Woody plant invasions in Pampa Grasslands: A biogeographical and community assembly perspective

Abstract

Grasslands provide a number of ecosystem services that have been essential to human well-being since pre-historical times (Gibson 2009). Yet they also represent the most endangered terrestrial biome due to conversion into agricultural systems (Sala 2001). The grassland biome covers 15 million km 2 (11 %) of the Earth's surface with non-woody vegetation, excluding deserts and savannas (Sala 2001). Natural grasslands encompass vast regions including the North American Great Plains, the Eurasian steppes of Russia, China and Mongolia, and the South American Pampas (Gibson 2009).