Shrub encroachment affects flooded grasslands

What is it about?

The encroachment of woody species has been globally reported over arid and semi-arid biomes, and has been associated with a decrease in cover and number of herbaceous species. We examined the effects of shrubby encroachment over the herbaceous community in tropical floodable grasslands. We found that encroachment impoverishes the herbaceous community decreasing the cover of important forage resources.

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Why is it important?

Natural grasslands are components of great ecological, economic and social importance, including in large wetland ecosystems. We associate and relate variables from grasslands community undergoing various levels of an encroaching woody specie cover. This approach allows us to check how species composition and vegetation structure changes from grasslands to shrublands. The increase in woody plant cover affects the rangeland economy since the product of encroachment should be managed to recover the grassland forage productivity for domesticated and wild grazing animals.