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Yang Z, Li J, Xiao R, Zhang C, Ma X, Du G, Li G, Jiang L. Losses of low-germinating, slow-growing species prevent grassland composition recovery from nutrient amendment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17264. [PMID: 38556774 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Nutrient enrichment often alters the biomass and species composition of plant communities, but the extent to which these changes are reversible after the cessation of nutrient addition is not well-understood. Our 22-year experiment (15 years for nutrient addition and 7 years for recovery), conducted in an alpine meadow, showed that soil nitrogen concentration and pH recovered rapidly after cessation of nutrient addition. However, this was not accompanied by a full recovery of plant community composition. An incomplete recovery in plant diversity and a directional shift in species composition from grass dominance to forb dominance were observed 7 years after the nutrient addition ended. Strikingy, the historically dominant sedges with low germination rate and slow growth rate and nitrogen-fixing legumes with low germination rate were unable to re-establish after nutrient addition ceased. By contrast, rapid recovery of aboveground biomass was observed after nutrient cessation as the increase in forb biomass only partially compensated for the decline in grass biomass. These results indicate that anthropogenic nutrient input can have long-lasting effects on the structure, but not the soil chemistry and plant biomass, of grassland communities, and that the recovery of soil chemical properties and plant biomass does not necessarily guarantee the restoration of plant community structure. These findings have important implications for the management and recovery of grassland communities, many of which are experiencing alterations in resource input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongling Yang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Junyong Li
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Dabieshan National Observation and Research Field Station of Forest Ecosystem, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Rui Xiao
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Xiaojun Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guozhen Du
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guoyong Li
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Dabieshan National Observation and Research Field Station of Forest Ecosystem, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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2
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Xu C, Silliman BR, Chen J, Li X, Thomsen MS, Zhang Q, Lee J, Lefcheck JS, Daleo P, Hughes BB, Jones HP, Wang R, Wang S, Smith CS, Xi X, Altieri AH, van de Koppel J, Palmer TM, Liu L, Wu J, Li B, He Q. Herbivory limits success of vegetation restoration globally. Science 2023; 382:589-594. [PMID: 37917679 DOI: 10.1126/science.add2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Restoring vegetation in degraded ecosystems is an increasingly common practice for promoting biodiversity and ecological function, but successful implementation is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the processes that limit restoration success. By synthesizing terrestrial and aquatic studies globally (2594 experimental tests from 610 articles), we reveal substantial herbivore control of vegetation under restoration. Herbivores at restoration sites reduced vegetation abundance more strongly (by 89%, on average) than those at relatively undegraded sites and suppressed, rather than fostered, plant diversity. These effects were particularly pronounced in regions with higher temperatures and lower precipitation. Excluding targeted herbivores temporarily or introducing their predators improved restoration by magnitudes similar to or greater than those achieved by managing plant competition or facilitation. Thus, managing herbivory is a promising strategy for enhancing vegetation restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Brian R Silliman
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Jianshe Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xincheng Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- Marine Ecology Research Group and Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Qun Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Juhyung Lee
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
- Department of Oceanography and Marine Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD, USA
| | - Pedro Daleo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP, CONICETC, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Brent B Hughes
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Holly P Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - Rong Wang
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Carter S Smith
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Xinqiang Xi
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Andrew H Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Johan van de Koppel
- Department of Estuarine and Delta Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Yerseke, Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lingli Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jihua Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bo Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Centre for Invasion Biology, Institute of Biodiversity, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qiang He
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Hamerlynck EP, O'Connor RC, Copeland SM. Reproductive compensatory photosynthesis in a semi-arid rangeland bunchgrass. Oecologia 2023; 201:625-635. [PMID: 36859721 PMCID: PMC10039093 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05341-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
While increased foliar photosynthesis is well documented across many plant species in response to diverse modes of herbivory, the compensatory ability of photosynthetically active reproductive structures is unknown. To address this, we partially defoliated basal florets in seed heads of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.), an exotic Eurasian perennial bunchgrass widely distributed across North American sagebrush steppe. We followed direct and indirect responses by tracking post-clipping photosynthesis in clipped basal and unclipped distal florets, respectively, and comparing these to similar florets on unclipped seed heads. Compensatory photosynthesis was apparent 24 h after clipping; over the pre-anthesis period, clipped basal floret photosynthesis was + 62%, stomatal conductance was + 82%, and PSII photochemical yield was - 39% of unclipped controls. After anthesis, intact florets distal to clipped florets had modestly higher photosynthetic rates compared to controls, while basal floret rates did not differ between treatments. Compensatory photosynthesis reduced intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE; photosynthesis/stomatal conductance) 68-40% below controls over pre- and post-anthesis periods, respectively. Specific mass (dry mass/area) of clipped florets was - 15% of controls, while florets distal to these had specific mass 11% greater than distal or basal florets on unclipped seed heads. These results suggest damaged basal florets provided carbon to unaffected distal florets. This could explain crested wheatgrass's ability to produce viable seeds under conditions limiting to native bunchgrasses, and presents a novel mechanism germane to the development of convergent drought- and grazing-tolerance traits important to arid and semi-arid rangeland plant community resilience to climate variability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rory C O'Connor
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Scientist, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, 67826A, OR-205, Burns, OR, 97720, USA
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4
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Welti EAR, Kaspari M. Sodium addition increases leaf herbivory and fungal damage across four grasslands. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen A. R. Welti
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt Gelnhausen Germany
| | - Michael Kaspari
- Geographical Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
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5
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Crawford MS, Schlägel UE, May F, Wurst S, Grimm V, Jeltsch F. While shoot herbivores reduce, root herbivores increase nutrient enrichment's impact on diversity in a grassland model. Ecology 2021; 102:e03333. [PMID: 33710633 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient enrichment is widespread throughout grassland systems and expected to increase during the Anthropocene. Trophic interactions, like aboveground herbivory, have been shown to mitigate its effect on plant diversity. Belowground herbivory may also impact these habitats' response to nutrient enrichment, but its influence is much less understood, and likely to depend on factors such as the herbivores' preference for dominant species and the symmetry of belowground competition. If preferential toward the dominant, fastest growing species, root herbivores may reduce these species' relative fitness and support diversity during nutrient enrichment. However, as plant competition belowground is commonly considered to be symmetric, root herbivores may be less impactful than shoot herbivores because they do not reduce any competitive asymmetry between the dominant and subordinate plants. To better understand this system, we used an established, two-layer, grassland community model to run a full-factorially designed simulation experiment, crossing the complete removal of aboveground herbivores and belowground herbivores with nutrient enrichment. After 100 yr of simulation, we analyzed communities' diversity, competition on the individual level, as well as their resistance and recovery. The model reproduced both observed general effects of nutrient enrichment in grasslands and the short-term trends of specific experiments. We found that belowground herbivores exacerbate the negative influence of nutrient enrichment on Shannon diversity within our model grasslands, while aboveground herbivores mitigate its effect. Indeed, data on individuals' above- and belowground resource uptake reveals that root herbivory reduces resource limitation belowground. As with nutrient enrichment, this shifts competition aboveground. Since shoot competition is asymmetric, with larger, taller individuals gathering disproportionate resources compared to their smaller, shorter counterparts, this shift promotes the exclusion of the smallest species. While increasing the root herbivores' preferences toward dominant species lessens their negative impact, at best they are only mildly advantageous, and they do very little reduce the negative consequences of nutrient enrichment. Because our model's belowground competition is symmetric, we hypothesize that root herbivores may be beneficial when root competition is asymmetric. Future research into belowground herbivory should account for the nature of competition belowground to better understand the herbivores' true influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Crawford
- Transformation Pathways, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Building A65 Room 120, P.O. Box 60 12 03, Telegraphenberg, Potsdam, 14412, Germany.,Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrike E Schlägel
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Felix May
- Theoretical Ecology, Institute for Biology, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Wurst
- Functional Biodiversity, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Grimm
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Biodiversity Economics, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
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6
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Zhang L, Lan S, Angelini C, Yi H, Zhao L, Chen L, Han G. Interactive effects of crab herbivory and spring drought on a Phragmites australis-dominated salt marsh in the Yellow River Delta. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 766:144254. [PMID: 33421778 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Consumers are often overlooked as key drivers of vegetation structure and ecosystem functioning in coastal wetlands. This oversight is particularly apparent in Asia, where much of the variation in coastal wetland plant growth and composition is attributed to physical stress gradients. To address this knowledge gap and quantify the relative importance of consumers in Asian coastal wetlands across temporal variation in environmental stress, we conducted a two-year experiment spanning relatively spring wet (2018) and spring dry (2019) years in which we manipulated the presence of the numerically dominant herbivorous crab, Helice tientsinensis, and evaluated its effects on Phragmites australis growth and structure in a Yellow River Delta salt marsh. In spring wetter 2018, Phragmites biomass and stem density were 75% and 34% higher in Crab Exclusion relative to Ambient Crab plots. In 2019 which experienced spring drought and elevated soil salinity, Phragmites biomass and stem density remained similarly high relative to 2018 in Crab Exclusion plots, but fell further, to only 16% and 39% of levels of 2018 observed in Ambient Crab plots. Phragmites' inflorescences density was also significantly reduced in Ambient Crab than Crab Exclusion plots in 2019. Together, these results highlight the significant role that crab herbivores can play in regulating Phragmites in Yellow River Delta salt marshes and suggest that the magnitude of their top-down control may be amplified, although in a non-additive manner, with spring drought stress in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; CAS Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China.
| | - Siqun Lan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; CAS Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China
| | - Christine Angelini
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, University of Florida, PO Box 116580, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Huapeng Yi
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025, PR China
| | - Lianjun Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong 264025, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; CAS Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China
| | - Lin Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; College of Environment and Planning, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; CAS Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China
| | - Guangxuan Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China; CAS Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China.
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7
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Kankaanpää T, Abrego N, Vesterinen E, Roslin T. Microclimate structures communities, predation and herbivory in the High Arctic. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:859-874. [PMID: 33368254 PMCID: PMC8049004 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In a warming world, changes in climate may result in species‐level responses as well as changes in community structure through knock‐on effects on ecological interactions such as predation and herbivory. Yet, the links between these responses at different levels are still inadequately understood. Assessing how microclimatic conditions affect each of them at local scales provides information essential for understanding the consequences of macroclimatic changes projected in the future. Focusing on the rapidly changing High Arctic, we examine how a community based on a common resource species (avens, Dryas spp.), a specialist insect herbivore (Sympistis zetterstedtii) and natural enemies of lepidopteran herbivores (parasitoids) varies along a multidimensional microclimatic gradient. We ask (a) how parasitoid community composition varies with local abiotic conditions, (b) how the community‐level response of parasitoids is linked to species‐specific traits (koino‐ or idiobiont life cycle strategy and phenology) and (c) whether the effects of varying abiotic conditions extend to interaction outcomes (parasitism rates on the focal herbivore and realized herbivory rates). We recorded the local communities of parasitoids, herbivory rates on Dryas flowers and parasitism rates in Sympistis larvae at 20 sites along a mountain slope. For linking community‐level responses to microclimatic conditions with parasitoid traits, we used joint species distribution modelling. We then assessed whether the same abiotic variables also affect parasitism and herbivory rates, by applying generalized linear and additive mixed models. We find that parasitism strategy and phenology explain local variation in parasitoid community structure. Parasitoids with a koinobiont strategy preferred high‐elevation sites with higher summer temperatures or sites with earlier snowmelt and lower humidity. Species of earlier phenology occurred with higher incidence at sites with cooler summer temperatures or later snowmelt. Microclimatic effects also extend to parasitism and herbivory, with an increase in the parasitism rates of the main herbivore S. zetterstedtii with higher temperature and lower humidity, and a matching increase in herbivory rates. Our results show that microclimatic variation is a strong driver of local community structure, species interactions and interaction outcomes in Arctic ecosystems. In view of ongoing climate change, these results predict that macroclimatic changes will profoundly affect arctic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Kankaanpää
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nerea Abrego
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero Vesterinen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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8
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Kent DR, Lynn JS, Pennings SC, Souza LA, Smith MD, Rudgers JA. Weak latitudinal gradients in insect herbivory for dominant rangeland grasses of North America. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6385-6394. [PMID: 32724520 PMCID: PMC7381578 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterns of insect herbivory may follow predictable geographical gradients, with greater herbivory at low latitudes. However, biogeographic studies of insect herbivory often do not account for multiple abiotic factors (e.g., precipitation and soil nutrients) that could underlie gradients. We tested for latitudinal clines in insect herbivory as well as climatic, edaphic, and trait-based drivers of herbivory. We quantified herbivory on five dominant grass species over 23 sites across the Great Plains, USA. We examined the importance of climate, edaphic factors, and traits as correlates of herbivory. Herbivory increased at low latitudes when all grass species were analyzed together and for two grass species individually, while two other grasses trended in this direction. Higher precipitation was related to more herbivory for two species but less herbivory for a different species, while higher specific root length was related to more herbivory for one species and less herbivory for a different species. Taken together, results highlight that climate and trait-based correlates of herbivory can be highly contextual and species-specific. Patterns of insect herbivory on dominant grasses support the hypothesis that herbivory increases toward lower latitudes, though weakly, and indicates that climate change may have species-specific effects on plant-herbivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan R. Kent
- Department of BiologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNMUSA
| | - Joshua S. Lynn
- Department of BiologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNMUSA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | | | - Lara A. Souza
- Oklahoma Biological Survey & Department of Microbiology and Plant BiologyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOKUSA
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9
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Zhu Y, Veen GF(C, Wang D, Wang L, Zhong Z, Ma Q, Li H, Li X, Pan D, Bakker ES. Herbivore phenology can predict response to changes in plant quality by livestock grazing. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
- Dept of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - G. F. (Ciska) Veen
- Dept of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Deli Wang
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
| | - Quanhui Ma
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Inst. of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing PR China
| | - Heng Li
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
| | - Xincheng Li
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
| | - Duofeng Pan
- School of Environment, Northeast Normal Univ./Inst. of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education Changchun CN‐130024 Jilin PR China
- Inst. of Forage and Grassland Sciences, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Harbin Heilongjiang PR China
| | - Elisabeth S. Bakker
- Dept of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
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10
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Poe N, Stuble KL, Souza L. Small mammal herbivores mediate the effects of soil nitrogen and invertebrate herbivores on grassland diversity. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3577-3587. [PMID: 30962912 PMCID: PMC6434553 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Simultaneous reductions in herbivore abundance and increases in nitrogen deposition have led to radical shifts in plant communities worldwide. While the individual impacts of these human-caused disturbances are apparent, few studies manipulate both herbivory and N, nor differentiate among herbivore guilds, to understand contingencies in the ability of these drivers to affect producer diversity and productivity. As such, understanding how the main and combined effects of increasing soil N with declining herbivores may influence plant community structure and function is critical to better understand the future of grassland ecosystems under multiple global change drivers.In this study, we asked: (a) What are the main effects of small mammal herbivores, invertebrate herbivores, and soil N on plant community structure and function? and (b) Are the effects of invertebrate herbivores and soil N on plant community structure and function contingent on small mammal herbivory? We used a nested design, with invertebrate and soil N treatments nested within small mammal manipulations in an existing tallgrass prairie. We measured plant community structure by quantifying plant richness, evenness, diversity, and composition across two full growing seasons. We also recorded total aboveground biomass to quantify grassland productivity.We found that small mammal herbivores strongly shaped plant diversity, species composition, and productivity. Small mammal herbivores also mediated the effects of soil N and invertebrate herbivores on grassland community structure, but not composition or productivity. Small mammal reduction lowered plant species richness while increasing aboveground biomass and altering compositional similarity. Invertebrate herbivores, in the presence of small mammals, promoted plant dominance by reducing evenness without altering compositional similarity. Additionally, soil nitrogen addition reduced plant richness, but only when small mammals were reduced, and no effects were detected on compositional similarity or productivity.Our findings provide further evidence that temperate grasslands can be strongly influenced by consumers, and that consumers mediate the effects of resources as well as other consumer guilds on producer evenness and richness. Taken together, we provide evidence of strong contingencies in the drivers of grassland structure, with small mammals directly altering plant diversity as well as mediating the effects of soil nitrogen and invertebrate herbivory on plant richness and evenness. Therefore, we suggest it is imperative to consider how consumer guilds and resource types may interact to shape grassland plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Poe
- Oklahoma Biological Survey and Microbiology and Plant Biology DepartmentUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahoma
| | - Katharine L. Stuble
- Oklahoma Biological Survey and Microbiology and Plant Biology DepartmentUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahoma
- The Holden ArboretumKirtlandOhio
| | - Lara Souza
- Oklahoma Biological Survey and Microbiology and Plant Biology DepartmentUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahoma
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Rode M, Lemoine NP, Smith MD. Prospective evidence for independent nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of grasshopper (Chorthippus curtipennis) growth in a tallgrass prairie. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177754. [PMID: 28520785 PMCID: PMC5433754 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect herbivores play a pivotal role in regulating plant production and community composition, and their role in terrestrial ecosystems is partly determined by their feeding behavior and performance among plants of differing nutritional quality. Historically, nitrogen (N) has been considered the primary limiting nutrient of herbivorous insects, but N is only one of many potential nutrients important to insect performance. Of these nutrients, phosphorus (P) is perhaps the most important because somatic growth depends upon P-rich ribosomal RNA. Yet relatively few studies have assessed the strength of P-limitation for terrestrial insects and even fewer have simultaneously manipulated both N and P to assess the relative strengths of N- and P-limitation. Here, we tested for potential N and P limitation, as well as N:P co-limitation, on Chorthippis curtipennis (Orthoptera, Acrididae), an abundant member of arthropod communities of central US prairies. Our results demonstrate weak evidence for both N and P limitation of C. curtipennis growth rates in laboratory feeding assays. Importantly, P-limitation was just as strong as N-limitation, but we found no evidence for NP co-limitation in our study. Furthermore, nutrient limitation was not apparent in field studies, suggesting that insect growth rates may be predominately controlled by other factors, including temperature and predation. Our results suggest that P should be jointly considered, along with N, as a primary determinant of herbivore feeding behavior under both current and future climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Rode
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nathan P. Lemoine
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Lemoine NP, Burkepile DE, Parker JD. Insect herbivores increase mortality and reduce tree seedling growth of some species in temperate forest canopy gaps. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3102. [PMID: 28344904 PMCID: PMC5363256 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect herbivores help maintain forest diversity through selective predation on seedlings of vulnerable tree species. Although the role of natural enemies has been well-studied in tropical systems, relatively few studies have experimentally manipulated insect abundance in temperate forests and tracked impacts over multiple years. We conducted a three-year experiment (2012-2014) deterring insect herbivores from seedlings in new treefall gaps in deciduous hardwood forests in Maryland. During this study, we tracked recruitment of all tree seedlings, as well as survivorship and growth of 889 individual seedlings from five tree species: Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus spp., Liriodendron tulipifera, and Liquidambar styraciflua. Insect herbivores had little effect on recruitment of any tree species, although there was a weak indication that recruitment of A. rubrum was higher in the presence of herbivores. Insect herbivores reduced survivorship of L. tulipifera, but had no significant effects on A. rubrum, Fraxinus spp., F. grandifolia, or L. styraciflua. Additionally, insects reduced growth rates of early pioneer species A. rubrum, L. tulipifera, and L. styraciflua, but had little effect on more shade-tolerant species F. grandifolia and Fraxinus spp. Overall, by negatively impacting growth and survivorship of early pioneer species, forest insects may play an important but relatively cryptic role in forest gap dynamics, with potentially interesting impacts on the overall maintenance of diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan P. Lemoine
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Deron E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - John D. Parker
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, United States
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Borgström P, Strengbom J, Marini L, Viketoft M, Bommarco R. Above- and belowground insect herbivory modifies the response of a grassland plant community to nitrogen eutrophication. Ecology 2017; 98:545-554. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pernilla Borgström
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Ulls väg 16 75651 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Joachim Strengbom
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Ulls väg 16 75651 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Lorenzo Marini
- DAFNAE; University of Padova; Viale dell'Università 16 35020 Legnaro Padua Italy
| | - Maria Viketoft
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Ulls väg 16 75651 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Ulls väg 16 75651 Uppsala Sweden
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Soil nutrient additions increase invertebrate herbivore abundances, but not herbivory, across three grassland systems. Oecologia 2016; 180:485-97. [PMID: 26474567 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3471-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Resource availability may influence invertebrate communities, with important consequences for ecosystem function, such as biomass production. We assessed: (1) the effects of experimental soil nutrient additions on invertebrate abundances and feeding rates and (2) the resultant changes in the effects of invertebrates on aboveground plant biomass at three grassland sites spanning the North American Central Plains, across which plant tissue chemistry and biomass vary. Invertebrate communities and rates of herbivory were sampled within a long-term nutrient-addition experiment established at each site along the broad Central Plains precipitation gradient. Additionally, the effects of invertebrates on aboveground plant biomass were determined under ambient and elevated nutrient conditions. At the more mesic sites, invertebrate herbivore abundances increased and their per capita rate of herbivory decreased with nutrient additions. In contrast, at the semi-arid site where plant biomass is low and plant nutrient concentrations are high, invertebrate herbivore abundances did not vary and per capita rates of herbivory increased with nutrient additions. No change in the effect of invertebrate herbivores on aboveground plant biomass was observed at any of the sites. In sum, nutrient additions induced shifts in both plant biomass and leaf nutrient content, which altered invertebrate abundances and feeding rate. However, due to the inverse relationship between changes in herbivore abundance and per capita rates of herbivory, nutrient additions did not alter the effect of invertebrates on aboveground biomass. Overall, we suggest that this inverse response of herbivore abundance and per capita feeding rate may buffer ecosystems against changes in invertebrate damage in response to fluctuations in nutrient levels.
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Davies AB, van Rensburg BJ, Robertson MP, Levick SR, Asner GP, Parr CL. Seasonal variation in the relative dominance of herbivore guilds in an African savanna. Ecology 2016; 97:1618-24. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1905.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B. Davies
- Centre for Invasion Biology; Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria 0002 South Africa
- Department of Global Ecology; Carnegie Institution for Science; 260 Panama Street Stanford California 94305 USA
| | - Berndt J. van Rensburg
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St. Lucia QLD 4072 Australia
- Department of Zoology, DST-NRF Centre for Invasion Biology; University of Johannesburg; Auckland Park Johannesburg 2006 South Africa
| | - Mark P. Robertson
- Centre for Invasion Biology; Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria 0002 South Africa
| | - Shaun R. Levick
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; Hans-Knöll Street 10 Jena 07745 Germany
| | - Gregory P. Asner
- Department of Global Ecology; Carnegie Institution for Science; 260 Panama Street Stanford California 94305 USA
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 3GP United Kingdom
- Department of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg 2000 South Africa
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Lemoine NP, Burkepile DE, Parker JD. Quantifying Differences Between Native and Introduced Species. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:372-381. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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