Does shrub encroachment reduce foraging grass abundance through plant-plant competition in Lesotho mountain rangelands?

ABSTRACT: Shrub encroachment is understood to be an important problem facing rangeland ecosystems globally. The phenomenon is still poorly understood both in regard to its impacts (e.g., on diversity, productivity, and soil properties) and its causes. We study the impacts and causes of dwarf shrub encroachment in the highlands of Lesotho. There, shrubs have been described as indicators of generalized land degradation and soil erosion. Surprisingly, our findings show that grass abundance is not reduced by shrub abundance, but that forb abundance does decrease with shrub abundance. We suggest that not enough research has been done to examine the role of forbs in livestock diets, nor in assessing its role in plant-plant competition in grass-shrub systems. Equating shrub presence with declines in availa

SUBMITTER: Root-Bernstein M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9377333 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature