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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Author(s)
Guadalupe Klich
Full-Text PDF XML 739 Views
DOI:10.17265/2162-5298/2018.06.002
Affiliation(s)
Veterinary School, National University of Rio Negro, Choele Choel 8360, Argentina
ABSTRACT
From circa 1970, Elaeagnus
angustifolia (olivillo,
Russian olive) has been a notorious invader in the valley livestock fields at Mid
Valley of Rio Negro, in North Patagonia, Argentina. The species colonized riparian
and plain areas forming different stands. Once introduced in this semiarid
region, the seasonal and yearly climatic variations, as well as the flow regimen
of the river, influenced the colonization speed. Depending on the landscape, E. angustifolia stands may develop as monospecific
groups or in associations with other trees, leaving some uninvaded areas in-between.
The different shapes and the main species forming the canopy of the stands, affect
the floristic composition, and the cattle forage quality, of the US (Understory) community,
if compared with the uninvaded zones. Other herbaceous community can be distinguished
at the stands’ border. The description of the different stages on E. angustifolia colonization in Mid Valley
for 25 years, shows that the colonization was hastened by rainy years
and wet soils. Once established, and while the new specimens reached the reproductive
age, the enhancement of the population was the result of vegetative sprouting and
diminished US diversity. This period was immediately followed
by drought years, but the amelioration of soil quality of the already nitrogen fixating
roots and the attenuation of incident sunlight, benefited herbaceous strata under
the canopy of all the stand with Russian olive. Posterior changes in trees
composition and management of the cattle fields, influenced US diversity. Today, the herbaceous composition studies
show that, under dense monospecific population of E. angustifolia, the pasture reduces forage
quality because of the dominance of non-palatable species. Stands’ border areas
combine an enhanced nitrogen content in soils, and enough light to develop a herbaceous
community of annual and perennial grasses and forbs. An increment on biodiversity
and spontaneous forage biomass is noticed after the Russian olive plants are removed.
KEYWORDS
Elaeagnus angustifolia, invaders, US vegetation, forage resources, successions.
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