Mediterranean-climate oak savannas: The interplay between abiotic environment and species interactions

Teodoro Marañón, Francisco I. Pugnaire, Ragan M. Callaway

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mediterranean oak savannas cover about 4 million ha in California (northwest America) and 3 million ha in Spain and Portugal (southwest Europe), and are ecologically and socio-economically important systems. Here we review literature on the interactions between the two dominant elements of savannas - the oak overstorey, the herbaceous understorey, and the surrounding grassland matrix. We focus on the main ecological factors affecting the oak understorey environment: shade, soil moisture, soil nutrients, and animal-mediated effects. We then review the main features of the herbaceous community in the oak understorey, as compared to the adjacent open grassland, in terms of species composition, biomass, diversity, and soil seed bank. We examine processes associated with oak regeneration and growth, and their relationships with the herbaceous layer and other woody plants cover. Finally, we discuss the complex facilitative and interference interactions that occur in oak-grassland systems and review models proposed to explain the dynamics and coexistence of oak trees and herbaceous plants in savannas.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)30-43
Number of pages14
JournalWeb Ecology
Volume9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mediterranean-climate oak savannas: The interplay between abiotic environment and species interactions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this