New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Plant functional groups in a heterogeneous environment
Ignacio F. López1*
Ian Valentine1
M. Greg Lambert2
Duncan I. Hedderley3
Peter D. Kemp1
1Institute of Natural Resources
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
2AgResearch Grasslands
Private Bag 11008
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
3Institute of Information Sciences and Technology
Massey University
Private Bag 11222
Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
*Present address: Dr Ignacio López, Instituto de
Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad
Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile. ilopez@uach.cl
Abstract Species membership of plant functional
groups and
the relationship to soil variables were studied in two paddocks with
long-term differentiated management in New Zealand hill country. The
microrelief of the paddocks contained three slope classes (low, medium,
and high) with contrasting soil variables. Soil variables (unsaturated
hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, volumetric soil moisture, total
soil porosity, field volumetric soil moisture, soil compression, soil
rebound, and air permeability), botanical composition and herbage mass
accumulation were determined. Analysis of variance, cluster analysis,
simple correlation analysis and canonical variate analysis were
performed on the data. Seven functional plant groups were determined.
High fertility grasses and Lolium perenne were strongly
affected by changes in the level of soil variables. Low fertility
species appeared to be affected indirectly by soil variables, as they
were poor competitors when availability of soil resources was high.
Some species (e.g., Agrostis capillaris) were
indifferent to changes in the levels of available resources due to soil
characteristics. Species and functional groups colonised the evaluated
sites according to the soil resources. Species and functional groups
were shown to have the capability to respond positively to soil
resources, adjusting their growth according to the varying
circumstances. The relationship between plant functional groups and
field condition, a grazing management concept that measures the
deviation from some ideal ecological state, was also examined. Results
suggested that field condition and plant functional groups are
complementary concepts in grassland dynamic analyses.
Keywords canonical variate analysis; functional
type; herbage
mass; hydraulic conductivity; plant-soil interaction; soil condition;
field condition
A04092; Online publication date 25 October 2006 Received 26 October
2004; accepted 14 April 2006
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2006, Vol. 49:
439–450
0028–8233/06/4904–0439 © The Royal Society of New Zealand
2006
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