Grazing affects shoot growth, nutrient and water status of Quercus ilex L. in Mediterranean open woodlands

Abstract

& Context Mediterranean open woodlands (dehesa) have faced a dual process of intensification and abandonment of grazing which has resulted in alteration of the understory vegetation. & Aims We analysed the effects of land use changes on the physiological status of holm oak in different open woodlands (dehesa) in southern Iberian Peninsula. & Methods In an area of extensive grazing, we selected six paired plots (one grazed, one abandoned) and grouped them by habitat types according to understory composition (nearly all monospecific Cistus ladanifer L. shrub or mixed shrub).