Identifying the determinants of tree distributions along a large ephemeral river
Rattachement africain : gb, Namibie. Niveau de preuve : code pays fourni par la source.
Le résumé fourni par la source
Abstract Although ephemeral rivers act as linear oases and play a fundamental role in sustaining regional biodiversity in dryland regions, little is known about these systems or their sensitivity to human impacts. Without such knowledge, it is difficult to manage or conserve them. Here, we conduct the first systematic investigation into the determinants of riparian tree distributions along a large ephemeral river. Adopting a macroecological approach, we test four hypotheses relating to the effects of topography, river flow, climate, and land tenure on three indices of tree distribution: species richness, occupancy, and recruitment. We also consider the effect of upstream damming. Our study site is the Swakop River in Namibia. The most common trees along the river were the invasive Prosopis spp., followed by native Faidherbia albida, Vachellia erioloba, Euclea pseudebenus, and Vachellia tortilis. We found a gradient in tree distributions along the river, with a drier climate westward associated with lower native tree species richness and increased scarcity of the dominant native species (F. albida). These patterns were seen in both pre‐ and post‐dam samples. We also found F. albida was more likely to recruit immediately downstream of tributaries. Our results suggest that water availability (climate and river flow) is a more important determination of tree distribution along this ephemeral river than topography or land tenure and that ephemeral rivers may show a nodal organization.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Identifying the determinants of tree distributions along a large ephemeral river
- Date Crossref
- 01/06/2018
- Éditeur
- Wiley
- Type
- journal-article
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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Zoological Society of London pays non établi dans la noticeOrganisation à but non lucratif
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King's College London Environmental Dynamics Research Group pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Gobabeb Namib Research Institute Namibie (code pays fourni par la source)Structure de recherche
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Institute of Zoology pays non établi dans la noticeStructure de recherche
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Gobabeb Research and Training Centre P.O. Box 953 Walvis Bay Namibia Namibie (pays nommé en fin d’affiliation)Institution
Zoological Society of London, Environmental Dynamics Research Group — King's College London et Gobabeb Namib Research Institute (Namibie), avec 2 autres affiliations. Pays d’affiliation : Namibie.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.