Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30192858›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Floristic and structural assessment of Australian rangeland vegetation with standardized plot-based surveys.

Zdravko Baruch, Stefan Caddy-Retalic, Greg R Guerin, Ben Sparrow, Emrys Leitch, Andrew Tokmakoff, Andrew J Lowe

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zdravko BaruchTerrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, University of Adelaide Node, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7264-4812
Stefan Caddy-RetalicSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Greg R GuerinTerrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, University of Adelaide Node, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Ben SparrowTerrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, University of Adelaide Node, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Emrys LeitchTerrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, University of Adelaide Node, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Andrew TokmakoffTerrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, University of Adelaide Node, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Andrew J LoweSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We describe and correlate environmental, floristic and structural vegetation traits of a large portion of Australian rangelands. We analysed 351 one hectare vegetation plots surveyed by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) using the AusPlots Rangelands standardized method. The AusPlots Rangelands method involves surveying 1010 one meter-spaced point-intercepts (IPs) per plot. At each IP, species were scored, categorised by growth-form, converted to percentage cover as the input for the plot x species matrix. Vegetation structure is depicted by growth-form configuration and relative importance. The floristic and structural distance matrices were correlated with the Mantel test. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) related floristic composition to environmental variables sourced from WorldClim, the Atlas of Living Australia and TERN's Soil and Landscape Grid. Differences between clusters were tested with ANOVA while principal component analysis (PCA) ordered the plots within the environmental space. Our plot x species matrix required segmentation due to sparsity and high β-diversity. Based on the ordination of plots latitude within environmental space, the matrix was segmented into three "superclusters": the winter rain and temperate Mediterranean, the monsoonal rain savannas and the arid deserts. Further classification, with the UPGMA linkage method, generated two, four and five clusters, respectively. All groupings are described by species richness, diversity indices and growth form conformation. Several floristic disjunctions were apparent and their possible causes are discussed. For all superclusters, the correspondence between the floristic and the structural or growth form matrices was statistically significant. CCA ordination clearly demarcated all groupings. Aridity, rainfall, temperature, seasonality, soil nitrogen and pH are significant correlates to the ordination of superclusters and clusters. At present, our results are influenced by incomplete sampling. As more sites are surveyed, this pioneer analysis will be updated and refined providing tools for the effective management of Australian rangelands.

Indexed as

EcosystemEnvironmentAnalysis of VarianceAustraliaClimateConservation of Natural ResourcesGeographyGrasslandMagnoliopsidaPrincipal Component AnalysisRainSeasonsSoilSpecies SpecificitySoil

Identifiers

PMID30192858
PMCPMC6128463

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.