Volume 19, Issue 2 (7-2025)
مرتع 2025, 19(2): 123-143 |
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Rahmani S, Jafarian Z, Ebrahimi A, Mojaradi B. Prediction of CSR Plant Functional Strategies Using Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Soil in Gadaman Wetland in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. مرتع 2025; 19 (2) :123-143
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1263-en.html
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1263-en.html
Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University
Abstract: (516 Views)
Background and objectives: The C-S-R (Competitive-Stress Tolerance-Ruderal Strategy) theory has been proposed as a framework for the functional classification of plants and for predicting how plant community structure changes along environmental gradients. It is expected that these strategies are balanced according to the primary factors affecting vegetation survival and distribution, such as environmental (climatic and edaphic) conditions. In this context, soil characteristics play a key role. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between plant CSR functional strategies and soil properties in the Gandaman wetland, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province.
Methodology: To examine the relationship between vegetation cover and environmental factors, the local flora was first identified, and the distribution of plant types was mapped using field surveys and a Global Positioning System (GPS). Vegetation sampling employed a randomized systematic approach with nested plots. Specifically, along 11 transects, 55 main plots were established, encompassing a total of 275 subplots. In each subplot, the percentage cover of plant species and litter was recorded. Key plant traits -leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA)- were measured for the species present, and plant strategies were classified according to the method of Pierce et al. (2013). In total, 55 soil samples were collected from the center of each main plot at a depth of 0–30 cm. The soil samples were analyzed for nitrogen, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, sand, clay, silt, pH, electrical conductivity, and calcium carbonate content. To assess the relationship between plant strategies and soil factors, a generalized additive model (GAM) was applied using R statistical software. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of soil characteristics on the spatial dominance of CSR plant strategies.
Results: The study identified a total of 14 plant strategy types in the region. The most species-rich family was Poaceae, represented by 11 species. Data indicated that certain species with the highest competitive (C) scores also exhibited the highest LDMC values. Consistent with previous findings, stress-tolerant species generally displayed low SLA values, reflecting slower growth rates. The research also suggested that low LDMC and high LA and SLA values may indicate species with high ruderal (R) scores. The results demonstrated a predominance of the competitive (C) strategy, particularly in the central part of the wetland, with the R strategy becoming more dominant towards the wetland margins. The stress-tolerant (S) strategy was relatively uncommon. The GAM model results showed that among the three strategies (C, S, and R), the ruderal strategy had the highest R² value (0.44), followed by the stress-tolerant strategy (R² = 0.41), and the competitive strategy (R² = 0.39).
Conclusion: This research showed that the functional traits and selected strategies of plant species can provide valuable insights for natural resource managers when evaluating ecosystem constraints and planning for sustainable use. Moreover, it may be possible to predict how species with particular strategies will respond -either positively or negatively- to changes in stress levels, such as those resulting from environmental variation.
Methodology: To examine the relationship between vegetation cover and environmental factors, the local flora was first identified, and the distribution of plant types was mapped using field surveys and a Global Positioning System (GPS). Vegetation sampling employed a randomized systematic approach with nested plots. Specifically, along 11 transects, 55 main plots were established, encompassing a total of 275 subplots. In each subplot, the percentage cover of plant species and litter was recorded. Key plant traits -leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA)- were measured for the species present, and plant strategies were classified according to the method of Pierce et al. (2013). In total, 55 soil samples were collected from the center of each main plot at a depth of 0–30 cm. The soil samples were analyzed for nitrogen, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, sand, clay, silt, pH, electrical conductivity, and calcium carbonate content. To assess the relationship between plant strategies and soil factors, a generalized additive model (GAM) was applied using R statistical software. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of soil characteristics on the spatial dominance of CSR plant strategies.
Results: The study identified a total of 14 plant strategy types in the region. The most species-rich family was Poaceae, represented by 11 species. Data indicated that certain species with the highest competitive (C) scores also exhibited the highest LDMC values. Consistent with previous findings, stress-tolerant species generally displayed low SLA values, reflecting slower growth rates. The research also suggested that low LDMC and high LA and SLA values may indicate species with high ruderal (R) scores. The results demonstrated a predominance of the competitive (C) strategy, particularly in the central part of the wetland, with the R strategy becoming more dominant towards the wetland margins. The stress-tolerant (S) strategy was relatively uncommon. The GAM model results showed that among the three strategies (C, S, and R), the ruderal strategy had the highest R² value (0.44), followed by the stress-tolerant strategy (R² = 0.41), and the competitive strategy (R² = 0.39).
Conclusion: This research showed that the functional traits and selected strategies of plant species can provide valuable insights for natural resource managers when evaluating ecosystem constraints and planning for sustainable use. Moreover, it may be possible to predict how species with particular strategies will respond -either positively or negatively- to changes in stress levels, such as those resulting from environmental variation.
Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
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Received: 2024/05/28 | Accepted: 2024/10/26 | Published: 2025/07/1
Received: 2024/05/28 | Accepted: 2024/10/26 | Published: 2025/07/1
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