ecology please and thank you 1. 2. How Does the Invasion of Grasslands by Shrubs

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ecology please and thank you

1.

2.

How Does the Invasion of Grasslands by Shrubs Influence Carbon Balance? .Vegetation change can occur as a result of many environmental factors, with consequences for the functioning of ecosystems important Woody shrubs have become more common in grasslands as a result of clim physical disturbances from land conversion, and grazing (in addition to other factors) . The change from a grass dominated community to one dominated by shru bs can important consequences for the uptake and storage of carbon (C) via net primary production (NPP) In some cas may result in greater NPP. Alternatively, sparser cover by shrubs relative t result in only a marginal increase in NPP ses, the increase in leaf area index (the leaf area of plants per unit of ground area) o grasses might n the predictions of increased shrub encroachment into grasslands as a result of anthropogenic activities it is important to understand the implications for C storage and climate change Alan Knapp and colleagues (2008) addressed the potential impact of shrub encroachment . into grasslands on NPP across North American sites ranging from Arctic tundra to arid grasslands of the southwest and moist grasslands of the Great Plains and southeastern coastal plain. Mean annual precipitation at the study sites ranged from 259 mm to 1,065 mm. The researchers measured aboveground NPP (ANPP) in replicate paired plots at each site, one a grassland plot and the other a shrub invaded plot (Table 1). . Table 1 ANPP (g/m?/yr) Grassland 135 150 230 400 335 350 Shrubland Site Sierra Madre, Wyoming Jornada, New Mexico Arctic, Alaska Vernon, Texas La Copita, Texas Konza, Kansas 40 110 510 560 1,200 1,320 1,560 Virginia Coast Reserve, Virginia

Explanation / Answer

1.) It is clearly visible that the mean value of NPP of the shrubland is higher than the mean NPP value of the Grasslands when calculated over the areas which are given in the Table. We can comment on the fact that the primary effect of shrub expansion on resource availability was an 87% reduction in light available to the herbaceous understorey. The Consequences of woody shrub encroachment on vegetation and soil dynamics have also been found to be indicative of environmental degradation as well as a future valuable carbon sink. Shrub islands are able to affect soil resources and light availability, promoting the fertile island effect and it also changes the local precipitation ,moisture contents and the temperature patterns in the near region.

2.)No, the magnitude and direction of the NPP is keep on changing and the amount of shrublands are increasing rapidly as compared to the grasslands in the area . One of the important and interesting pattern is the altitude(elevation) and grazing intensity of the area where these shrubs are being grown.Lower elevations are likely to find a higher availability of water, increasing the probability for success of shrub islands.Therefore, it was also predicted that areas with good moisture contents and medium amounts of grazing would be more likely to exhibit a more balanced habitat composition.

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