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Spatial homogenization of understorey plant communities under eCO2 in a mature Eucalyptus woodland
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Spatial homogenization of understorey plant communities under eCO2 in a mature Eucalyptus woodland

Raúl Ochoa-Hueso, Juan Piñeiro, Shun Hasegawa, Sonia Illanas, Héctor Miranda, Margarita Reverter, Sally A. Power and Frank Gilliam
The Journal of ecology, Vol.109(3), pp.1386-1395
03/2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13564
Web of Science ID: WOS:000600243300001

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Abstract

Understorey plant communities comprise a large portion of biodiversity of forests and woodlands globally, where they contribute to tree species dynamics, biogeochemical cycling and carbon sequestration. Here we evaluated the effects of elevated CO2 (400 vs. 550 ppm) on the spatial distribution of understorey plant communities from a mature eucalypt woodland in Eastern Australia (EucFACE experiment). Three years of elevated CO2 resulted in a loss of the characteristic aggregated and segregated spatial pattern of species richness at both short and long distances (20 cm–227 cm), respectively. Changes in spatial patterns emerged over time, indicating that these results are due to a relatively slow reordering of the understorey plant community. In contrast, when analysed from a multivariate perspective, changes in terms of community composition were not as clear as changes in the spatial rearrangement of plant communities. Synthesis. Given that the spatial patterns of communities are likely a reflection of the way in which multiple species interact and how energy and matter flow throw ecosystems, community reordering due to global change may have far‐reaching implications in terms of ecosystem functioning. Moreover, subtle early changes in the spatial pattern of understorey plant communities may represent an early‐warning indicator of global change impacts in forest ecosystems. Three years of elevated CO2 resulted in a loss of the characteristic aggregated and segregated spatial pattern of species richness at both short and long distances. Subtle early changes in the spatial pattern of understorey plant communities may represent an early‐warning indicator of global change impacts in forest ecosystems.

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