Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina

Autores
Guzman, Luis Miguel; Enrico, Lucas; Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia; Quiroga, Raul Emiliano; Villagra, Pablo Eugenio
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
In dry woodlands like the Argentine Dry Chaco, native woodland degradation due to intensive cattle ranching results in the formation of shrublands with low forage productivity. To counteract this decrease in productivity, land managers often remove shrubs using different methods and sow exotic grasses, which can replace native grasses. After 5–10 years of this management, woody plants (shrubs and trees) recover most of their biomass. The removal treatments may change species functioning (i.e., their growth or their defences against herbivores) with consequences for forage productivity. We investigated whether shrub removal by different methods of distinct mechanical intensity (roller-chopping and hand-cutting) promotes intraspecific and community-level changes in plant traits. We found that hand-cutting promoted a more acquisitive leaf syndrome, characterised by higher specific leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content, while simultaneously increasing physical defences (spine length and number). This simultaneous increase in acquisitive and defensive traits challenges the expected trade-off between resource acquisition and defence. In contrast, roller-chopping mainly promoted increases in spine number and in traits associated with resprouting, such as the number of basal stems, a pattern that was also observed under hand-cutting. The differences observed in the removal treatments relative to the reference forest and the untreated shrubland were expressed at both the species and community levels. Changes in total trait variation were explained primarily by a greater contribution of intraspecific variability relative to interspecific variability. Our results suggest that shrub removal practices do not generate uniform functional responses, but rather trajectories that depend on the intensity and type of disturbance applied (roller-chopping or hand-cutting), with potential implications for vegetation dynamics, livestock accessibility, and ecosystem functioning. Moreover, our findings demonstrate how information derived from functional traits can inform and guide management practices.
EEA La Rioja
Fil: Guzman, Luis Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Quiroga, Raul Emiliano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Catamarca; Argentina
Fil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.
Fil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.
Fuente
Forest Ecology and Management 619 : 124082. (November 2026)
Materia
Plantas Leñosas
Formación Boscosa
Arbustos
Picadora
Argentina
Woody Plants
Woodlands
Shrubs
Choppers
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:20.500.12123/27003
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/27003
network_acronym_str INTADig
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network_name_str INTA Digital (INTA)
spelling Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central ArgentinaGuzman, Luis MiguelEnrico, LucasPerez Harguindeguy, NataliaQuiroga, Raul EmilianoVillagra, Pablo EugenioPlantas LeñosasFormación BoscosaArbustosPicadoraArgentinaWoody PlantsWoodlandsShrubsChoppersIn dry woodlands like the Argentine Dry Chaco, native woodland degradation due to intensive cattle ranching results in the formation of shrublands with low forage productivity. To counteract this decrease in productivity, land managers often remove shrubs using different methods and sow exotic grasses, which can replace native grasses. After 5–10 years of this management, woody plants (shrubs and trees) recover most of their biomass. The removal treatments may change species functioning (i.e., their growth or their defences against herbivores) with consequences for forage productivity. We investigated whether shrub removal by different methods of distinct mechanical intensity (roller-chopping and hand-cutting) promotes intraspecific and community-level changes in plant traits. We found that hand-cutting promoted a more acquisitive leaf syndrome, characterised by higher specific leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content, while simultaneously increasing physical defences (spine length and number). This simultaneous increase in acquisitive and defensive traits challenges the expected trade-off between resource acquisition and defence. In contrast, roller-chopping mainly promoted increases in spine number and in traits associated with resprouting, such as the number of basal stems, a pattern that was also observed under hand-cutting. The differences observed in the removal treatments relative to the reference forest and the untreated shrubland were expressed at both the species and community levels. Changes in total trait variation were explained primarily by a greater contribution of intraspecific variability relative to interspecific variability. Our results suggest that shrub removal practices do not generate uniform functional responses, but rather trajectories that depend on the intensity and type of disturbance applied (roller-chopping or hand-cutting), with potential implications for vegetation dynamics, livestock accessibility, and ecosystem functioning. Moreover, our findings demonstrate how information derived from functional traits can inform and guide management practices.EEA La RiojaFil: Guzman, Luis Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Quiroga, Raul Emiliano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.Fil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.Elsevier2026-07-14T14:19:08Z2026-07-14T14:19:08Z2026-11info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27003https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S03781127260058030378-11271872-7042https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124082Forest Ecology and Management 619 : 124082. (November 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)2026-09-24T11:43:27Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/27003instacron: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 11:43:28.646INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
title Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
spellingShingle Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
Guzman, Luis Miguel
Plantas Leñosas
Formación Boscosa
Arbustos
Picadora
Argentina
Woody Plants
Woodlands
Shrubs
Choppers
title_short Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
title_full Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
title_fullStr Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
title_sort Functional diversity of woody plants as a response to shrub removal practices in degraded woodlands of central Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Guzman, Luis Miguel
Enrico, Lucas
Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia
Quiroga, Raul Emiliano
Villagra, Pablo Eugenio
author Guzman, Luis Miguel
author_facet Guzman, Luis Miguel
Enrico, Lucas
Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia
Quiroga, Raul Emiliano
Villagra, Pablo Eugenio
author_role author
author2 Enrico, Lucas
Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia
Quiroga, Raul Emiliano
Villagra, Pablo Eugenio
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Plantas Leñosas
Formación Boscosa
Arbustos
Picadora
Argentina
Woody Plants
Woodlands
Shrubs
Choppers
topic Plantas Leñosas
Formación Boscosa
Arbustos
Picadora
Argentina
Woody Plants
Woodlands
Shrubs
Choppers
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv In dry woodlands like the Argentine Dry Chaco, native woodland degradation due to intensive cattle ranching results in the formation of shrublands with low forage productivity. To counteract this decrease in productivity, land managers often remove shrubs using different methods and sow exotic grasses, which can replace native grasses. After 5–10 years of this management, woody plants (shrubs and trees) recover most of their biomass. The removal treatments may change species functioning (i.e., their growth or their defences against herbivores) with consequences for forage productivity. We investigated whether shrub removal by different methods of distinct mechanical intensity (roller-chopping and hand-cutting) promotes intraspecific and community-level changes in plant traits. We found that hand-cutting promoted a more acquisitive leaf syndrome, characterised by higher specific leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content, while simultaneously increasing physical defences (spine length and number). This simultaneous increase in acquisitive and defensive traits challenges the expected trade-off between resource acquisition and defence. In contrast, roller-chopping mainly promoted increases in spine number and in traits associated with resprouting, such as the number of basal stems, a pattern that was also observed under hand-cutting. The differences observed in the removal treatments relative to the reference forest and the untreated shrubland were expressed at both the species and community levels. Changes in total trait variation were explained primarily by a greater contribution of intraspecific variability relative to interspecific variability. Our results suggest that shrub removal practices do not generate uniform functional responses, but rather trajectories that depend on the intensity and type of disturbance applied (roller-chopping or hand-cutting), with potential implications for vegetation dynamics, livestock accessibility, and ecosystem functioning. Moreover, our findings demonstrate how information derived from functional traits can inform and guide management practices.
EEA La Rioja
Fil: Guzman, Luis Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Rioja; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina.
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina
Fil: Perez Harguindeguy, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Quiroga, Raul Emiliano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Catamarca; Argentina
Fil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.
Fil: Villagra, Pablo Eugenio. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA); Argentina.
description In dry woodlands like the Argentine Dry Chaco, native woodland degradation due to intensive cattle ranching results in the formation of shrublands with low forage productivity. To counteract this decrease in productivity, land managers often remove shrubs using different methods and sow exotic grasses, which can replace native grasses. After 5–10 years of this management, woody plants (shrubs and trees) recover most of their biomass. The removal treatments may change species functioning (i.e., their growth or their defences against herbivores) with consequences for forage productivity. We investigated whether shrub removal by different methods of distinct mechanical intensity (roller-chopping and hand-cutting) promotes intraspecific and community-level changes in plant traits. We found that hand-cutting promoted a more acquisitive leaf syndrome, characterised by higher specific leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content, while simultaneously increasing physical defences (spine length and number). This simultaneous increase in acquisitive and defensive traits challenges the expected trade-off between resource acquisition and defence. In contrast, roller-chopping mainly promoted increases in spine number and in traits associated with resprouting, such as the number of basal stems, a pattern that was also observed under hand-cutting. The differences observed in the removal treatments relative to the reference forest and the untreated shrubland were expressed at both the species and community levels. Changes in total trait variation were explained primarily by a greater contribution of intraspecific variability relative to interspecific variability. Our results suggest that shrub removal practices do not generate uniform functional responses, but rather trajectories that depend on the intensity and type of disturbance applied (roller-chopping or hand-cutting), with potential implications for vegetation dynamics, livestock accessibility, and ecosystem functioning. Moreover, our findings demonstrate how information derived from functional traits can inform and guide management practices.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-07-14T14:19:08Z
2026-07-14T14:19:08Z
2026-11
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/20.500.12123/27003
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112726005803
0378-1127
1872-7042
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124082
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27003
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378112726005803
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124082
identifier_str_mv 0378-1127
1872-7042
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 Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Forest Ecology and Management 619 : 124082. (November 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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score 12.733355

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