Summary: -1
Research Article
Scale-dependent influence of topography-based hydrologic features on patterns
of woody plant encroachment in savanna landscapes
X. Ben Wu1,
* and Steven R. Archer2
1
Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-
2126, USA; 2
School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0043, USA; *Author for
correspondence (e-mail: xbw@tamu.edu)
Received 21 October 2004; accepted in revised form 20 January 2005
Key words: Prosopis glandulosa, Ecohydrology, Tree­grass interactions, Parkland, Vegetation change,
Wetness index, Scale multiplicity, Woody plant encroachment, Southwestern USA
Abstract
Rainfall in drylands is erratic. Topographic features of landscapes can dampen or amplify temporal var-
iability by spatially influencing patterns of water loss and accumulation. The extent to which portions of a
landscape may differentially capture or retain scarce water and nutrient resources is an important deter-
minant of vegetation patterns, particularly with respect to the distribution of woody plants. We therefore
hypothesized that historic changes in woody cover on landscapes experiencing similar climate and dis-

Source: Archer, Steven R. - Savanna/Woodland Ecology Lab., School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona

Collections: Environmental Sciences and Ecology