Grazing or Not Grazing: Implications for Ecosystem Services Provided by Biocrusts in Mediterranean Cork Oak Woodlands

摘要: Livestock grazing is one of the most common practices in managed woodlands affecting abundance and diversity plant soil communities. While effects have been studied thoroughly vascular plants, little known about consequences for lichens mosses (“biocrusts”) woodlands. However, these complex communities critical contributions to functioning drylands. We evaluated on biocrust functional composition Mediterranean cork-oak under long-term after 7 17 years exclusion. found four main groups region regarding trait ‘growth form’: fruticose foliose lichens, short tall mosses. Each group presented different water absorption retention capacity, showed group-specific temperature. Fruticose were sensitive grazing, decreasing dramatically cover with (~7 times). Also, this higher capacity (~19 h), together a consistent reducing effect temperature along gradient (up 0·9 °C). The shift pressure has direct microclimate regulation, likely influence other ecosystem processes such as CO2 fixation, surface protection habitat provision. In particular, regulation may affect regeneration processes, which concerns Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.