Diversity and functional traits of spontaneous plant species in Algerian rangelands rehabilitated with prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) plantations
The prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.
Miller) is a xerophytic cactus species widely cultivated in arid and
semiarid regions worldwide and used in rehabilitation programs of
rangelands in Algeria since 1990. This study analyzed the diversity and
functional traits of plant species established in prickly pear
plantations growing under arid and semiarid climates. A 3-year plant
assessment (2008-2010) was carried out using ecological descriptors
(abundance, species richness, diversity indices, disturbance index, and
Jaccard index) and plant functional traits (life forms, chorological
types, dispersal types, Grime's, Noy-Meir's strategies, and
morphological types). The results revealed 36 and 31 species in arid and
semiarid rangelands, respectively, with remarkable dominance of
therophytic
(43.2%) and hemicryptophytic plants (41.1%) growing in the semiarid
climatic zone. The Shannon and diversity index showed low values
(0.93-1.84 in surveyed rangelands) with a maximum of 2.74 in 2009. The
disturbance index ranged between 51% and 55% and the dispersion scheme
of diaspores was dominated by anemochorous plants. The chorological
analysis indicated that the study plants were oriented towards a
Mediterranean pattern in the broad sense. The predominant adaptive
strategies of Grime were ruderal-stresstolerant (RS),
competitive-stress-tolerant (CS) and competitive-ruderals (CR), which
were attached to the two strategies of Noy-Meir
(aridopassives and aridoactives).
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