Abstract
Prosopis denudans, an extreme xerophyte shrub, is consumed by ungulates and threatened by firewood gathering, because it is one of the preferred species used by Mapuche indigenous people of Patagonia. In a scenario of uncontrolled use of vegetation, it is very difficult to develop a conservation plan that jointly protects natural resources and its users. We performed a field experiment to assess the impact of defoliation on growth, reproduction and stores of a wild population of P. denudans. We imposed four levels of defoliation (removal of 100, 66, 33 and 0% of leaves) and evaluated the short- and long-term (3 years) effects of this disturbance. Seasonal changes in shoot carbohydrates suggested that they support leaf-flush and blooming. Severely defoliated individuals also used root reserves to support growth and leaf-flush after clipping. Vegetative growth was not affected by defoliation history. Leaf mass area increased after the initial clipping, suggesting the development of structural defenses. The depletion of root reserves at the end of the first year affected inflorescence production the following spring. We conclude that P. denudans shrubs could lose up to one-third of their green tissues without affecting growth or inflorescence production. The removal of a higher proportion of leaves will diminish stores, which in turn, will reduce or completely prevent blooming and, therefore, fruit production the following seasons. Very few studies integrate conservation and plant physiology, and we are not aware, so far, of any work dealing with long-term plant carbon economy of a long-lived perennial shrub as an applied tool in conservation. These results might help the development of management strategies that consider both the use and the conservation of wild populations of P. denudans.
Highlights
Since ancestral times, xeric species of the desert have been consumed by wildlife and used as edible, medicinal, fodder, construction and fuel resources by different aboriginal societies (Ladio and Lozada, 2009)
Along with the pressure posed by ungulates, firewood gathering contributes to the threat to P. denudans populations, because this is one of the preferred species used by Mapuche indigenous people of Northwestern Patagonia
We evaluated the dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) content of shoots (NSCshoot) over time
Summary
Xeric species of the desert have been consumed by wildlife and used as edible, medicinal, fodder, construction and fuel resources by different aboriginal societies (Ladio and Lozada, 2009). Prosopis denudans Bentham, the s outhernmost species of. Conservation Physiology Volume 4 2016 the genus, is a socially significant species, producing wild edible fruits frequently used by indigenous communities of Patagonia (Ladio and Lozada, 2004). Pods are consumed by sheep and guanaco (Lama guanicoe; Ladio and Lozada, 2009). These ungulates can have a dramatic impact on the vegetation of an ecosystem (Bergström and Edenius, 2003). Along with the pressure posed by ungulates, firewood gathering contributes to the threat to P. denudans populations, because this is one of the preferred species used by Mapuche indigenous people of Northwestern Patagonia. Extensive grazing and local firewood gathering threatens other multistem species of the genus Prosopis in the Monte desert (Villagra et al, 2005)
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