Sown Diversity Effects on Yield and Resistance to Weed Invasion : Clues to Improve Mixture Design Under Climatic Change in the Mediterranean
Ribas Artola, Àngela (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Llovet Martin, Alba (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Llurba, Rosa (Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya)
Connolly, John 1968- (University College Dublin)
Sebastiá Alvarez, Maria Teresa (Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	With the aim to improve mixture design, particularly in regions vulnerable to climate change, we tested several forage communities following the biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) framework. We sowed monocultures and 4-species mixtures from a pool of 7 forage species in a sub-Mediterranean region (Eastern Pyrenees) and assessed the diversity effects on yield and resistance to weed invasion. The tested species included two grasses and five legumes with contrasting temporal patterns and different climatic amplitudes. The communities differed in their specific composition (mixture types) and the relative abundance of the components, following a simplex design, which allowed us to estimate separately the two components of the diversity effect: the individual species effects and that due to species interactions. Whereas monocultures performed in a highly variable way within and across harvests, both in relation to yield and weed suppression, mixture variability was narrower. Both functions increased in mixtures(with significant interaction effects between 24% and 57% for yield and 13% and 96% for weed suppression), especially in those mixtures including Mediterranean species, which showed the highest diversity effects that persisted over the three experimental years. Extreme climatic events during the experimental period might have affected not only the species' individual performances but also the strength of species interactions. Both components of diversity, identities and interactions, were key in maintaining high performances. We conclude that, under the current climate change scenario, it is important to include species in mixtures that increase resistance or resilience not only at the species level but also at the community level, through enhanced interaction effects.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2013-49142-C2-1-R Agencia Estatal de Investigación CGL2017-85490-R
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Agroecology ; Climate change adaptation ; Diversity effects ; Forage persistence ; Mediterranean mountain systems ; Polycultures
Published in:	Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, Vol. 356 (October 2023) , art. 108601, ISSN 0167-8809

DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2023.108601

11 p, 1.5 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles