From protégé to nurse plant: establishment of thorny shrubs in grazed temperate woodlands

摘要: Question Thorny shrubs play keystone roles in grazed ecosystems by defending non-protected plants against herbivores, but their establishment is poorly understood. Which factors control of recruits thorny nurse temperate woodlands? Location Ancient woodlands (52 degrees 32'N, 6 36'E), The Netherlands. Methods We surveyed biotic and abiotic for saplings plots with without saplings. To disentangle these factors, we performed a transplantation experiment over two growing seasons shrub (Prunus spinosa Crataegus monogyna) planted dominant vegetation types - tall unpalatable swards short lawns half them protected from herbivory via exclosures. Results Plots had taller surrounding vegetation, higher soil pH moisture than These predominantly contained sward species, while mainly palatable lawn species. After transplantation, sapling survival was exclosures the open, Sapling growth lawns, inside outside exclosures, Prunus Crataegus, browsing on lawns. Conclusion Unpalatable form essential niches woodlands: they protect herbivores before thorns fully develop saplings, better due to improved micro-environmental conditions. Once established thorny, grow out protective range turn facilitate tree seedlings, which are long-term persistence woodlands. This study shows that may start as proteges becoming facilitators other later life stage. be common various ecosystems. argue understanding constraining crucial effective conservation restoration