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J. Linneman Oklahoma State University Department of Botany 104 Life Sciences East Stillwater OK 74078 USA

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M. Palmer Oklahoma State University Department of Botany 104 Life Sciences East Stillwater OK 74078 USA

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We established transects under twenty Juniperus virginiana trees that invaded an unburned central Oklahoma grassland within the last 20 years to determine their effects on plant species composition. Species richness and stem density increased as distance from the trunk increased. Stem density was also higher towards the south side of trees. Graminoid, forb and total cover were related to distance from the trunk and transect direction. Ordination revealed weak compositional gradients related to “openness” and compass direction. Woody species tended to be most abundant underneath J. virginiana canopies whereas grass and forb species were most abundant in the prairie. Woody and shade-tolerant species preferentially occurred in north transects and quadrats underneath the tree. Conversely, forbs had highest abundance on edge quadrats whereas graminoids dominated south transects and prairie quadrats. Thus, invasion of grasslands by J. virginiana influences species composition in a spatially complex manner.

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Community Ecology
Language English
Size A4
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2000
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Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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ISSN 1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2756 (Online)