Crop presence, but not genetic diversity, impacts on the rare arable plant Valerianella rimosa

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Title: Crop presence, but not genetic diversity, impacts on the rare arable plant Valerianella rimosa
Authors: Brooker, Rob W. | Karley, Alison J. | Morcillo Juliá, Luna | Newton, Adrian C. | Pakeman, Robin J. | Schöb, Christian
Research Group/s: Gestión de Ecosistemas y de la Biodiversidad (GEB)
Center, Department or Service: Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Ecología | Universidad de Alicante. Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef"
Keywords: Arable crop | Barley | Conservation | Facilitation | Rare arable plant | Valerianella rimosa
Knowledge Area: Ecología
Issue Date: 2017
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Citation: Plant Ecology & Diversity. 2017, 10(5-6): 495-507. doi:10.1080/17550874.2018.1437646
Abstract: Background: Intensive farming affects farmland biodiversity, and some arable plants in particular. Increasing crop genetic diversity can increase crop productivity or resilience and could also benefit rare arable plants. Aims: We examined whether barley presence, sowing density and genetic diversity impacted the rare plant Valerianella rimosa and explored possible underlying mechanisms. Methods: In a field study near Dundee, Scotland, we sowed plots of five single barley genotypes, and all five genotypes combined, at three densities; we also had barley-free plots. Valerianella seeds were sown into half of all plots. Measured responses included early-season cover and harvest biomass of barley and common weeds, abiotic parameters (soil moisture, light) and establishment, biomass and seed production by V. rimosa. Results: Barley presence promoted V. rimosa establishment early in the growing season, but without barley density or genetic diversity effects. By harvest, the impact of barley presence on V. rimosa abundance was lost; there were no effects on Valerianella seed production. Barley negatively impacted common weeds, but V. rimosa did not benefit from any indirect facilitation by barley, being bigger without barley. Conclusions: Early beneficial effects of barley on V. rimosa abundance appear offset by late-season competition. However, limited impacts of barley on V. rimosa reproductive success, and negative impacts on common weeds, indicate crops might play a role in conservation management of rare arable plants by creating space in the weed community.
Sponsor: This work was supported by the Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government through the Strategic Research Programmes 2011–2016 and 2016–2021. CS was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (PZ00P3_148261 and PA00P3_136474).
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10045/76213
ISSN: 1755-0874 (Print) | 1755-1668 (Online)
DOI: 10.1080/17550874.2018.1437646
Language: eng
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Rights: © 2018 Botanical Society of Scotland and Taylor & Francis
Peer Review: si
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2018.1437646
Appears in Collections:INV - GEB - Artículos de Revistas

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