Catálogo de publicaciones - revistas

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec> <jats:title>Background and aims</jats:title> <jats:p>Studies that consider the effects of screes plant communities on the soil properties are lacking and whether the plant cover could be used as an indicator of biotic and/or abiotic parameters of the scree colonization has never been assessed. Here we aimed to identify plant communities-soil relationships in the process of colonization of alpine limestone screes.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>Plant communities and chemical-physical soil properties were studied on 50 plots from an area of the Italian Alps, and related to plant cover (colonization). Correlation and regression analysis were performed to determine the relationships and define the best trend models.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>At the varying of plant cover, plant communities and the soil properties changed greatly. Floristic analysis especially showed how the pioneer/early stages of colonization revealed a limited number of species (&lt; 20) typical of unstable screes (<jats:italic>Thlaspietea rotundifolii</jats:italic>) while the late/final stage has a greater number of species (&gt; 25), mainly of basophilic grasslands (<jats:italic>Elyno-Seslerietea</jats:italic>). Statistical analysis showed high correlation between plant cover and number of species, shear vane strength (<jats:italic>τ</jats:italic>), soil depth, pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), sand and medium gravel content. The number of species and the values of <jats:italic>τ</jats:italic>, soil depth, OM, TN and sand content increased over the colonization/succession, albeit with different trends.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title> <jats:p>This research allowed a better comprehension of the phenomenon of colonization of alpine limestone screes and showed how plant cover is a parameter useful to estimate some soil and vegetation features, therefore to facilitate the study/management of these environments.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec> <jats:title>Aims</jats:title> <jats:p> Plant–soil feedback (PSF) is an important mechanism controlling plant growth, vegetation dynamics, and longer-term and larger-scale patterns of plant community diversity. We know that feedback between plants and soil biota depends on several external factors, such as nutrient and water availability, and interactions with neighbouring plants. We argue that in the ‘real world’, PSF are not working in isolation but instead proceed within a complex context of multiple interacting factors. Fire is one of those complex external factors which could greatly alter PSF by re-setting or re-directing plant-soil biota interactions.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>We reviewed key literature on the effects of fire on soil biota and soil physicochemical properties with soil depth, to generate predictions on the complex effects of fire on PSF.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>We highlight that fire has strong potential to directly and indirectly affect the strength of PSF. To what extent this influences longer-term plant community trajectories depends on the interactions between fire characteristics and ecosystem type. Here, we conceptualized these effects of fire on soil properties and biota, and then discuss the main pathways through which fire should alter PSF.</jats:p> </jats:sec><jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>We think that PSF processes should be nullified under and after fire. Average neutral PSF responses are expected to be more common in the short-term or within the timeframe required for major soil microbial players to regain their pre-fire abundances and diversity. We conclude by providing directions for future research and possible methods to study fire effects on PSF both in the field and under controlled conditions. </jats:p> </jats:sec>