y el diámetro de los tallos principales y de los rebrotes, considerando también variables indicadoras de severidad. Estos protocolos son de bajo costo y tecnología, y requieren de una logística de campo sencilla,permitiendo evaluar de forma estandarizada un gran número de especies en poco tiempo. Adicionalmente, presentamos un protocolo general para evaluar en laboratorio la respuesta germinativa de semillas ante factores asociados al fuego como el golpe de calor y el humo. Finalmente, presentamos un modelo tridimensional que combina las mediciones de inflamabilidad, rebrote y germinación, y muestra los "síndromes de fuego" presentes en las especies evaluadas. Las metodologías presentadas deberían facilitar la adquisición de datos estandarizados para un gran número de especies de diferentes floras y ecosistemas, permitiendo comparar aspectos fundamentales de las plantas en relación al factor fuego, y contribuyendo potencialmente a varios campos de investigación más allá de la ecología del fuego, tales como ecología funcional, ecología evolutiva y el modelado de la vegetación a distintas escalas.Fil: Jaureguiberry, Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaXXXVII Jornadas Argentinas de BotánicaSan Miguel de TucumánArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Botánic
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Background Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available studies... more
Background Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available studies across South America, we assessed fire effects on biodiversity and abundance of different organisms (i.e., plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates), plant fitness, and soil properties under four climate types, and time since the last fire (i.e., early and late post fire). We addressed: (1) What fire effects have been studied across South America? (2) What are the overall responses of biodiversity, abundance, fitness, and soil properties to fires? (3) How do climate and time since fire modulate those responses? Results We analyzed 160 articles reporting 1465 fire responses on paired burned and unburned conditions. We found no effect of fire on biodiversity or on invertebrate abundance, a negative effect on woody plant species and vertebrate ab...
Research Interests: Environmental Science, Climate Change, Biomass, Fire Ecology, Ecology, and 15 moreClimate, Biodiversity, Fitness, Effect size, Abundance, Plant Fitness, Meta Analysis, Ciencias Biológicas, Soil Properties, Conservación De La Biodiversidad, Ecological Applications, Fire regime, Fire and Impact, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT, and Fire Response
This document contains the draft Chapter 2.2 of the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Governments and all observers at IPBES-7had access to these draft chapters eight weeks prior to IPBES-7. Governments... more
This document contains the draft Chapter 2.2 of the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Governments and all observers at IPBES-7had access to these draft chapters eight weeks prior to IPBES-7. Governments accepted the Chapters at IPBES-7 based on the understanding that revisions made to the SPM during the Plenary, as a result of the dialogue between Governments and scientists, would be reflected in the final Chapters. IPBES typically releases its Chapters publicly only in their final form, which implies a delay of several months post Plenary. However, in light of the high interest for the Chapters, IPBES is releasing the six Chapters early (31 May 2019) in a draft form. Authors of the reports are currently working to reflect all the changes made to the Summary for Policymakers during the Plenary to the Chapters, and to perform final copyediting.
This document contains the draft Chapter 1 of the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Governments and all observers at IPBES-7 had access to these draft chapters eight weeks prior to IPBES-7. Governments... more
This document contains the draft Chapter 1 of the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Governments and all observers at IPBES-7 had access to these draft chapters eight weeks prior to IPBES-7. Governments accepted the Chapters at IPBES-7 based on the understanding that revisions made to the SPM during the Plenary, as a result of the dialogue between Governments and scientists, would be reflected in the final Chapters. IPBES typically releases its Chapters publicly only in their final form, which implies a delay of several months post Plenary. However, in light of the high interest for the Chapters, IPBES is releasing the six Chapters early (31 May 2019) in a draft form. Authors of the reports are currently working to reflect all the changes made to the Summary for Policymakers during the Plenary to the Chapters, and to perform final copy editing.
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Conti, G., Enrico, L., Jaureguiberry, P., Cuchietti, A., Lipoma, M. L., Cabrol, D. 2018. The role of functional diversity in the provision of multiple ecosystem services: An empirical analysis in the dry Chaco of Cordoba, central... more
Conti, G., Enrico, L., Jaureguiberry, P., Cuchietti, A., Lipoma, M. L., Cabrol, D. 2018. The role of functional diversity in the provision of multiple ecosystem services: An empirical analysis in the dry Chaco of Cordoba, central Argentina. Ecosistemas 27(3):60-74.Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.1491 The ecological relevance of the study of functional diversity (FD) as a driver of ecosystem processes and ecosystem services (ES) has been widely recognized, since it has been proven to be a useful approach to understand how plants respond to different naturalor anthropogenic changes and how they alter ecosystem processes determining the provision of key ES. However, it still lacks of empirical evidence that support this theoretical relationship in forest ecosystems under management. In this work, using as anexample the dry Chaco forest of central Argentina, we attempt to quantify the joint provision of multiple ecosystem services locally perceived and valued, evaluating and discussing the use of pl...
Research Interests: Geography, Plant Ecology, Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity, Valoración de Servicios Ecosistémicos, and 12 moreBiodiversidad, Functional diversity, Ecología, DIVERSIDAD, Land use management, Ciencias Biológicas, Enseñanza - Aprendizaje Ciencias Naturales Y Exactas, Plant Traits, Agroforestry Systems, Social Actors, Actores Sociales, and Servicios ecosistemicos
Cacti are conspicuous plants across arid and semi-arid ecosystems of the American continent and are currently under threat due to human pressures, such as habitat loss, illegal collection and changes in fire regimes. Although much of... more
Cacti are conspicuous plants across arid and semi-arid ecosystems of the American continent and are currently under threat due to human pressures, such as habitat loss, illegal collection and changes in fire regimes. Although much of their habitat is highly fire prone, there are strikingly few studies on their germination response to fire cues. The aim of this work was to analyse the effect of heat shock (simulating wildfires) on the ‘germination %’ and the ‘mean germination time’ of 13 cactus species of two growth forms (six columnar and seven globose) from a fire-prone cactus diversity hotspot in Córdoba Mountains, central Argentina. We also analysed the effect of growth form and seed mass on species responses. Seeds were subjected to the following treatments: 70°C/5 min, 70°C/10 min, 105°C/5 min, 105°C/10 min and a control (i.e. no heat). Germination decreased under at least one treatment in seven species, increased in three species, had contrasting changes in one species, and showed no effect of treatments in two species. Germination was faster in eight species, slower in one species and showed no effects of treatments in four species. Germination was significantly higher for globose species following the 70°C/10 min treatment and for columnar species under the treatment of 110°C/10 min; while germination time did not differ between growth forms. Seed mass did not have a significant effect on germination, and only affected germination time under the 70ºC treatments, under which lighter seeds germinated faster than heavier seeds. Our results show that the studied species exhibited a high diversity of responses, with most of the species presenting tolerance to heat shock, and that under certain conditions growth form and seed mass are important traits related to species responses to heat shock treatments.Fil: Roca, Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Jaureguiberry, Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Gurvich, Diego Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentin
Research Interests: Fire Ecology, Biology, Argentina, Fire, Seed germination, and 12 moreBiological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Cactus, Cactaceae, Chaco Serrano, Ecología, Ciencias Biológicas, Germination, Seed Mass, Enseñanza - Aprendizaje Ciencias Naturales Y Exactas, Post-fire Regeneration, and Mean Germination Time
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse knowledge base and increase legitimacy and inclusiveness of these assessment processes.... more
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse knowledge base and increase legitimacy and inclusiveness of these assessment processes. Often, enhancing cultural diversity is encouraged through involvement of diverse expert teams and sources of knowledge in different languages. In this article, we examined linguistic diversity, as one representation of cultural diversity, in the eight published assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Our results show that the IPBES assessment outputs are disproportionately filtered through English-language literature and authors from Anglophone countries. To incorporate more linguistic diversity into global ecosystem assessment processes, we present actionable steps for global science teams to recognize and incorporate non-English-language literature and contributions from non-Anglophones. Our findings highlight the need for broad-scale actions that enhance inclusivity in knowledge-synthesis processes through balanced representation of different knowledge holders and sources.
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Abstract Qualitative measures of resprouting capacity often fail to capture inter- and intra-species variation, whereas available quantitative methods can be complex and time-consuming, hindering broad-scale comparative studies. Here, we... more
Abstract Qualitative measures of resprouting capacity often fail to capture inter- and intra-species variation, whereas available quantitative methods can be complex and time-consuming, hindering broad-scale comparative studies. Here, we propose two quantitative indices that can be applied in a standard way in different regions. We sampled 1046 plants of 20 dominant species (6 shrubs, 7 trees and 7 tree/shrubs) from the seasonally dry forests of the arid Chaco, central-western Argentina. Sampling was conducted in burned field sites one growing season after fire. For each sampled plant we measured the diameter of the main burned trunk (MTD) and main resprout (MRD), and the number of burned trunks (TN) and resprouts (RN); we then built estimated composite diameters for trunks and resprouts (ECTD and ECRD) and we calculated two alternative Resprouting Capacity Indices: RCI 1 (ECRD/ECTD); and RCI 2 (MRD/MTD). The indices were validated against a measure of Resprouting Vigour (RV) that included detailed measurement of all trunks and resprouts for a subset of sampled plants. In all cases, variables indicative of fire severity were measured and included in the analyses. The RCIs and RV were highly related, both at the species and growth form levels. Fire severity had no significant effect on these relationships, but growth form affected RCI 2. All species were capable of resprouting, showing considerable inter-species variation for the two proposed RCIs. Species rank differed considerably between RCIs and survival-only estimations. RCI 1 was higher in tree/shrubs (i.e. species regarded as trees or shrubs) and trees than in shrubs. All species showed decreasing resprouting capacity with increasing ECTD. Our results support the use of the proposed RCIs as a robust tool to assess resprouting capacity, providing more details than survival-based assessments. Choosing one or the other implies a trade-off between accuracy and simplicity, and may depend on the scale and objective of the study, and resprouting patterns of studied species. Species, growth form and individual plant size are relevant in explaining post-fire resprouting capacity and survival.
Research Interests: Fire Ecology, Forest Ecology And Management, Biology, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and 11 moreCentral Argentina, Plant Functional Traits, Gran Chaco, Post-fire Regeneration, Dry Chaco, plant sprouting, Plant Allometric Relationships, Post-Fire Resprouting, Seasonally dry forests, Resprouting capacity index, and Resprouting vigour
Research Interests: Science Policy, Corporate Governance, Environmental Policy and Governance, Knowledge Systems, Indigenous Peoples, and 12 moreNature, Environmental Governance, Environmental Sciences, Earth Jurisprudence, Environmental science and policy, Marine Science and Global Environmental Policy, Ecología, Ciencias Biológicas, Ontological Turn, Elsevier, Enseñanza - Aprendizaje Ciencias Naturales Y Exactas, and Rights of Nature
Research Interests: Fire Ecology, Seed germination, Seed dormancy, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and 11 moreHerbs, Ecología, Ciencias Biológicas, Seed Mass, Annual Plants, Heat Shock, Enseñanza - Aprendizaje Ciencias Naturales Y Exactas, Post-fire Regeneration, Life History Strategies, Germination Cue, and Perennial Plant
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Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem... more
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The importance of these to...
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Natural vegetation areas near cultivated land play an important role in maintaining insect diversity as well as interactions between insect communities and plants. Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed... more
Natural vegetation areas near cultivated land play an important role in maintaining insect diversity as well as interactions between insect communities and plants. Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed from February to September 2004 in adjacent cultivated and non-cultivated habitats in an organic vegetable farm in a chaco serrano woodland, Cordoba Province, Central Argentina. Seven aphid species present upon a total of eight vegetable species were found in the cultivated habitat. Macrosiphum euphorbiae was present on all vegetable species. Four parasitoid species were recorded, of which Diaretiella rapae was the most common. It was related to three aphid species, and provided 21.32% of parasitism on Brevicoryne brassicae. In the non-cultivated habitat, 36 plant species hosted a total of 22 aphid species and five parasitoid species. The aphid Myzus persicae was present on 17 plant species of eight different families. Macrosiphoniella artemisiae (pres...
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Background: Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available... more
Background: Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available studies across South America, we assessed fire effects on biodiversity and abundance of different organisms (i.e., plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates), plant fitness, and soil properties under four climate types, and time since the last fire (i.e., early and late post fire). We addressed: (1) What fire effects have been studied across South America? (2) What are the overall responses of biodiversity, abundance, fitness, and soil properties to fires? (3) How do climate and time since fire modulate those responses? Results: We analyzed 160 articles reporting 1465 fire responses on paired burned and unburned conditions. We found no effect of fire on biodiversity or on invertebrate abundance, a negative effect on woody plant species and vertebrate ...
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N. Pérez-Harguindeguy, S. Díaz, E. Garnier, S. Lavorel, H. Poorter, P. Jaureguiberry, M. S. Bret-Harte, W. K. Cornwell, J. M. Craine, D. E. Gurvich, C. Urcelay, E. J. Veneklaas, P. B. Reich, L. Poorter, I. J. Wright, P. Ray, L. Enrico, J.... more
N. Pérez-Harguindeguy, S. Díaz, E. Garnier, S. Lavorel, H. Poorter, P. Jaureguiberry, M. S. Bret-Harte, W. K. Cornwell, J. M. Craine, D. E. Gurvich, C. Urcelay, E. J. Veneklaas, P. B. Reich, L. Poorter, I. J. Wright, P. Ray, L. Enrico, J. G. Pausas, A. C. de Vos, N. Buchmann, G. Funes, F. Quétier, J. G. Hodgson, K. Thompson, H. D. Morgan,H. ter Steege, M. G. A. van der Heijden, L. Sack, B. Blonder, P. Poschlod, M. V. Vaieretti, G. Conti, A. C. Staver, S. Aquino and J. H. C. Cornelissen
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem... more
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The importance of these to...
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Buffa, L. M., P. Jaureguiberry, and M. A. Delfino. 2009. Exudate-gathering ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at three dif ferent liquid food rewards. Acta Zoologica Mexicana (n. s.), 25(3): 515-526. ABSTRACT. Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and... more
Buffa, L. M., P. Jaureguiberry, and M. A. Delfino. 2009. Exudate-gathering ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at three dif ferent liquid food rewards. Acta Zoologica Mexicana (n. s.), 25(3): 515-526. ABSTRACT. Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and hemipteran honeydew are liquid food rewards (FRs) that encourage ant visitation in many plant families in a wide variety of habitats. In this study we explored the diversity, distribution and interactions of exudate-gathering ants at three different liquid food rewards: nectar from EFNs on Croton sarcopetalus and honeydew from the aphids Aphis spiraecola and Dysaphis foeniculus on Eupatorium hookerianum (Asteraceae) and Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae) respectively. For each FR we measured ant diversity and performed quantitative and qualitative comparisons among ants associated with the FRs. In addition, a linear regression was performed to test for possible associations between aphid and ant abundances in the case of honeydew FRs. Eight out of the 2...
Research Interests:
Background: Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available... more
Background: Fire is an important driver of ecosystem dynamics worldwide. However, knowledge on broad-scale patterns of ecosystem and organism responses to fires is still scarce. Through a systematic quantitative review of available studies across South America, we assessed fire effects on biodiversity and abundance of different organisms (i.e., plants, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates), plant fitness, and soil properties under four climate types, and time since the last fire (i.e., early and late post fire). We addressed: (1) What fire effects have been studied across South America? (2) What are the overall responses of biodiversity, abundance, fitness, and soil properties to fires? (3) How do climate and time since fire modulate those responses? Results: We analyzed 160 articles reporting 1465 fire responses on paired burned and unburned conditions. We found no effect of fire on biodiversity or on invertebrate abundance, a negative effect on woody plant species and vertebrate abundance, and an increase in shrub fitness. Soil in burned areas had higher bulk density and pH, and lower organic matter and nitrogen. Fire effect was significantly more positive at early than at late post fire for plant fitness and for soil phosphorus and available nitrogen. Stronger negative effects in semiarid climate compared to humid warm climate suggest that higher temperatures and water availability allow a faster ecosystem recovery after fire. Conclusions: Our review highlights the complexity of the climate-fire-vegetation feedback when assessing the response of soil properties and different organisms at various levels. The resilience observed in biodiversity may be expected considering the large number of fire-prone ecosystems in South America. The recovery of invertebrate abundance, the reduction of the vertebrate abundance, and the loss of nitrogen and organic matter coincide with the responses found in global reviews at early post-fire times. The strength of these responses was further influenced by climate type and post-fire time. Our synthesis provides the first broad-scale diagnosis of fire effects in South America, helping to visualize strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in fire research. It also brings much needed information for developing adequate land management in a continent where fire plays a prominent socio-ecological role.
Research Interests:
Cacti are conspicuous plants across arid and semi‐arid ecosystems of the American continent and are currently under threat due to human pressures, such as habitat loss, illegal collection and changes in fire regimes. Although much of... more
Cacti are conspicuous plants across arid and semi‐arid ecosystems of the American continent and are currently under threat due to human pressures, such as habitat loss, illegal collection and changes in fire regimes. Although much of their habitat is highly fire prone, there are strikingly few studies on their germination response to fire cues. The aim of this work was to analyse the effect of heat shock (simulating wildfires) on the ‘germination %’ and the ‘mean germination time’ of 13 cactus species of two growth forms (six columnar and seven globose) from a fire‐prone cactus diversity hotspot in Córdoba Mountains, central Argentina. We also analysed the effect of growth form and seed mass on species responses. Seeds were subjected to the following treatments: 70°C/5 min, 70°C/10 min, 105°C/5 min, 105°C/10 min and a control (i.e. no heat). Germination decreased under at least one treatment in seven species, increased in three species, had contrasting changes in one species, and showed no effect of treatments in two species. Germination was faster in eight species, slower in one species and showed no effects of treatments in four species. Germination was significantly higher for globose species following the 70°C/10 min treatment and for columnar species under the treatment of 110°C/10 min; while germination time did not differ between growth forms. Seed mass did not have a significant effect on germination, and only affected germination time under the 70ºC treatments, under which lighter seeds germinated faster than heavier seeds. Our results show that the studied species exhibited a high diversity of responses, with most of the species presenting tolerance to heat shock, and that under certain conditions growth form and seed mass are important traits related to species responses to heat shock treatments.
Research Interests:
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse knowledge base and increase legitimacy and inclusiveness of these assessment processes.... more
Multicultural representation is a stated goal of many global scientific assessment processes. These processes
aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse knowledge base and increase legitimacy and inclusiveness of these
assessment processes. Often, enhancing cultural diversity is encouraged through involvement of diverse expert
teams and sources of knowledge in different languages. In this article, we examine linguistic diversity, as one
representation of cultural diversity, in the eight published assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Our results show that the IPBES assessment outputs
are disproportionately filtered through English-language literature and authors from Anglophone countries. To
incorporatemore linguistic diversity into global ecosystem assessment processes, we present actionable steps
for global science teams to recognize and incorporate non-English-language literature and contributions from
non-Anglophones. Our findings highlight the need for broad-scale actions that enhance inclusivity in knowledge
synthesis processes through balanced representation of different knowledge holders and sources.
aim to mobilize a broader, more diverse knowledge base and increase legitimacy and inclusiveness of these
assessment processes. Often, enhancing cultural diversity is encouraged through involvement of diverse expert
teams and sources of knowledge in different languages. In this article, we examine linguistic diversity, as one
representation of cultural diversity, in the eight published assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Our results show that the IPBES assessment outputs
are disproportionately filtered through English-language literature and authors from Anglophone countries. To
incorporatemore linguistic diversity into global ecosystem assessment processes, we present actionable steps
for global science teams to recognize and incorporate non-English-language literature and contributions from
non-Anglophones. Our findings highlight the need for broad-scale actions that enhance inclusivity in knowledge
synthesis processes through balanced representation of different knowledge holders and sources.
Research Interests:
Qualitative measures of resprouting capacity often fail to capture inter- and intra-species variation, whereas available quantitative methods can be complex and time-consuming, hindering broad-scale comparative studies. Here, we propose... more
Qualitative measures of resprouting capacity often fail to capture inter- and intra-species variation, whereas
available quantitative methods can be complex and time-consuming, hindering broad-scale comparative studies.
Here, we propose two quantitative indices that can be applied in a standard way in different regions. We sampled
1046 plants of 20 dominant species (6 shrubs, 7 trees and 7 tree/shrubs) from the seasonally dry forests of the
arid Chaco, central-western Argentina. Sampling was conducted in burned field sites one growing season after
fire. For each sampled plant we measured the diameter of the main burned trunk (MTD) and main resprout
(MRD), and the number of burned trunks (TN) and resprouts (RN); we then built estimated composite diameters
for trunks and resprouts (ECTD and ECRD) and we calculated two alternative Resprouting Capacity Indices: RCI
1 (ECRD/ECTD); and RCI 2 (MRD/MTD). The indices were validated against a measure of Resprouting Vigour
(RV) that included detailed measurement of all trunks and resprouts for a subset of sampled plants. In all cases,
variables indicative of fire severity were measured and included in the analyses. The RCIs and RV were highly
related, both at the species and growth form levels. Fire severity had no significant effect on these relationships,
but growth form affected RCI 2. All species were capable of resprouting, showing considerable inter-species
variation for the two proposed RCIs. Species rank differed considerably between RCIs and survival-only estimations.
RCI 1 was higher in tree/shrubs (i.e. species regarded as trees or shrubs) and trees than in shrubs. All
species showed decreasing resprouting capacity with increasing ECTD. Our results support the use of the proposed
RCIs as a robust tool to assess resprouting capacity, providing more details than survival-based assessments.
Choosing one or the other implies a trade-off between accuracy and simplicity, and may depend on the
scale and objective of the study, and resprouting patterns of studied species. Species, growth form and individual
plant size are relevant in explaining post-fire resprouting capacity and survival.
available quantitative methods can be complex and time-consuming, hindering broad-scale comparative studies.
Here, we propose two quantitative indices that can be applied in a standard way in different regions. We sampled
1046 plants of 20 dominant species (6 shrubs, 7 trees and 7 tree/shrubs) from the seasonally dry forests of the
arid Chaco, central-western Argentina. Sampling was conducted in burned field sites one growing season after
fire. For each sampled plant we measured the diameter of the main burned trunk (MTD) and main resprout
(MRD), and the number of burned trunks (TN) and resprouts (RN); we then built estimated composite diameters
for trunks and resprouts (ECTD and ECRD) and we calculated two alternative Resprouting Capacity Indices: RCI
1 (ECRD/ECTD); and RCI 2 (MRD/MTD). The indices were validated against a measure of Resprouting Vigour
(RV) that included detailed measurement of all trunks and resprouts for a subset of sampled plants. In all cases,
variables indicative of fire severity were measured and included in the analyses. The RCIs and RV were highly
related, both at the species and growth form levels. Fire severity had no significant effect on these relationships,
but growth form affected RCI 2. All species were capable of resprouting, showing considerable inter-species
variation for the two proposed RCIs. Species rank differed considerably between RCIs and survival-only estimations.
RCI 1 was higher in tree/shrubs (i.e. species regarded as trees or shrubs) and trees than in shrubs. All
species showed decreasing resprouting capacity with increasing ECTD. Our results support the use of the proposed
RCIs as a robust tool to assess resprouting capacity, providing more details than survival-based assessments.
Choosing one or the other implies a trade-off between accuracy and simplicity, and may depend on the
scale and objective of the study, and resprouting patterns of studied species. Species, growth form and individual
plant size are relevant in explaining post-fire resprouting capacity and survival.
Research Interests:
L as personas usualmente conciben los incendios como catástrofes naturales, con efectos negativos para los organismos y los ambientes. Esta visión, favorecida por el sensacionalismo de los medios de comunicación, quizás tiene sus bases en... more
L as personas usualmente conciben los incendios como
catástrofes naturales, con efectos negativos para los
organismos y los ambientes. Esta visión, favorecida por el
sensacionalismo de los medios de comunicación, quizás tiene
sus bases en percibir al fuego como un disturbio aislado
en el tiempo y en el espacio, que elimina la totalidad de los
organismos vivos, dejando solo cenizas y suelos estériles.
Sin embargo, los incendios forman parte de la naturaleza,
modelando la distribución de los ecosistemas terrestres y
generando biodiversidad. El estudio del régimen de fuego,
es decir, las características de los incendios en una región
determinada incluyendo su variabilidad temporal y espacial,
es una concepción más holística que permite entender
mejor la compleja relación entre el fuego y los ecosistemas.
Existen regímenes de incendios que son sostenibles desde el
punto de vista ecológico, como los incendios de pastizales en
los Parques Nacionales El Palmar o Quebrada del Condorito.
Sin embargo, los actuales cambios globales producidos por
la especie humana, traducidos en el cambio climático y los
cambios en el uso de la tierra, están produciendo incendios en ecosistemas sensibles al fuego (como el Amazonas, las Yungas o
la Selva Paranaense), o están alterando los patrones históricos
de incendios en regiones donde normalmente el fuego está
presente. Por lo tanto, es imprescindible entender la relación
entre los cambios en los regímenes de fuego producidos por
las actividades humanas y la respuesta de los ambientes para
desarrollar una visión crítica y planificar acciones con el
objetivo de mitigar efectos ecológicos insostenibles.
Una de las preguntas más comunes que las personas se
plantean es si los incendios son buenos o malos, y en qué
medida. Este artículo pretende compartir con toda la sociedad
parte del conocimiento científico desarrollado sobre nuestros
ambientes propensos a incendios, tratando de responder varios
aspectos desde la Ecología del Fuego. Para ello, organizamos
el contenido en relación a cómo el régimen de fuego afecta las
propiedades de los ecosistemas, los organismos que forman
parte del mismo, y las interacciones bióticas (Figura 1).
catástrofes naturales, con efectos negativos para los
organismos y los ambientes. Esta visión, favorecida por el
sensacionalismo de los medios de comunicación, quizás tiene
sus bases en percibir al fuego como un disturbio aislado
en el tiempo y en el espacio, que elimina la totalidad de los
organismos vivos, dejando solo cenizas y suelos estériles.
Sin embargo, los incendios forman parte de la naturaleza,
modelando la distribución de los ecosistemas terrestres y
generando biodiversidad. El estudio del régimen de fuego,
es decir, las características de los incendios en una región
determinada incluyendo su variabilidad temporal y espacial,
es una concepción más holística que permite entender
mejor la compleja relación entre el fuego y los ecosistemas.
Existen regímenes de incendios que son sostenibles desde el
punto de vista ecológico, como los incendios de pastizales en
los Parques Nacionales El Palmar o Quebrada del Condorito.
Sin embargo, los actuales cambios globales producidos por
la especie humana, traducidos en el cambio climático y los
cambios en el uso de la tierra, están produciendo incendios en ecosistemas sensibles al fuego (como el Amazonas, las Yungas o
la Selva Paranaense), o están alterando los patrones históricos
de incendios en regiones donde normalmente el fuego está
presente. Por lo tanto, es imprescindible entender la relación
entre los cambios en los regímenes de fuego producidos por
las actividades humanas y la respuesta de los ambientes para
desarrollar una visión crítica y planificar acciones con el
objetivo de mitigar efectos ecológicos insostenibles.
Una de las preguntas más comunes que las personas se
plantean es si los incendios son buenos o malos, y en qué
medida. Este artículo pretende compartir con toda la sociedad
parte del conocimiento científico desarrollado sobre nuestros
ambientes propensos a incendios, tratando de responder varios
aspectos desde la Ecología del Fuego. Para ello, organizamos
el contenido en relación a cómo el régimen de fuego afecta las
propiedades de los ecosistemas, los organismos que forman
parte del mismo, y las interacciones bióticas (Figura 1).
Research Interests:
Fire is a key ecological factor affecting plant dynamics. In the last few decades, fire occurrence in the Chaco region has increased noticeably, challenging the adaptive capacity of plants to regenerate after a fire. Broad-leaved forb... more
Fire is a key ecological factor affecting plant dynamics. In the last few decades, fire occurrence in the Chaco region has increased noticeably, challenging the adaptive capacity of plants to regenerate after a fire. Broad-leaved forb species have been much less studied than woody and graminoids, although they are an important component of fire dynamics. Here we analysed the germination response to heat shock of 70 and 110°C, smoke and their combination in 10 broad-leaved herbaceous species frequently occurring in the Chaco Serrano of C ordoba province, central Argentina, including five annual (Bidens subalternans, Conyza bonariensis, Schkuhria pinnata, Tagetes minuta and Zinnia peruviana) and five perennial species (Borreria eryngioides, Sida rhombifolia, Sol-idago chilensis, Taraxacum officinale and Verbena litoralis). We also compared the response of annual versus perennial species. Six species had highest germination when treated with heat and smoke combined, whereas two had lowest germination under this treatment, indicating synergistic and antagonistic interaction of these factors respectively. Most of the species tolerated heat shock (i.e. germination was similar to that in control treatment), whereas others had higher germination in response to heat shock, especially under the moderate 70°C treatment. Germination was higher than control (i.e. no heat and no smoke) after smoke treatment in four species. Perennial species showed higher average germination than annuals in both heat treatments and in the control. Annual species had higher average germination for all treatments involving smoke. The high variability observed at the species level, and the limited number of species studied calls for precaution in interpreting and extrapolating results. Nevertheless, our study shows a general positive response of both perennial and annual species to fire cues, suggesting an advantage of these species for colonizing post-fire environments, and being favoured under scenarios of increasingly frequent low-to-medium intensity fires.
Research Interests:
Despite increasing scientific understanding of the global environmental crisis, we struggle to adopt the policies science suggests would be effective. One of the reasons for that is the lack of inclusive engagement and dialogue among a... more
Despite increasing scientific understanding of the global environmental crisis, we struggle to adopt the policies science suggests would be effective. One of the reasons for that is the lack of inclusive engagement and dialogue among a wide range of different actors. Furthermore, there is a lack of consideration of differences between languages, worldviews and cultures. In this paper, we propose that engagement across the science-policy interface can be strengthened by being mindful of the breadth and depth of the diverse human-nature relations found around the globe. By examining diverse conceptualizations of "nature" in more than 60 languages, we identify three clusters: inclusive conceptualizations where humans are viewed as an integral component of nature; non-inclusive conceptualizations where humans are separate from nature; and deifying conceptualiza-tions where nature is understood and experienced within a spiritual dimension. Considering and respecting this rich repertoire of ways of describing, thinking about and relating to nature can help us communicate in ways that resonate across cultures and worldviews. This repertoire also provides a resource we can draw on when defining policies and sustainability scenarios for the future, offering opportunities for finding solutions to global environmental challenges.
Research Interests:
Early-career experts can play a fundamental role in achieving planetary sustainability by bridging generational divides and developing novel solutions to complex problems. We argue that intergenerational partnerships and interdisciplinary... more
Early-career experts can play a fundamental role in achieving planetary sustainability by bridging generational divides and developing novel solutions to complex problems. We argue that intergenerational partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration among early-career experts will enable emerging sustainability leaders to contribute fully to a sustainable future. We review 16 international, interdisciplinary, and sustainability-focused early-career capacity building programs. We conclude that such programs are vital to developing sustainability leaders of the future and that decision-making for sustainability is likely to be best served by strong institutional cultures that promote intergenerational learning and involvement.
Research Interests:
La relevancia ecológica del estudio de la diversidad funcional (DF) y su relación con los procesos y servicios ecosistémicos (SE) ha sido ampliamente reconocida, dado que resulta ser una herramienta útil para entender cómo las plantas... more
La relevancia ecológica del estudio de la diversidad funcional (DF) y su relación con los procesos y servicios ecosistémicos (SE) ha sido ampliamente
reconocida, dado que resulta ser una herramienta útil para entender cómo las plantas responden ante diferentes cambios ambientales, naturales o
antrópicos, y cómo alteran procesos ecosistémicos que determinan la provisión de SE claves. Sin embargo, no existe aún suficiente evidencia
empírica de esta relación teórica en ecosistemas forestales bajo manejo antrópico. En este trabajo, usando como ejemplo el bosque Chaqueño
seco del centro de Argentina, proponemos cuantificar la provisión conjunta de múltiples SE percibidos y valorados localmente, evaluando y discutiendo
distintas medidas de DF como indicadores del efecto del manejo antrópico sobre la provisión de SE. Los resultados muestran una reducción en la
provisión de los SE de regulación a medida que aumenta la intensidad de manejo. De los componentes de la DF considerados, principalmente
aquellos asociados a la variedad y equitatividad en la distribución de los atributos funcionales, así como a las características estructurales de las
comunidades vegetales se vincularon más estrechamente a la provisión conjunta de múltiples SE en estos bosques secos. Articular conceptos de
manejo forestal con enfoques de ecología básica es un paso urgente hacia la planificación regional de los recursos, considerando tanto las
características propias de los ecosistemas, como los diferentes intereses de los actores sociales involucrados. Este trabajo intenta ser un primer
paso en el abordaje metodológico y conceptual de esa discusión.
reconocida, dado que resulta ser una herramienta útil para entender cómo las plantas responden ante diferentes cambios ambientales, naturales o
antrópicos, y cómo alteran procesos ecosistémicos que determinan la provisión de SE claves. Sin embargo, no existe aún suficiente evidencia
empírica de esta relación teórica en ecosistemas forestales bajo manejo antrópico. En este trabajo, usando como ejemplo el bosque Chaqueño
seco del centro de Argentina, proponemos cuantificar la provisión conjunta de múltiples SE percibidos y valorados localmente, evaluando y discutiendo
distintas medidas de DF como indicadores del efecto del manejo antrópico sobre la provisión de SE. Los resultados muestran una reducción en la
provisión de los SE de regulación a medida que aumenta la intensidad de manejo. De los componentes de la DF considerados, principalmente
aquellos asociados a la variedad y equitatividad en la distribución de los atributos funcionales, así como a las características estructurales de las
comunidades vegetales se vincularon más estrechamente a la provisión conjunta de múltiples SE en estos bosques secos. Articular conceptos de
manejo forestal con enfoques de ecología básica es un paso urgente hacia la planificación regional de los recursos, considerando tanto las
características propias de los ecosistemas, como los diferentes intereses de los actores sociales involucrados. Este trabajo intenta ser un primer
paso en el abordaje metodológico y conceptual de esa discusión.
Research Interests:
1. Ecological research produces a tremendous amount of data, but the diversity in scales and topics covered and the ways in which studies are carried out result in large numbers of small, idiosyncratic data sets using heterogeneous... more
1. Ecological research produces a tremendous amount of data, but the diversity in scales and topics covered and the ways in which studies are carried out result in large numbers of small, idiosyncratic data sets using heterogeneous terminologies. Such heterogeneity can be attributed, in part, to a lack of standards for acquiring, organizing and describing data. Here, we propose a terminological resource, a Thesaurus Of Plant characteristics (TOP), whose aim is to harmonize and formalize concepts for plant characteristics widely used in ecology. 2. TOP concentrates on two types of plant characteristics: traits and environmental associations. It builds on previous initiatives for several aspects: (i) characteristics are designed following the entity-quality (EQ) model (a characteristic is modelled as the 'Quality' <Q> of an 'Entity' <E>) used in
Research Interests:
Aparato para medición estandarizada de inflamabilidad de plantas enteras o porciones de las mismas, en un tiempo reducido, con posibilidad de ser transportado con facilidad y con un costo muy bajo. El aparato comprende un cuerpo hueco... more
Aparato para medición estandarizada de inflamabilidad de plantas enteras o porciones de las mismas, en un tiempo reducido, con posibilidad de ser transportado con facilidad y con un costo muy bajo. El aparato comprende un cuerpo hueco soportado por patas desmontables, formado por una porción inferior [11] y otra superior [12], estando la porción superior cerrada en su mitad posterior [A] y abierta en su mitad anterior [B]. En el interior del cuerpo inferior [11] del barril se ubican paralelos entre sí tres quemadores alargados [9], sobre los que se encuentra una parrilla [1]; adosado a la misma se encuentra un termómetro [2] conectado a un medidor de temperatura [3]. Ubicado entre los quemadores [9] y la parrilla [1] se encuentra un soplete [8] que recibe, al igual que los quemadores, combustible desde una garrafa [13]. El fondo del barril posee tres orificios de ventilación [10].
The objective of this dissemination booklet is to cummunicate, in a non-scientific language, the main findings and some conclusions of our research. It is aimed at producers, technicians, public servants and settlers who were involved in... more
The objective of this dissemination booklet is to cummunicate, in a non-scientific language, the main findings and some conclusions of our research. It is aimed at producers, technicians, public servants and settlers who were involved in our study. The brohure emphasizes how each one of these groups of stakeholders has its own perception, assessment and use of natural resources. The brochure will be presented to stakeholders during the feedback workshops scheduled to be carried out within the next months.
Plant species of the Chaco seasonally dry forest of central Argentina have presumably been under a low evolutionary pressure to develop specialized fire-response traits, such as heat-stimulated germination. Nevertheless, other historical... more
Plant species of the Chaco seasonally dry forest
of central Argentina have presumably been under a low
evolutionary pressure to develop specialized fire-response
traits, such as heat-stimulated germination. Nevertheless,
other historical factors such as seasonal drought and/or
endozoochorus dispersal could have led some species to
develop heat-tolerant seeds. Therefore, heat-tolerant germination
should be more common than heat-stimulated
or heat-sensitive germination. To test this, we exposed
seeds of 26 dominant species from the Chaco region to a
broad range of experimental heat treatments and incubated
them for 30 days at 25 °C and 12 h photoperiod. We
then scored the percent germination and classified them
as heat-stimulated, heat-tolerant or heat-sensitive based
on their germination following heat treatments relative to
control. Seventeen species showed heat-tolerant germination,
including all native graminoids. Seven species showed
heat-stimulated germination, under the less-intense heat
treatments. Only two species showed heat-sensitive germination.
Endozoochory had no influence on germination
responses. We suggest that, unlike Mediterranean-climate
ecosystems, fire was not a major evolutionary force in the
development of Chaco forests, and our results provide greater understanding of the potential response of Chaco
plant communities in the face of increasingly frequent fires.
of central Argentina have presumably been under a low
evolutionary pressure to develop specialized fire-response
traits, such as heat-stimulated germination. Nevertheless,
other historical factors such as seasonal drought and/or
endozoochorus dispersal could have led some species to
develop heat-tolerant seeds. Therefore, heat-tolerant germination
should be more common than heat-stimulated
or heat-sensitive germination. To test this, we exposed
seeds of 26 dominant species from the Chaco region to a
broad range of experimental heat treatments and incubated
them for 30 days at 25 °C and 12 h photoperiod. We
then scored the percent germination and classified them
as heat-stimulated, heat-tolerant or heat-sensitive based
on their germination following heat treatments relative to
control. Seventeen species showed heat-tolerant germination,
including all native graminoids. Seven species showed
heat-stimulated germination, under the less-intense heat
treatments. Only two species showed heat-sensitive germination.
Endozoochory had no influence on germination
responses. We suggest that, unlike Mediterranean-climate
ecosystems, fire was not a major evolutionary force in the
development of Chaco forests, and our results provide greater understanding of the potential response of Chaco
plant communities in the face of increasingly frequent fires.
Research Interests:
Net emissions of CO2 from land-use conversion represent a significant driver of global climatic change. This is especially true for subtropical seasonally dry Chaco forests from southern South America, now experiencing one of the highest... more
Net emissions of CO2 from land-use conversion represent a significant driver of global climatic change.
This is especially true for subtropical seasonally dry Chaco forests from southern South America, now
experiencing one of the highest loss rates globally. However, direct quantifications of the effect of
accelerated deforestation on carbon (C) pools of these systems are rare. Considering
five dominant
ecosystem types within the dry Chaco forest of Argentina, derived by land-use change from the same original vegetation, substrate, and climate, we quantified the magnitude and change of total C pools including trees and shrubs, non-woody plants, coarse and fine debris, and soil organic (SOC) and
inorganic (SIC) pools up to 2 m depth. Soil C pools represented the largest C stocks (>74%). Shrubs also represented a large C pool (at least 28% of the aboveground standing biomass), which we quantified in detail for the first time. The conversion of forests to open shrublands and croplands was associated to large losses of organic C both in aboveground biomass and in soils down to 30 cm depth (from 43 to 64%). Although SIC is usually considered as a relatively stable compartment, the forest to crop transition presented here involved carbonate losses of c. 68% at soil depths between 1 and 2 m. Our results indicate that the landscape transformations expected in the region under business-as-usual socioeconomic scenarios will probably lead to a marked reduction of the C stored, with a consequent net C emission and a decline in other C storage-related ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems.
This is especially true for subtropical seasonally dry Chaco forests from southern South America, now
experiencing one of the highest loss rates globally. However, direct quantifications of the effect of
accelerated deforestation on carbon (C) pools of these systems are rare. Considering
five dominant
ecosystem types within the dry Chaco forest of Argentina, derived by land-use change from the same original vegetation, substrate, and climate, we quantified the magnitude and change of total C pools including trees and shrubs, non-woody plants, coarse and fine debris, and soil organic (SOC) and
inorganic (SIC) pools up to 2 m depth. Soil C pools represented the largest C stocks (>74%). Shrubs also represented a large C pool (at least 28% of the aboveground standing biomass), which we quantified in detail for the first time. The conversion of forests to open shrublands and croplands was associated to large losses of organic C both in aboveground biomass and in soils down to 30 cm depth (from 43 to 64%). Although SIC is usually considered as a relatively stable compartment, the forest to crop transition presented here involved carbonate losses of c. 68% at soil depths between 1 and 2 m. Our results indicate that the landscape transformations expected in the region under business-as-usual socioeconomic scenarios will probably lead to a marked reduction of the C stored, with a consequent net C emission and a decline in other C storage-related ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems.
Research Interests:
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem... more
Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological
strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem
properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological
questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits.
This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and
processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and
environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the
impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The
importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised
protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant- and ecosystem level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous
version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text
on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols
for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and
regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species’ effects on key ecosystem
properties.Wehope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant species with respect to environmental changes in the present, past and future.
strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem
properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological
questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits.
This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and
processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and
environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the
impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The
importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised
protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant- and ecosystem level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous
version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text
on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols
for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and
regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species’ effects on key ecosystem
properties.Wehope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant species with respect to environmental changes in the present, past and future.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed in adjacent cultivated and noncultivated habitats in an organic vegetable farm in a chaco serrano woodland, Córdoba, Argentina. Seven aphid species on eight vegetable... more
Plant-aphid-parasitoid interactions and parasitism rates were assessed in adjacent cultivated and noncultivated habitats in an organic vegetable farm in a chaco serrano woodland, Córdoba, Argentina. Seven aphid species on eight vegetable species were found in the cultivated habitat. Macrosiphum euphorbiae was present on all vegetable species. Four parasitoid species were recorded, of which Diaretiella rapae was the most common. It provided 21.32% of parasitism on Brevicoryne brassicae. In the non-cultivated
habitat, 36 plant species hosted 22 aphid species and five parasitoid species. The aphid Myzus persicae was present on 17 plant species of eight different families. Macrosiphoniella artemisiae was the most abundant aphid species, with the associated Aphidius sp. being the most abundant parasitoid. Aphidius polygonaphis provided 10% of parasitism on Uroleucon aeneus. We report several wild plant species as important reservoirs of parasitoids, which are potential controllers of many pest aphid species.
habitat, 36 plant species hosted 22 aphid species and five parasitoid species. The aphid Myzus persicae was present on 17 plant species of eight different families. Macrosiphoniella artemisiae was the most abundant aphid species, with the associated Aphidius sp. being the most abundant parasitoid. Aphidius polygonaphis provided 10% of parasitism on Uroleucon aeneus. We report several wild plant species as important reservoirs of parasitoids, which are potential controllers of many pest aphid species.