Shrub invasion decreases diversity and alters community stability in northern Chihuahuan Desert plant communities.
BACKGROUND
Global climate change is rapidly altering species range distributions and interactions within communities. As ranges expand, invading species change interactions in communities which may reduce stability, a mechanism known to affect biodiversity. In aridland ecosystems worldwide, the range of native shrubs is expanding as they invade and replace native grassland vegetation with significant consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.


METHODS
We used two long-term data sets to determine the effects of shrub encroachment by Larrea tridentata on subdominant community composition and stability in formerly native perennial grassland dominated by Bouteloua eriopoda in New Mexico, USA.


RESULTS
Our results indicated that Larrea invasion decreased species richness during the last 100 years. We also found that over shorter temporal scales species-poor subdominant communities in areas invaded by Larrea were less stable (more variable in time) compared to species rich communities in grass-dominated vegetation. Compositional stability increased as cover of Bouteloua increased and decreased as cover of Larrea increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in community stability due to altered interspecific interactions may be one mechanism by which biodiversity declines in grasslands following shrub invasion. As global warming increases, shrub encroachment into native grasslands worldwide will continue to alter species interactions and community stability both of which may lead to a decline in biodiversity.
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America. sbaez@zoo.ufl.edu
Selene
S
Báez
Scott L
SL
Collins
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D032442:Larrea / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D013045:Species Specificity