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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 …
Immediate Effects Of Microclimate Modification Enhance Native Shrub Encroachment, Joseph A. Thompson, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Immediate Effects Of Microclimate Modification Enhance Native Shrub Encroachment, Joseph A. Thompson, Julie C. Zinnert, Donald R. Young
Biology Publications
Shrubs have become more dense and expanded beyond their range all over the world for a variety of reasons including increased temperatures, overgrazing, and alteration of historical fire regime. Native shrubs have been encroaching on Virginia barrier island grasslands for over half a century for unknown reasons. Species composition, soil nutrients, leaf area index (LAI), and ground and air temperature were recorded across the shrub to grass transition and at free-standing shrubs in a coastal grassland in order to determine the effect of shrub encroachment on plant community and microclimate. Species richness was significantly lower inside shrub thickets. Soil water …