Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone

Autores
Sierra, Juan Francisco; Nieto Lugilde, Diego; Peláez, Daniel Valerio; Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The southwestern region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina) is a broad ecotone between the phytogeographic districts of Caldenal and Austral Pampa. This study aimed to identify the vegetation patterns defining this ecotone and determine the main environmental drivers of biogeographic change in these highly degraded ecosystems. To achieve this, vegetation sampling was conducted at 11 sites with three replicates per site, where plots and subplots were established to record species richness, cover, and shrub structural attributes. Multivariate analyses, including ordination (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) and classification, were applied. Additionally, environmental predictors included 10 bioclimatic variables, geographic distance, and the Human Influence Index (HII). A Generalized Dissimilarity Model (GDM) was employed to examine patterns of compositional turnover while accounting for both natural and anthropogenic influences. This modelling framework allowed testing hypotheses regarding each driver's relative contribution to community composition, the estimation of explained deviance, and the spatial projection of results as beta-diversity maps across the study region. Based on these analyses, a total of 179 species were identified in the 33 vegetation censuses. Plots were classified into five groups based on their vegetation composition. The GDM explained 68.48% of the variation in species compositional turnover. The primary drivers identified (based on the sum of I-spline coefficients) were potential evapotranspiration (0.955) and geographic distance (0.827), followed by the HII (0.445) and maximum temperature (0.252). Consequently, three main different vegetation regions were recognized: the Caldenal district, the Austral Pampa district, and the Sierra de la Ventana region, which were also divided into subregions. Overall, Our findings identify five distinct plant community groups that define the subregional patterns of the Caldenal–Austral Pampa ecotone. Compositional turnover is primarily driven by potential evapotranspiration, which governs the transition from herb-dominated to woody-plant-dominated formations as water stress increases towards the west. Geographic distance maintains the biological uniqueness of isolated systems like Sierra de la Ventana, while human activity acts as a significant ecological filter, particularly on the eastern border. These results provide a robust, quantified framework for ecoregional mapping and conservation strategies in highly transformed landscapes.
EEA Bordenave
Fil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina
Fil: Nieto Lugilde, Diego. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal; España
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Puenos Aires (CIC); Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina
Fil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bordenave; Argentina
Fuente
Austral Ecology 51 (7) : e70270. (July 2026)
Materia
Comunidades Vegetales
Vegetación
Diversidad de Especies
Factores Climáticos
Fitogeografía
Plant Communities
Vegetation
Species Diversity
Climatic Factors
Phytogeography
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso restringido
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/27087
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/27087
network_acronym_str INTADig
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network_name_str INTA Digital (INTA)
spelling Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotoneSierra, Juan FranciscoNieto Lugilde, DiegoPeláez, Daniel ValerioTizon, Francisco RodrigoComunidades VegetalesVegetaciónDiversidad de EspeciesFactores ClimáticosFitogeografíaPlant CommunitiesVegetationSpecies DiversityClimatic FactorsPhytogeographyThe southwestern region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina) is a broad ecotone between the phytogeographic districts of Caldenal and Austral Pampa. This study aimed to identify the vegetation patterns defining this ecotone and determine the main environmental drivers of biogeographic change in these highly degraded ecosystems. To achieve this, vegetation sampling was conducted at 11 sites with three replicates per site, where plots and subplots were established to record species richness, cover, and shrub structural attributes. Multivariate analyses, including ordination (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) and classification, were applied. Additionally, environmental predictors included 10 bioclimatic variables, geographic distance, and the Human Influence Index (HII). A Generalized Dissimilarity Model (GDM) was employed to examine patterns of compositional turnover while accounting for both natural and anthropogenic influences. This modelling framework allowed testing hypotheses regarding each driver's relative contribution to community composition, the estimation of explained deviance, and the spatial projection of results as beta-diversity maps across the study region. Based on these analyses, a total of 179 species were identified in the 33 vegetation censuses. Plots were classified into five groups based on their vegetation composition. The GDM explained 68.48% of the variation in species compositional turnover. The primary drivers identified (based on the sum of I-spline coefficients) were potential evapotranspiration (0.955) and geographic distance (0.827), followed by the HII (0.445) and maximum temperature (0.252). Consequently, three main different vegetation regions were recognized: the Caldenal district, the Austral Pampa district, and the Sierra de la Ventana region, which were also divided into subregions. Overall, Our findings identify five distinct plant community groups that define the subregional patterns of the Caldenal–Austral Pampa ecotone. Compositional turnover is primarily driven by potential evapotranspiration, which governs the transition from herb-dominated to woody-plant-dominated formations as water stress increases towards the west. Geographic distance maintains the biological uniqueness of isolated systems like Sierra de la Ventana, while human activity acts as a significant ecological filter, particularly on the eastern border. These results provide a robust, quantified framework for ecoregional mapping and conservation strategies in highly transformed landscapes.EEA BordenaveFil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); ArgentinaFil: Nieto Lugilde, Diego. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal; EspañaFil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Puenos Aires (CIC); ArgentinaFil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bordenave; ArgentinaWiley2026-07-21T17:51:48Z2026-07-21T17:51:48Z2026-07-19info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27087https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.702701442-9993 (Online)1442-9985 (impreso)https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70270Austral Ecology 51 (7) : e70270. (July 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-09-24T11:43:29Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/27087instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-09-24 11:43:30.599INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
title Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
spellingShingle Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
Sierra, Juan Francisco
Comunidades Vegetales
Vegetación
Diversidad de Especies
Factores Climáticos
Fitogeografía
Plant Communities
Vegetation
Species Diversity
Climatic Factors
Phytogeography
title_short Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
title_full Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
title_fullStr Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
title_full_unstemmed Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
title_sort Relationships between climatic gradient and community patterns in the Caldenal—Austral Pampa ecotone
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Sierra, Juan Francisco
Nieto Lugilde, Diego
Peláez, Daniel Valerio
Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo
author Sierra, Juan Francisco
author_facet Sierra, Juan Francisco
Nieto Lugilde, Diego
Peláez, Daniel Valerio
Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo
author_role author
author2 Nieto Lugilde, Diego
Peláez, Daniel Valerio
Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Comunidades Vegetales
Vegetación
Diversidad de Especies
Factores Climáticos
Fitogeografía
Plant Communities
Vegetation
Species Diversity
Climatic Factors
Phytogeography
topic Comunidades Vegetales
Vegetación
Diversidad de Especies
Factores Climáticos
Fitogeografía
Plant Communities
Vegetation
Species Diversity
Climatic Factors
Phytogeography
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The southwestern region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina) is a broad ecotone between the phytogeographic districts of Caldenal and Austral Pampa. This study aimed to identify the vegetation patterns defining this ecotone and determine the main environmental drivers of biogeographic change in these highly degraded ecosystems. To achieve this, vegetation sampling was conducted at 11 sites with three replicates per site, where plots and subplots were established to record species richness, cover, and shrub structural attributes. Multivariate analyses, including ordination (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) and classification, were applied. Additionally, environmental predictors included 10 bioclimatic variables, geographic distance, and the Human Influence Index (HII). A Generalized Dissimilarity Model (GDM) was employed to examine patterns of compositional turnover while accounting for both natural and anthropogenic influences. This modelling framework allowed testing hypotheses regarding each driver's relative contribution to community composition, the estimation of explained deviance, and the spatial projection of results as beta-diversity maps across the study region. Based on these analyses, a total of 179 species were identified in the 33 vegetation censuses. Plots were classified into five groups based on their vegetation composition. The GDM explained 68.48% of the variation in species compositional turnover. The primary drivers identified (based on the sum of I-spline coefficients) were potential evapotranspiration (0.955) and geographic distance (0.827), followed by the HII (0.445) and maximum temperature (0.252). Consequently, three main different vegetation regions were recognized: the Caldenal district, the Austral Pampa district, and the Sierra de la Ventana region, which were also divided into subregions. Overall, Our findings identify five distinct plant community groups that define the subregional patterns of the Caldenal–Austral Pampa ecotone. Compositional turnover is primarily driven by potential evapotranspiration, which governs the transition from herb-dominated to woody-plant-dominated formations as water stress increases towards the west. Geographic distance maintains the biological uniqueness of isolated systems like Sierra de la Ventana, while human activity acts as a significant ecological filter, particularly on the eastern border. These results provide a robust, quantified framework for ecoregional mapping and conservation strategies in highly transformed landscapes.
EEA Bordenave
Fil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Sierra, Juan Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina
Fil: Nieto Lugilde, Diego. Universidad de Córdoba. Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal; España
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Puenos Aires (CIC); Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina
Fil: Peláez, Daniel Valerio. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentina
Fil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS). Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Tizon, Francisco Rodrigo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bordenave; Argentina
description The southwestern region of Buenos Aires province (Argentina) is a broad ecotone between the phytogeographic districts of Caldenal and Austral Pampa. This study aimed to identify the vegetation patterns defining this ecotone and determine the main environmental drivers of biogeographic change in these highly degraded ecosystems. To achieve this, vegetation sampling was conducted at 11 sites with three replicates per site, where plots and subplots were established to record species richness, cover, and shrub structural attributes. Multivariate analyses, including ordination (Canonical Correspondence Analysis) and classification, were applied. Additionally, environmental predictors included 10 bioclimatic variables, geographic distance, and the Human Influence Index (HII). A Generalized Dissimilarity Model (GDM) was employed to examine patterns of compositional turnover while accounting for both natural and anthropogenic influences. This modelling framework allowed testing hypotheses regarding each driver's relative contribution to community composition, the estimation of explained deviance, and the spatial projection of results as beta-diversity maps across the study region. Based on these analyses, a total of 179 species were identified in the 33 vegetation censuses. Plots were classified into five groups based on their vegetation composition. The GDM explained 68.48% of the variation in species compositional turnover. The primary drivers identified (based on the sum of I-spline coefficients) were potential evapotranspiration (0.955) and geographic distance (0.827), followed by the HII (0.445) and maximum temperature (0.252). Consequently, three main different vegetation regions were recognized: the Caldenal district, the Austral Pampa district, and the Sierra de la Ventana region, which were also divided into subregions. Overall, Our findings identify five distinct plant community groups that define the subregional patterns of the Caldenal–Austral Pampa ecotone. Compositional turnover is primarily driven by potential evapotranspiration, which governs the transition from herb-dominated to woody-plant-dominated formations as water stress increases towards the west. Geographic distance maintains the biological uniqueness of isolated systems like Sierra de la Ventana, while human activity acts as a significant ecological filter, particularly on the eastern border. These results provide a robust, quantified framework for ecoregional mapping and conservation strategies in highly transformed landscapes.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-07-21T17:51:48Z
2026-07-21T17:51:48Z
2026-07-19
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27087
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.70270
1442-9993 (Online)
1442-9985 (impreso)
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70270
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27087
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aec.70270
https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.70270
identifier_str_mv 1442-9993 (Online)
1442-9985 (impreso)
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv restrictedAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Austral Ecology 51 (7) : e70270. (July 2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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