Evaluation of the Conceptual Model on Shrubbiness-Desertification on Arid Rangelands
Abstract views: 151
/ 
PDF downloads: 46
Authors
-
Y A Torres
1Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-Comisión de Investigaciones CientÃficas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
(CIC), San Andrés 800, 8000 BahÃa Blanca, Argentina.
-
C A Busso
2CERZOS - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas de la República Argentina (CONICET),
UNS, San Andrés 800, 8000 BahÃa Blanca, Argentina
-
L S Ithurrart
3CERZOS (CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Sur, 8000 BahÃa Blanca, Provincia de Buenos Aires,
Argentina
-
M L Ambrosino
4CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas de la República Argentina), Facultad
de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, 6300 Santa Rosa, Provincia de La
Pampa, Argentina.
Abstract
Advancement of shrubbiness (increase in plant cover and density of woodyspecies) on different environments world-wide has generated an increasing interest in
the scientific community, particularly because of its association with the desertification
process which is increasing, also at a world-wide level. There are two opposing
positions, both of them validated by scientific evidences. The greatly accepted position
recognizes shrubbiness as one of the mechanisms conducive to desertification in natural
environments, cataloguing it as a negative process. A different view, based on recent
studies, suggests that shrubbiness should be considered as a positive process because it
may drive a reversal of desertification, depending on the environment and the species
of shrub studied at a site. This review presented within this framework discusses the
existing relationship between shrubbiness and desertification and proposes an approach
that should be considered in future research.
Key words: Shrubbiness, desertification, arid rangelands, arbuscular mycorrhiza, soil
biological crusts.
Downloads
References
Adámoli, J., Sennhauser, E., Acero, J.M. and Resica,
A. 1990. Stress and disturbance: Vegetation
dynamics in the dry region of Argentina. Journal
of Biogeography 7: 491-500.
Anriquez, A., Albanesi, A., Kunst, C., Ledesma, R.,
López, C., RodrÃguez Torresi, A. and Godoy, J.
Rolado de fachinales y calidad de suelos en
el Chaco Occidental, Argentina. Ciencia del suelo
: 145-157.
Archer, S., Boutton, T.W. and Hibbard, K.A.
Trees in grasslands: Biogeochemical
consequences of woody plant expansion. In
Global Biogeochemical Cycles in the Climate Systems
(Eds. M. Schulze, S. Heimann, E. Harrison, J.
Holland, I. Lloyd, C. Prentice, and D. Schimel),
pp. 115-130. Academic Press, San Diego,
California.
Archer, S.R. 2010. Rangeland conservation and
shrub encroachment: New perspectives on an
old problem. In Wild Rangelands: Conserving
Wildlife While Maintaining Livestock in Semiarid
Ecosystems (Eds. J.T. Toit, R. Kock and J.C.
Deutsch), pp. 53-97. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.,
Chichester.
Asner, G., Archer, S.R., Hughes, R., Ansley, R. and
Wessman, C. 2003. Net changes in regional
woody vegetation cover and carbon storage in
Texas drylands, 1937-1999. Global Change Biology
: 1-20.
Ayers, D., Melville, G., Bean, J., Beckers, D., Ellis, M.,
Mazzer, T. and Freudenberger, D. 2001. Woody
Weeds, Biodiversity and Landscape Function in New
South Wales. WEST 2000, Dubbo, 221 p.
Azcón-Aguilar, C., Palenzuela, J., Roldán, A.,
Bautista, S., Vallejo, R. and Barea, J.M., 2003.
Analysis of the mycorrhizal potential in the
rhizosphere of representative plant species
from desertification-threatened Mediterranean
shrublands. Applied Soil Ecology 22: 29-37.
Baer, S.G., Church, J.M., Williard, K.W.J. and
Groninger, J.W. 2006. Changes in intrasystem
N cycling from N2-fixing shrub encroachment
in grassland: Multiple positive feedbacks.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 115:
-182.
Barrer, S. 2009. El uso de hongos micorrÃzicos
arbusculares como una alternativa para la
agricultura. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias
(1): 123-132.
Belnap, J. and Lange, O.L. 2003. Biological Soil Crust:
Structure, Function and Management. Springer-
Verlag, Berlin, 503 p.
Bhark, E.W. and Small, E.E. 2003. Association
between plant canopies and the spatial patterns
of infiltration in shrubland and grassland of the
Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico. Ecosystems 6:
-196.
Bogino, S., Gómez, M., Ãvila, A., Furlán, Z.,
Escudero, S., Corral, A. and Molinero, H. 2002.
La forestación con especies nativas: análisis de
un caso promisorio en la provincia de San Luis.
XVII Jornadas Forestales de Entre RÃos, Concordia.
Entre RÃos, 5 p.
Bóo, R.M., Peláez, D.V., Bunting, S.C., Elia, O.R. and
Mayor, M. 1997. Effect of fire on woody species
in central semi-arid Argentina. Journal of Arid
Environments 35: 87-94.
Busso, C.A. and Bonvissuto, G.L. 2009. Structure of
vegetation patches in northwestern Patagonia,
Argentina. Biodiversity and Conservation 18: 3017-
Busso, C.A., Bonvissuto, G.L. and Torres, Y.A. 2012.
Germination and seedling establishment of
grasses and shrubs in arid Patagonia, Argentina.
Land Degradation and Development 23: 116-129.
Busso, C.A. and Fernández, O.A. 2018. Arid and
semi-arid rangelands of Argentina. In Climate
Variability Impacts on Land Use and Livelihoods
in Drylands (Eds. M.K. Gaur and V.R. Squires.
Springer, New York, eBook ISBN 978-3-319-
-8, Hardcover ISBN 978-3-319-56680-1.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-
-319-56681-8
Cable, J.M., Ogle, K., Tyler, A.P., Pavao-Zuckerman,
M.A. and Huxman, T.E. 2009. Woody plant
encroachment impacts on soil carbon and
microbial processes: Results from a hierarchical
Bayesian analysis of soil incubation data. Plant
and Soil 320: 153-167.
Cabral, A.C., De Miguel, J.M., Rescia, A.J., Schmidz,
M.F. and Pineda, F.D. 2003. Shrub encroachment
in Argentinean savannas. Journal of Vegetation
Science 14: 145-152.
Calabrese, G.M., Rovere, A.E. and Zeberio, J.M.
Costras biológicas en sitios de Monte
con diferentes niveles de perturbación. In
Restauración ecológica en la Diagonal Ãrida de
la Argentina (Eds. D.R. Pérez, A.E. Rovere,
M.E. RodrÃguez Araujo), pp. 112-119. Vázquez
Mazzini, Buenos Aires.
Cardillo, D.S., Busso C.A., Ambrosino, M.L., Torres,
Y.A., Ithurrart, L.S. and Palomo, R. 2018. Plant
species identity and richness influence microbial
respiration of soil microorganisms on various
functional groups in northeastern Patagonia,
Argentina. Biodiversity International Journal 2(2):
-147.
Castillo-Monroy, A.P. and Maestre, F.T. 2011. Las
costras biológicas del suelo: Avances recientes
en el conocimiento de su estructura y función
biológica. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 84:
-21.
Darrouzet-Nardi, A., D’Antonio, C.M. and Dawson,
T.E. 2006. Depth of water acquisition by invading
shrubs and resident herbs in a Sierra Nevada
meadow. Plant Soil 285: 31-43.
SHRUBBINESS AND DESERTIFICATION 71
Delgado-Baquerizo, M., Covelo, F., Maestre, F.T. and
Gallardo, A. 2013. Biological soil crusts affect
small-scale spatial patterns of inorganic N in a
semi-arid Mediterranean grassland. Journal of
Arid Environments 91: 147-150.
De Villalobos, A.E. 2013. El sobrepastoreo del ganado
doméstico como disparador de la arbustización.
BioScriba 6(1): 51-57
De Villalobos, A.E., Zalba, S.M. and Peláez, D.V. 2011.
Pinus halepensis invasión in mountain pampean
grassland: Effects of feral horses grazing on
seedling establishment. Environmental Research
: 953-959.
Dussart, E.G., Chirino, C.C., Morici, E. and Peinetti,
R.H. 2011. Reconstrucción del paisaje del
caldenal pampeano en los últimos 250 años.
Quebracho 19: 54-65.
Eldridge, D.J., Bowker, M.A., Maestre, F.T., Roger, E.,
Reynolds, J.F. and Whitford, W.G. 2011. Impacts
of shrub encroachment on ecosystem structure
and functioning: Towards a global synthesis.
Ecology Letters 14: 709-722.
Eldridge, D.J. and Rosentreter, R. 1999. Morphological
groups: A framework for monitoring
microphytic crusts in arid landscapes. Journal of
Arid Environments 41: 11-25.
Eldridge, D.J. and Soliveres, S. 2015. Are shrubs
really a sign of declining ecosystem function?
Disentangling the myths and truths of woody
encroachment in Australia. Australian Journal of
Botany 62: 594-608.
Ewing, S.A., Southard, R.J., Macalady, J.L.,
Hartshorn, A.S. and Johnson, M.J. 2007. Soil
microbial fingerprints, carbon and nitrogen in
a Mojave Desert creosote-bush ecosystem. Soil
Science Society of America Journal 71: 469-475.
Fernández, O.A., Gil, M.E. and Distel, R.A. 2007.
The challenge of rangeland degradation in a
temperate semi-arid region of Argentina: The
Caldenal. Land Degradation and Development 18:
-10.
Giorgetti H.D., Busso, C.A., Montenegro, O.A.,
RodrÃguez, G.D. and Kugler, N.M. 2006. Cattle
raising in Central, Semi-arid rangelands of
Argentina. Rangelands 28: 32-36.
Giorgetti, H., Montenegro, O.A., RodrÃguez, G.D.,
Busso, C.A., Montani, T., Burgos, M.A., Flemmer,
A.C., Toribio, M.B. and Horvitz, S.S. 1997. The
comparative influence of past management and
rainfall on range herbaceous standing crop in
east-central Argentina: 14 years of observations.
Journal of Arid Environments 36: 623-637.
Haubensak, K.A. and Parker, I.M. 2004. Soil changes
accompanying invasion of the exotic shrub
Cytisus scoparius in glacial outwash prairies of
western Washington (USA). Plant Ecology 175:
-79.
Herman, R.P., Provencio, K.R., Herrera-Matos, J.
and Torrez, R.J. 1995. Resource islands predict
the distribution of heterotrophic bacteria
in Chihuahuan Desert soils. Applied and
Environmental Microbiology 61: 1816-1821.
Jin, V.L., Schaeffer, S.M., Ziegler, S.E. and Evans,
R.D. 2011. Soil water availability and microsite
mediate fungal and bacterial phospholipid fatty
acid biomarker abundances in Mojave Desert
soils exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2.
Journal of Geophysical Research 116: Issue G.
Kardol, P. and Wardle, D.A. 2010. How understanding
aboveground-belowground linkages can assist
restoration ecology. Trends in Ecology and
Evolution 25: 670-679.
Knapp, L.K., Briggs, J.M., Collins, S.L., Archer,
S.R., Bret-Harte, M.S., Ewers, B.E., Peters, D.P.,
Young, D.R., Shaver, G.R., Pendall, E. and
Cleary, M.B. 2008. Shrub encroachment in North
American grasslands: Shifts in growth form
dominance rapidly alters control of ecosystem
carbon inputs. Global Change Biology 14: 615-623.
Kröpfl, A.I., Deregibus, V.A. and Cecchi, G.A. 2007.
Disturbios en una estepa arbustiva del Monte:
Cambios en la vegetación. EcologÃa Austral 17:
-268.
León, R.J.C. and Aguiar, M.R. 1985. El deterioro por
uso pasturil en estepas herbáceas patagónicas.
Phitocoenologia 13: 181-196.
Loydi, A. and Distel, R.A. 2010. Diversidad florÃstica
bajo diferentes intensidades de pastoreo por
grandes herbÃvoros en pastizales serranos del
Sistema de Ventania, Buenos Aires. EcologÃa
Austral 20: 281-291.
Maestre, F.T., Bowker, M.A., Puche, M.D., Hinojosa,
M.B., MartÃnez, I., GarcÃa-Palacios, P., Castillo,
A.P., Soliveres, S., Luzuriaga, A.L., Sánchez,
A.M., Carreira, J.A., Gallardo, A. and Escudero,
A. 2009. Shrub encroachment can reverse
desertification in semi-arid Mediterranean
grasslands. Ecology Letters 12: 930-941.
Maestre, F.T., Eldridge, D.J. and Soliveres, S. 2016.
A multifaceted view on the impacts of shrub
encroachment. Applied Vegetation Science 19: 369-
Maestre, F.T., Puche, M.D., Guerrero, C. and
Escudero, A. 2011. Shrub encroachment does
not reduce the activity of some soil enzymes in
Mediterranean semi-arid grasslands. Soil Biology
and Biochemistry 43(8): 1746-1749.
Maestre, F.T., Quero, J.L., Gotelli, N.J., Escudero,
A., Ochoa, V., Delgado-Baquerizo, M., GarcÃa-
Gómez, M., Bowker, M.A., Soliveres, S., Escolar,
C., GarcÃa-Palacios, P., Berdugo, M., Valencia,
E., Gozalo, B., Gallardo, A., Aguilera, L.,
Arredondo, T., Blones, J., Boeken, B., Bran, D.,
Conceição, A.A., Cabrera, O., Chaieb, M., Derak,
M., Eldridge, D.J., Espinosa, C.I., Florentino, A.,
Gaitán, J., Gatica, M.G., Ghiloufi, W., Gómez72
TORRES et al.
González, S., Gutiérrez, J.R., Hernández, R.M.,
Huang, X., Huber-Sannwald, E., Jankju, M.,
Miriti, M., Monerris, J., Mau, R.L., Morici,
E., Naseri, K., Ospina, A., Polo, V., Prina, A.,
Pucheta, E., RamÃrez Collantes, D.A., Romão,
R., Tighe, M., Torres-DÃaz, C., Val, J., Veiga,
J.P., Wang, D and Zaady, E. 2012. Plant species
richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in
global drylands. Science 335(6065): 214-218.
MartÃnez GarcÃa, L.B. 2011. Micorrizas arbusculares
en ecosistemas semiáridos. Respuesta a factores
de estrés ambiental. Ecosistemas 20: 117-120.
McKinley, D.C., Rice, C.W. and Blair, J.M. 2008.
Conversion of grassland to coniferous woodland
has limited effects on soil nitrogen cycle
processes. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 40: 2627-
Milchunas, D.G. and Laurenroth, W.K. 1993.
Quantitative effects of grazing on vegetation
and soils over a global range of environments.
Ecological Monographs 63: 327-366.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). 2005.
Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Desertification
Synthesis. World Resources Institute,
Washington, DC, 36 p.
Montaño, N.M., Camargo-Ricalde, S.L., GarcÃa-
Sánchez, R. and Monroy, A. 2007. Micorrizas
arbusculares en ecosistemas áridos y semiáridos.
Instituto Nacional de EcologÃa-SEMARNAT,
Mundi Prensa SA de CV, UAM Iztapalapa, FES
Zaragoza, UNAM. México, DF, 460 p.
Naito, A.T. and Cairns, DM. 2011. Patterns and
processes of global shrub expansion. Progress in
Physical Geography 45: 423-442.
Oesterheld, M. 2008. Impacto de la agricultura
sobre los ecosistemas. Fundamentos ecológicos
y problemas más relevantes. EcologÃa Austral 18:
-346.
Parizek, B., Rostagno, C.M. and Sottini, R. 2002.
Soil erosion as affected by shrub encroachment
in northeastern Patagonia. Journal of Range
Management 55: 43-48.
Parodi, G. and Pezzani, F. 2011. Micorrizas
arbusculares en dos gramÃneas nativas de
Uruguay en áreas con y sin pastoreo. Agrociencia
Uruguay 15: 1-10.
Peláez, D.V. 2011. Dinámica de la vegetación en
los pastizales del SO Bonaerense: Interacción
clima-fuego-pastoreo. In Jornada sobre Evolución
y Futuro del Desarrollo de Producciones AgrÃcola-
Ganaderas en el S.O. Bonaerense. Academia
Nacional de AgronomÃa y Veterinaria, pp. 406-
BahÃa Blanca.
Peláez, D.V., Giorgetti, H.D., Montenegro, O.A., ElÃa,
O.R., RodrÃguez, G.D., Bóo, R.M., Mayor, M.D.
and Busso, C.A. 2010. Vegetation response to a
controlled fire in the Phytogeographical Province
of the Monte, Argentina. Phyton, International
Journal of Experimental Botany 79: 169-176.
Peters, D.C., Bestelmeyer, B.T., Herrick, J.E.,
Fredrickson, E.L., Monger, H.C. and Havstad,
K.M. 2006. Disentangling complex landscapes:
New insights into arid and semi-arid system
dynamics. Bioscience 56: 491-501.
Qu, L., Yuanyuan, H., Ma, K., Zhang, Y. and Biere,
A. 2016. Effects of plant cover on properties of
rhizosphere and inter-plant soil in a semi-arid
valley, SW China. Soil Biology and Biochemistry
: 1-9.
Reynolds, J.F., Stafford Smith, D.M., Lambin, E.F.,
Turner, B.L. II, Mortimore, M., Batterbury, S.P.J.,
Downing, T.E., Dowlatabadi, H., Fernández, R.J.,
Herrick, J.E., Huber-Sannvald, E., Leemans, R.,
Lynam, T., Maestre F.T., Ayarza, M. and Walker,
B. 2007. Global desertification: Building a science
for dryland development. Science 316: 847-851.
Robinson, T.P., van Klinken, R.D. and Metternicht, G.
Spatial and temporal rates and patterns of
mesquite (Prosopis species) invasion in Western
Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 72: 175-
Roques, K.G., O’Connor, T.G. and Watkins, A.R.
Dynamics of shrub encroachment in an
African savanna: Relative influences of fire,
herbivory, rainfall and density dependence.
Journal of Applied Ecology 38: 268-280.
Schlesinger, W.H. and Pilmanis, A.M. 1998. Plantsoil
interactions in desert. Biogeochemistry 42:
-187.
Schlesinger, W.H., Raikes, J.A., Hartley, A.E. and
Cross, A.E. 1996. On the spatial pattern of soil
nutrients in desert ecosystems. Ecology 77: 364-
Schlesinger, W.H., Reynolds, J.F., Cunningham, G.L.,
Huenneke, L.F., Jarrell, W.M., Virginia, R. and
Whitford, W.G. 1990. Biological feedbacks in
global desertification. Science 247: 1043-1048.
Schreiner, R.P., Mihara, K.L., McDaniel, H.
and Bethlenfalvay, G.J. 1997. Mycorrhizal
fungi influence plant and soil functions and
interactions. Plant Soil 188: 199-209.
Scutari, N.C., Bertiller, M.B. and Cabrera A.L. 2004.
Soil-associated lichens in rangelands of northeastern
Patagonia. Lichen groups and species
with potential as bioindicators of grazing
disturbance. The Lichenologist 36: 404-412.
Singh, J.S. and Joshi, M.C. 1979. Ecology of the semiarid
regions of India with emphasis on land-use.
In Management of Semi-arid Ecosystems (Ed. B.H.
Walker), pp. 243-227. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Smith, D.L. and Johnson, L. 2004. Vegetationmediated
changes in microclimate reduce
soil respiration as woodlands expand into
grasslands. Ecology 85: 3348-3361.
SHRUBBINESS AND DESERTIFICATION 73
Tilman, D., Reich, P.B., Knops, J., Wedin, D.,
Mielke, T. and Lehman, C.L. 2001. Diversity
and productivity in a long-term grassland
experiment. Science 294: 843-845.
Throop, H.L. and Archer, S.R. 2008. Shrub (Prosopis
velutina) encroachment in a semi desert
grassland: Spatial-temporal changes in soil
organic carbon and nitrogen pools. Global Change
Biology 14: 2420-2431.
van Auken, O.W. 2009. Causes and consequences of
woody plant encroachment into western North
American grasslands. Journal of Environmental
Management 90: 2931-2942.
van Auken, O.W. 2000. Shrub Invasions of North
American Semi-arid Grasslands. Annual Review
of Ecology and Systematics 31(1):197-215.
White, R.P., Murray, S. and Rohweder, M. 2000.
Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Grassland
Ecosystems. World Resources Institute,
Washington, DC, 100 p.
Yannarell, A.C., Menning, S.E. and Beck, A.M. 2014.
Influence of shrub encroachment on the soil
microbial community composition of remnant
hill prairies. Microbial Ecology 67: 897-906.
Zachary, T.A., Shuldman, M.I., Drenovsky, R.E. and
Richards, J.H. 2008. Shrub-interspace dynamics
alter relationships between microbial community
composition and belowground ecosystem
characteristics. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 40:
-2216.
Zarovalli, M.P., Yiakoulaki, M.D. and Papanastasis,
V.P. 2007. Effects of shrub encroachment on
herbage production and nutritive value in semiarid
Mediterranean grasslands. Grass and Forage
Science 62: 355-363.
Zavaleta, E.S. and Kettley, L.S. 2006. Ecosystem
change along a woody invasion chronosequence
in a California grassland. Journal of Arid
Environments 66: 290-306.
Downloads
Submitted
Published
Issue
Section
License
