RT Journal Article
T1 Larger aboveground neighbourhood scales maximise similarity but do not eliminate discrepancies with belowground plant diversity in a Mediterraneanshrubland
A1 Illuminati, Ángel de la
A1 López Angulo, Jesús
A1 Cruz, Marcelino de la
A1 Chacón Labella, Julia
A1 Pescador, David S.
A1 Pías Couso, María Beatriz
A1 Sánchez, Ana M.
A1 Escudero Alcántara, Adrián
A1 Matesanz, Silvia
AB Aims: An unresolved question in plant ecology is whether diversity of the aboveground and belowground compartments of a plant community is similar at different neighbourhood scales. We investigated how the similarity between both compartments varies with the aboveground sampling grain and if significant discrepancies exist between aboveground and belowground plant diversity at the maximum similarity scale. Methods We fully mapped the aboveground perennial plant community of a 64 m2 plot in a Mediterranean shrubland and analysed this compartment by assessing diversity in 5 to 50 cm radii circles centred in soil cores. We sampled 2.5 cm radius root cores at two different depths and identified plant species by using DNA metabarcoding to characterise the belowground compartment. We quantified differences in species richness, composition and species’ spatial distribution above- and belowground. Results: The differences between aboveground and belowground communities were affected by the size of the aboveground sampling grain and were minimised when considering a circle of 20 cm radius in the aboveground. We found a significant dissimilarity in richness and composition between the two compartments, with larger differences when considering the deeper soil layer only.Conclusions: Our results showed that the spatial grain selected to sample a plant community aboveground and belowground is critical to characterise them in a comparable manner. Although their composition is related, species distribution patterns strongly differ, suggesting the simultaneous action of different assembly mechanisms. Our results call for caution when studying community assembly considering only the standing vegetation, since total plant diversity can be underappreciated.
PB Springer
SN 0032-079X, Electronic: 1573-5036
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/8486
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/8486
LA eng
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
NO Comunidad de Madrid
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 abr 2025