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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Seasonal Facilitative And Competitive Trade‐Offs Between Shrub Seedlings And Coastal Grasses, Michael N. Sinclair, Natasha N. Woods, Julie C. Zinnert
Seasonal Facilitative And Competitive Trade‐Offs Between Shrub Seedlings And Coastal Grasses, Michael N. Sinclair, Natasha N. Woods, Julie C. Zinnert
Biology Publications
Shrub expansion is occurring in grasslands globally and may be impacted by the balance of competition and facilitation with existing grasses. Along the mid‐Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the native shrub Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) is rapidly expanding and displacing other native coastal species. Recent research suggests that much of this expansion is due to warming winter temperatures, as temperatures below −15°C kill M. cerifera. The objective of this project was to understand the importance of species interactions with grasses on the growth and physiology of M. cerifera at the seedling life stage through both field and laboratory experiments. In …
Interaction Of Seed Dispersal And Environmental Filtering Affects Woody Encroachment Patterns In Coastal Grassland, Natasha N. Woods, Benjamin L. Dows, Evan B. Goldstein, Laura J. Moore, Donald R. Young, Julie C. Zinnert
Interaction Of Seed Dispersal And Environmental Filtering Affects Woody Encroachment Patterns In Coastal Grassland, Natasha N. Woods, Benjamin L. Dows, Evan B. Goldstein, Laura J. Moore, Donald R. Young, Julie C. Zinnert
Biology Publications
Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands has occurred worldwide and includes coastal ecosystems. This conversion process is mediated by seed dispersal patterns, environmental filtering, and biotic interactions. As spatiotemporally heterogeneous, harsh environments, barrier islands present a unique set of challenges for dispersal and establishment. Environmental conditions act as filters on dispersed seeds, thereby influencing encroachment and distribution patterns. Seldom have patterns of propagule dispersal been considered in the context of woody encroachment. We quantified dispersal and post‐dispersal processes of an encroaching woody population of Morella cerifera relative to directional rate of encroachment and observed distribution patterns on an Atlantic coastal …