气候变化领域集成服务门户(CCPortal): A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk

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DOI	10.3389/ffgc.2024.1343069
	A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk
	Bueno, Rafael Silveira; Badalamenti, Emilio; Sala, Giovanna; La Mantia, Tommaso
发表日期	2024
EISSN	2624-893X
起始页码	7
卷号	7
英文摘要	Introduction The Mediterranean is the European region with the lowest woody cover and the highest level of habitat degradation, being highly susceptible to climate change effects and desertification risk. In such worrying conditions, increasing woody cover and restoring forests is a major goal established in several international commitments. However, recruitment limitation of woody species is rather frequent both within natural regeneration processes and active restoration programs, particularly due to drought, overgrazing, and a lack of post-planting tending operations. Therefore, finding suitable tools to improve the recruitment success of native woody species is of crucial importance. Methods We assessed woody natural regeneration under abandoned prickly pear orchards, olive trees, and nearby open areas in three sites under high desertification risk in central Sicily (Italy). Then, we tested for differences in density, richness, diversity, height, and basal diameter of the woody recruiting species between these three habitats. Results and discussion Natural regeneration was widespread under prickly pear, with 94.6% of the sampled plots showing at least one recruit, in comparison to 61.6% of plots under olive and 22.3% in open areas. Natural regeneration density under prickly pears (114 +/- 99 individuals m-2) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than under olive trees (60.4 +/- 76.4) and open areas (4.6 +/- 9.3). Recruits' diversity, basal diameter, and height were also significantly higher under prickly pear, concentrating 94.4% of the individuals higher than 100 cm and all late successional species. Our results indicate a great potential for prickly pears to accelerate the natural regeneration of Mediterranean woody species in areas under desertification. However, a site-specific evaluation must be made taking into account prickly pear's historical presence, temporary income as a crop, management capacity and, especially, its invasive potential.
英文关键词	desertification; ecological restoration; Mediterranean forests; oak; plant-plant facilitation; recruitment limitation; seed dispersal; Quercus
语种	英语
WOS研究方向	Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Forestry
WOS类目	Ecology ; Forestry
WOS记录号	WOS:001159776400001
来源期刊	FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://gcip.llas.ac.cn/handle/2XKMVOVA/303842
作者单位	University of Palermo
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Bueno, Rafael Silveira,Badalamenti, Emilio,Sala, Giovanna,et al. A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk[J],2024,7.
APA	Bueno, Rafael Silveira,Badalamenti, Emilio,Sala, Giovanna,&La Mantia, Tommaso.(2024).A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk.FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE,7.
MLA	Bueno, Rafael Silveira,et al."A crop for a forest: Opuntia ficus-indica as a tool for the restoration of Mediterranean forests in areas at desertification risk".FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE 7(2024).