California perennial grasses are physiologically distinct from both Mediterranean annual and perennial grasses
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Author
Vaughn, Kurt J.
Clary, Jeffrey J.
Evans, Richard Y.
Young, Truman P.
Publication date
2011-03-05ISSN
0032-079X
Abstract
In the Central Valley of California, native
perennial grass species have been largely replaced by
Eurasian annual species, while in many parts of the
Mediterranean Basin native perennial grasses continue
to dominate, even on disturbed or degraded sites. We
assessed whether differences in summer rainfall patterns
have lead to the development of different plant-water
strategies between grasses from these two regions. We
compared six measures of plant-water physiology for
three guilds of grasses: California perennial grasses,
Mediterranean perennial grasses, and Mediterranean
annual grasses. Discriminant analysis distinguished
between the three guilds; Mediterranean perennial
grasses were characterized by a more conservative
water-relations physiology than Mediterranean annual
grasses, whereas California perennial grasses were in
some ways intermediate between the two Mediterranean
grass guilds. For individual traits, California perennial
grasses were either intermediate or more like Mediterranean annuals than Mediterranean perennials. Our
results suggest California perennials are more drought
tolerant than Mediterranean annuals but less drought tolerant than Mediterranean perennials, despite the fact
that California’s Central Valley has a more intense
summer drought than the Mediterranean Basin. These
patterns may help explain why Mediterranean annuals,
but not Mediterranean perennials, have been more
successful invaders of interior California grasslands.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
633 - Field crops and their production
Pages
10
Publisher
Springer
Is part of
Plant and Soil
Citation
Vaughn, Kurt J., Carmen Biel, Jeffrey J. Clary, Felicidad De Herralde, Xavier Aranda, Richard Y. Evans, Truman P. Young, and Robert Savé. 2011. “California Perennial Grasses Are Physiologically Distinct From Both Mediterranean Annual and Perennial Grasses.” Plant and Soil 345 (1–2): 37–46. doi:10.1007/s11104-011-0757-3
Program
Fructicultura
Protecció Vegetal Sostenible
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- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2624]
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/