Nomenclature: van der Meijden (1990).
Local above-ground persistence of vascular plants: Life-history trade-offs and environmental constraints
Article first published online: 24 FEB 2009
2007 IAVS - the International Association of Vegetation Science
Journal of Vegetation Science
Volume 18, Issue 4, pages 489–497, August 2007
How to Cite
Ozinga, W. A., Hennekens, S. M., Schaminée, J. H.J., Smits, N. A.C., Bekker, R. M., Römermann, C., Klimeš, L., Bakker, J. P. and van Groenendael, J. M. (2007), Local above-ground persistence of vascular plants: Life-history trade-offs and environmental constraints. Journal of Vegetation Science, 18: 489–497. doi: 10.1111/j.1654-1103.2007.tb02563.x
- Issue published online: 24 FEB 2009
- Article first published online: 24 FEB 2009
- Received 9 May 2006; Accepted 15 January 2007
- Clonal growth;
- Dispersal ability;
- Extinction debt;
- Long-term ecological research;
- Permanent plot;
- Soil seed bank longevity;
- Survival analysis;
- Vegetation dynamics
Questions: 1. Which plant traits and habitat characteristics best explain local above-ground persistence of vascular plant species and 2. Is there a trade-off between local above-ground persistence and the ability for seed dispersal and below-ground persistence in the soil seed bank?
Locations: 845 long-term permanent plots in terrestrial habitats across the Netherlands.
Methods: We analysed the local above-ground persistence of vascular plants in permanent plots (monitored once a year for ca. 16 year) with respect to functional traits and habitat preferences using survival statistics (Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox’ regression). These methods account for censored data and are rarely used in vegetation ecology.
Results: Local above-ground persistence is determined by both functional traits (especially the ability to form long-lived clonal connections) and habitat preferences (especially nutrient requirements). Above-ground persistence is negatively related to the ability for dispersal by wind and to the ability to accumulate a long-term persistent soil seed bank (‘dispersal through time’) and is positively related to the ability for dispersal by water.
Conclusions: Most species have a half-life expectation over 15 years, which may contribute to time lags after changes in habitat quality or -configuration (‘extinction debt’). There is evidence for a trade-off relationship between local above-ground persistence and below-ground seed persistence, while the relationship with dispersal in space is vector specific. The rate of species turnover increases with productivity.