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DOI	10.1186/s13717-023-00437-w
	How can ecosystem engineer plants boost productivity in east Mediterranean drylands
	Constantinou, Elena; Sarris, Dimitrios; Psichoudaki, Magda; Cabello, Javier; Vogiatzakis, Ioannis. N. N.
通讯作者	Sarris, D
来源期刊	ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
EISSN	2192-1709
出版年	2023
卷号	12 期号:1
英文摘要	BackgroundWater availability is the key limiting factor for plant productivity in drylands covering ca. 40% of Earth's land surface. For such ecosystems to retain productivity and biodiversity under climatic change, it would be valuable to identify/promote keystone plant species that (i) have developed strategies to more efficiently utilize moisture resources not easily accessible and (ii) improve moisture conditions for neighboring plants. The very deep-rooted Ziziphus lotus, considered an ecosystem engineer, is one such example. However, it is not known which biotic traits: (a) canopy interception of moisture/rainfall, (b) hydraulic redistribution of deep ground moisture by roots, or non-biotic factors: (c) soil's volume, and (d) organic matter content, Z. lotus activates/modulates to play such a role. We, thus, selected dryland ecosystems where the plant dominates and measured for potential effects on the less deep-rooted Thymbra capitata. For assessing impacts on ecosystem productivity, we measured the spatial aggregation of ca. 3600 T. capitata plants. As a proxy for soil moisture availability and its spatial variability, we conducted a 7-year-long study using thymes' nighttime rehydration. Sampling extended up to 15 m away from Z. lotus.ResultsThe density of T. capitata plants growing up to 5 m around Z. lotus vs. thymes growing 10-15 m away was found significantly increased (2.5-4.5 times), while their stem/leaf moisture was ca. 10% higher at predawn compared to nightfall during the dry season. This suggests that ecosystem productivity is driven by a greater soil moisture availability around Z. lotus permitting more thyme daytime transpiration, in contrast to thymes growing further away. The phenomenon appeared only under dry topsoil (during the dry season; becoming stronger during dry years). Morning dew/rainfall interception from the canopy or soil depth/organic matter did not show significant effects, leaving only the hydraulic lift properties of Z. lotus as the most likely driver for soil moisture availability.ConclusionsThe deep-rooting properties and hydraulic lift potential of Z. lotus may be the key in permitting it to boost ecosystem productivity. Such hydraulic plant traits require more attention as they may prove valuable in combating desertification and restoring ecosystems in arid/semiarid regions threatened by climate change.
英文关键词	Plant-plant interaction Desertification Mediterranean Dryland Moisture content Deep root Ziziphus lotus Stress-gradient
类型	Article
语种	英语
开放获取类型	gold
收录类别	SCI-E
WOS记录号	WOS:001008679900001
WOS关键词	COMMON MYCORRHIZAL NETWORKS ; HYDRAULIC LIFT ; SOIL-WATER ; POSITIVE INTERACTIONS ; NURSE-PLANTS ; REDISTRIBUTION ; FACILITATION ; EFFLUX ; CARBON ; ROOTS
WOS类目	Ecology ; Environmental Sciences
WOS研究方向	Environmental Sciences & Ecology
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/396008
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Constantinou, Elena,Sarris, Dimitrios,Psichoudaki, Magda,et al. How can ecosystem engineer plants boost productivity in east Mediterranean drylands[J],2023,12(1).
APA	Constantinou, Elena,Sarris, Dimitrios,Psichoudaki, Magda,Cabello, Javier,&Vogiatzakis, Ioannis. N. N..(2023).How can ecosystem engineer plants boost productivity in east Mediterranean drylands.ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES,12(1).
MLA	Constantinou, Elena,et al."How can ecosystem engineer plants boost productivity in east Mediterranean drylands".ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES 12.1(2023).