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Barbero-Palacios L, Ferraro KM, Barrio IC, Krumins JA, Bartolomé J, Albanell E, Jarque-Bascuñana L, Lavín S, Calleja JA, Carreira JA, Serrano E. Faecal nutrient deposition of domestic and wild herbivores in an alpine grassland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166616. [PMID: 37647958 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The contribution of herbivores to ecosystem nutrient fluxes through dung deposition has the potential to, directly and indirectly, influence ecosystem functioning. This process can be particularly important in nutrient-limited ecosystems such as alpine systems. However, herbivore dung content (carbon, C; nitrogen, N; phosphorus, P; potassium, K) and stoichiometry (C/N) may differ among species due to differences in diet, seasonality, body type, feeding strategy, and/or digestive system with consequences for soil biogeochemistry. Here we explore how species, body size, and seasonality may result in differences in dung stoichiometry for four alpine herbivores (chamois, sheep, horse, and cattle). We found that herbivore dung nutrient content often varies among species as well as with body size, with the dung of small herbivores having larger C, N, and P faecal content. Seasonality also showed marked effects on faecal nutrient content, with a general pattern of decreasing levels of faecal P, N and an increase of C/N as the summer progresses following the loss of nutrient value of the vegetation. Moreover, we showed how herbivores play an important role as natural fertilizers of C, N, and P in our study area, especially cattle. Our study highlights the importance of considering the relative contribution of different herbivores to ecosystem nutrient fluxes in management practices, especially with ongoing changes in wild and domestic herbivore populations in alpine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Barbero-Palacios
- Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Agricultural University of Iceland, Árleyni 22, Keldnaholt, IS-112 Reykjavík, Iceland.
| | - Kristy M Ferraro
- Yale University School of the Environment, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Isabel C Barrio
- Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Agricultural University of Iceland, Árleyni 22, Keldnaholt, IS-112 Reykjavík, Iceland.
| | | | - Jordi Bartolomé
- Grup de Recerca en Remugants, Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Elena Albanell
- Grup de Recerca en Remugants, Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Laia Jarque-Bascuñana
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Lavín
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Juan A Calleja
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - José A Carreira
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H) and Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Siebert J, Sünnemann M, Hautier Y, Risch AC, Bakker JD, Biederman L, Blumenthal DM, Borer ET, Bugalho MN, Broadbent AAD, Caldeira MC, Cleland E, Davies KF, Eskelinen A, Hagenah N, Knops JMH, MacDougall AS, McCulley RL, Moore JL, Power SA, Price JN, Seabloom EW, Standish R, Stevens CJ, Zimmermann S, Eisenhauer N. Drivers of soil microbial and detritivore activity across global grasslands. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1220. [PMID: 38040868 PMCID: PMC10692199 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05607-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Covering approximately 40% of land surfaces, grasslands provide critical ecosystem services that rely on soil organisms. However, the global determinants of soil biodiversity and functioning remain underexplored. In this study, we investigate the drivers of soil microbial and detritivore activity in grasslands across a wide range of climatic conditions on five continents. We apply standardized treatments of nutrient addition and herbivore reduction, allowing us to disentangle the regional and local drivers of soil organism activity. We use structural equation modeling to assess the direct and indirect effects of local and regional drivers on soil biological activities. Microbial and detritivore activities are positively correlated across global grasslands. These correlations are shaped more by global climatic factors than by local treatments, with annual precipitation and soil water content explaining the majority of the variation. Nutrient addition tends to reduce microbial activity by enhancing plant growth, while herbivore reduction typically increases microbial and detritivore activity through increased soil moisture. Our findings emphasize soil moisture as a key driver of soil biological activity, highlighting the potential impacts of climate change, altered grazing pressure, and eutrophication on nutrient cycling and decomposition within grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Siebert
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marie Sünnemann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Community Ecology, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan D Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lori Biederman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50010, USA
| | - Dana M Blumenthal
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Miguel N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves", School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Arthur A D Broadbent
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Maria C Caldeira
- Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Elsa Cleland
- Ecology, Behavior and Evolution Section, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. #0116, La Jolla, California, 92093-0116, USA
| | - Kendi F Davies
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Ecology and Genetics Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 8000, FI-90014 University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Hagenah
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Health & Environmental Sciences Department, Xi'an Jiatong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Andrew S MacDougall
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Joslin L Moore
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jodi N Price
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Rachel Standish
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Carly J Stevens
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Stephan Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Swain M, Leroux SJ, Buchkowski R. Strong above-ground impacts of a non-native ungulate do not cascade to impact below-ground functioning in a boreal ecosystem. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2016-2027. [PMID: 37565516 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
1. Experimental studies across biomes demonstrate that herbivores can have significant effects on ecosystem functioning. Herbivore effects, however, can be highly variable with studies demonstrating positive, neutral or negative relationships between herbivore presence and different components of ecosystems. Mixed effects are especially likely in the soil, where herbivore effects are largely indirect mediated through effects on plants. 2. We conducted a long-term experiment to disentangle the effects of non-native moose in boreal forests on plant communities, nutrient cycling, soil composition and soil organism communities. 3. To explore the effect of moose on soils, we conduct separate analyses on the soil organic and mineral horizons. Our data come from 11 paired exclosure-control plots in eastern and central Newfoundland, Canada that provide insight into 22-25 years of moose herbivory. We fit piecewise structural equations models (SEM) to data for the organic and mineral soil horizons to test different pathways linking moose to above-ground and below-ground functioning. 4. The SEMs revealed that moose exclusion had direct positive impacts on adult tree count and an indirect negative impact on shrub percent cover mediated by adult tree count. We detected no significant impact of moose on soil microbial C:N ratio or net nitrogen mineralization in the organic or mineral soil horizon. Soil temperature and moisture, however, was more than twice as variable in the presence (i.e. control) than absence (i.e. exclosure) of moose. Overall, we observed clear impacts of moose on above-ground forest components with limited indirect effects below-ground. Even after 22-25 years of exclusion, we did not find any evidence of moose impacts on soil microbial C:N ratio and net nitrogen mineralization. 5. Our long-term study and mechanistic path analysis demonstrates that soils can be resilient to ungulate herbivore effects despite evidence of strong effects above-ground. Long-term studies and analyses such as this one are relatively rare yet critical for reconciling some of the context-dependency observed across studies of ungulates effects on ecosystem functions. Such studies may be particularly valuable in ecosystems with short growing seasons such as the boreal forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makayla Swain
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
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4
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Ramstack Hobbs JM, Garthwaite IJ, Lancaster L, Moffett‐Dobbs J, Johnson K, Criss N, McConathy V, James CA, Gipe A, Claeson SM, LeRoy CJ. The influence of weevil herbivory on leaf litter chemistry in dioecious willows. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9626. [PMID: 36514546 PMCID: PMC9731909 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaf litter inputs can influence the structure and function of both terrestrial and adjacent aquatic ecosystems. Dioecy and herbivory are two factors that together have received little attention, yet have the potential to affect the quantity, quality, and timing of riparian litterfall, litter chemistry, and litter decomposition processes. Here, we explore litter chemistry differences for the dioecious Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis Sanson ex. Bong), which is establishing on primary successional habitats at Mount St. Helens (WA, USA) and is heavily infested with a stem-boring weevil (Cryptorhynchus lapathi). Weevil-attacked branches produced summer senesced litter that had significantly higher %N, lower C:N ratios, and lower condensed tannins than litter from branches that were unattacked by the weevil and senesced naturally in the autumn. Weevils more often attack female willows; however, these common litter chemicals did not significantly differ between males and females within the weevil-attacked and -unattacked groups. High-resolution mass spectrometry was used to isolate compounds in litter from 10 Sitka willow individuals with approximately 1500-1600 individual compounds isolated from each sample. There were differences between weevil-attacked litter and green leaf samples, but at this level, there was no clustering of male and female samples. However, further exploration of the isolated compounds determined a suite of compounds present only in either males or females. These findings suggest some variation in more complex litter chemistry between the sexes, and that significant differences in weevil-attacked litter chemistry, coupled with the shift in seasonality of litter inputs to streams, could significantly affect in-stream ecological processes, such as decomposition and detritivore activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy M. Ramstack Hobbs
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
- St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of MinnesotaMarine on St. CroixMinnesotaUSA
| | - Iris J. Garthwaite
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - Logan Lancaster
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Kelly Johnson
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - Nichole Criss
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - Victoria McConathy
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
| | - C. Andrew James
- Center for Urban WatersUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWashingtonUSA
| | - Alex Gipe
- Center for Urban WatersUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWashingtonUSA
- Washington State Department of EcologyLaceyWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Carri J. LeRoy
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies ProgramOlympiaWashingtonUSA
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5
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Wang Y, Ma L, Liu Z, Chen J, Song H, Wang J, Cui H, Yang Z, Xiao S, Liu K, An L, Chen S. Microbial interactions play an important role in regulating the effects of plant species on soil bacterial diversity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:984200. [PMID: 36187969 PMCID: PMC9521175 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.984200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species and microbial interactions have significant impacts on the diversity of bacterial communities. However, few studies have explored interactions among these factors, such the role of microbial interactions in regulating the effects of plant species on soil bacterial diversity. We assumed that plant species not only affect bacterial community diversity directly, but also influence bacterial community diversity indirectly through changing microbial interactions. Specifically, we collected soil samples associated with three different plant species, one evergreen shrub (Rhododendron simsii) and the other two deciduous shrubs (Dasiphora fruticosa and Salix oritrepha). Soil bacterial community composition and diversity were examined by high-throughput sequencing. Moreover, soil bacterial antagonistic interactions and soil edaphic characteristics were evaluated. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to disentangle and compare the direct effect of different plant species on soil bacterial community diversity, and their indirect effects through influence on soil edaphic characteristics and microbial antagonistic interactions. The results showed that (1) Plant species effects on soil bacterial diversity were significant; (2) Plant species effects on soil microbial antagonistic interactions were significant; and (3) there was not only a significant direct plant species effect on bacterial diversity, but also a significant indirect effect on bacterial diversity through influence on microbial antagonistic interactions. Our study reveals the difference among plant species in their effects on soil microbial antagonistic interactions and highlights the vital role of microbial interactions on shaping soil microbial community diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lan Ma
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Ziyang Liu
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jingwei Chen
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxian Song
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hanwen Cui
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Zi Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Kun Liu
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lizhe An
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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6
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Razgulin SM. Trophic Role of the Moose (Alces alces L.) Population and Its Effect on the Nitrogen and Carbon Cycles in a Southern Taiga Spruce–Birch Forest. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s106235902203013x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Exclusion of Overabundant White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Results in Shifts in Soil Microbial Communities and Abiotic Soil Condition in a Northeastern Deciduous Forest. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2022. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-187.2.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Beard KH, Kelsey KC, Choi RT, Welker JM, Leffler AJ. Goose Feces Effects on Subarctic Soil Nitrogen Availability and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00752-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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9
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Geraskina AP, Shevchenko NE. Biotopic Allocation of Morpho-Ecological Groups of Earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) to the Main Forest Types in the Bol’shaya Laba River Basin (Northwestern Caucasus). BIOL BULL+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359021080082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Monk JD, Schmitz OJ. Landscapes shaped from the top down: predicting cascading predator effects on spatial biogeochemistry. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia D. Monk
- School of the Environment, Yale Univ. New Haven CT USA
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11
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Villar N, Rocha-Mendes F, Guevara R, Galetti M. Large herbivore-palm interactions modulate the spatial structure of seedling communities and productivity in Neotropical forests. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's NL Canada
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13
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Kohli M, Henning JA, Borer ET, Kinkel L, Seabloom EW. Foliar fungi and plant diversity drive ecosystem carbon fluxes in experimental prairies. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:487-497. [PMID: 33300281 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Plant diversity and plant-consumer/pathogen interactions likely interact to influence ecosystem carbon fluxes but experimental evidence is scarce. We examined how experimental removal of foliar fungi, soil fungi and arthropods from experimental prairies planted with 1, 4 or 16 plant species affected instantaneous rates of carbon uptake (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re ) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Increasing plant diversity increased plant biomass, GPP and Re , but NEE remained unchanged. Removing foliar fungi increased GPP and NEE, with the greatest effects at low plant diversity. After accounting for plant biomass, we found that removing foliar fungi increased mass-specific flux rates in the low-diversity plant communities by altering plant species composition and community-wide foliar nitrogen content. However, this effect disappeared when soil fungi and arthropods were also removed, demonstrating that both plant diversity and interactions among consumer groups determine the ecosystem-scale effects of plant-fungal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayank Kohli
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MI, USA
| | - Jeremiah A Henning
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MI, USA.,Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MI, USA
| | - Linda Kinkel
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MI, USA
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MI, USA
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14
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Dussex N, Alberti F, Heino MT, Olsen RA, van der Valk T, Ryman N, Laikre L, Ahlgren H, Askeyev IV, Askeyev OV, Shaymuratova DN, Askeyev AO, Döppes D, Friedrich R, Lindauer S, Rosendahl W, Aspi J, Hofreiter M, Lidén K, Dalén L, Díez-Del-Molino D. Moose genomes reveal past glacial demography and the origin of modern lineages. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:854. [PMID: 33267779 PMCID: PMC7709250 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07208-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous megafauna species from northern latitudes went extinct during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition as a result of climate-induced habitat changes. However, several ungulate species managed to successfully track their habitats during this period to eventually flourish and recolonise the holarctic regions. So far, the genomic impacts of these climate fluctuations on ungulates from high latitudes have been little explored. Here, we assemble a de-novo genome for the European moose (Alces alces) and analyse it together with re-sequenced nuclear genomes and ancient and modern mitogenomes from across the moose range in Eurasia and North America. Results We found that moose demographic history was greatly influenced by glacial cycles, with demographic responses to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition similar to other temperate ungulates. Our results further support that modern moose lineages trace their origin back to populations that inhabited distinct glacial refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Finally, we found that present day moose in Europe and North America show low to moderate inbreeding levels resulting from post-glacial bottlenecks and founder effects, but no evidence for recent inbreeding resulting from human-induced population declines. Conclusions Taken together, our results highlight the dynamic recent evolutionary history of the moose and provide an important resource for further genomic studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-020-07208-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dussex
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Federica Alberti
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.,Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Zeughaus C5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Matti T Heino
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden.,Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,History, Culture and Communication Studies, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 1000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Remi-Andre Olsen
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Box 1031, SE-17121, Solna, Sweden
| | - Tom van der Valk
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nils Ryman
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Laikre
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans Ahlgren
- Department of Archeology and Classical studies, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor V Askeyev
- The Institute of Problems in Ecology and Mineral Wealth, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, 420087, Kazan, Russia
| | - Oleg V Askeyev
- The Institute of Problems in Ecology and Mineral Wealth, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, 420087, Kazan, Russia
| | - Dilyara N Shaymuratova
- The Institute of Problems in Ecology and Mineral Wealth, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, 420087, Kazan, Russia
| | - Arthur O Askeyev
- The Institute of Problems in Ecology and Mineral Wealth, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, 420087, Kazan, Russia
| | - Doris Döppes
- Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Zeughaus C5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ronny Friedrich
- Curt-Engelhorn-Center Archaeometry, C4, 8, D-68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Susanne Lindauer
- Curt-Engelhorn-Center Archaeometry, C4, 8, D-68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wilfried Rosendahl
- Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Zeughaus C5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.,Curt-Engelhorn-Center Archaeometry, C4, 8, D-68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Michael Hofreiter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kerstin Lidén
- Department of Archeology and Classical studies, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Díez-Del-Molino
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden. .,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
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15
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Ungulate herbivores reduce fruit production of shrubs in dry conifer forests of the interior Pacific Northwest, USA. FOOD WEBS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2020.e00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Sigaud M, Mason THE, Barnier F, Cherry SG, Fortin D. Emerging conflict between conservation programmes: when a threatened vertebrate facilitates the dispersal of exotic species in a rare plant community. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Sigaud
- Département de Biologie et Centre d’Étude de la Forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
- Primate Research Institute Kyoto University Inuyama Japan
| | - T. H. E. Mason
- Département de Biologie et Centre d’Étude de la Forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
- Biological and Environmental Sciences School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
| | - F. Barnier
- Département de Biologie et Centre d’Étude de la Forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
- UMS Patrimoine Naturel Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris France
| | - S. G. Cherry
- Parks Canada Agency Radium Hot Springs BC Canada
| | - D. Fortin
- Département de Biologie et Centre d’Étude de la Forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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17
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Chollet S, Maillard M, Schörghuber J, Grayston SJ, Martin JL. Deer slow down litter decomposition by reducing litter quality in a temperate forest. Ecology 2020; 102:e03235. [PMID: 33098575 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Litter decomposition is a key process that allows the recycling of nutrients within ecosystems. In temperate forests, the role of large herbivores in litter decomposition remains a subject of debate. To address this question, we used two litterbag experiments in a quasiexperimental situation resulting from the introduction of Sitka black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis on forested islands of Haida Gwaii (Canada). We investigated the two main pathways by which deer could modify litter decomposition: change in litter quality and modification of decomposer communities. We found that deer presence significantly reduced litter mass loss after 1 yr, mainly through a reduction in litter quality. This mass loss reflected a 30 and 28% lower loss of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), respectively. The presence of deer also reduced the ability of decomposers to break down carbon, but not nitrogen. Indeed, litter placed on an island with deer lost 5% less carbon after 1 yr of decomposition than did litter decomposing on an island without deer. This loss in ability to decompose litter in the presence of deer was outweighed by the differences in mass loss associated with the effect of deer on litter quality. Additional effects of feces deposition by deer on the decomposition process were also significant but minor. These results suggest that the effects dramatic continental-scale increases in deer populations may have on broad-scale patterns of C and N cycling deserve closer attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Chollet
- Univ Rennes, Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystems-Biodiversity-Evolution)] - UMR 6553, Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, F-35042, Rennes, France
| | - Morgane Maillard
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry-EPHE-IRD, 1919 route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier, France.,Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences Vancouver, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Juliane Schörghuber
- Research Group on Introduced Species, British Columbia, Queen Charlotte, V0T 1S0, Canada
| | - Sue J Grayston
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences Vancouver, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jean-Louis Martin
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-Université Paul Valéry-EPHE-IRD, 1919 route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier, France
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18
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Abstract
Human activities are transforming grassland biomass via changing climate, elemental nutrients, and herbivory. Theory predicts that food-limited herbivores will consume any additional biomass stimulated by nutrient inputs (‘consumer-controlled’). Alternatively, nutrient supply is predicted to increase biomass where herbivores alter community composition or are limited by factors other than food (‘resource-controlled’). Using an experiment replicated in 58 grasslands spanning six continents, we show that nutrient addition and vertebrate herbivore exclusion each caused sustained increases in aboveground live biomass over a decade, but consumer control was weak. However, at sites with high vertebrate grazing intensity or domestic livestock, herbivores consumed the additional fertilization-induced biomass, supporting the consumer-controlled prediction. Herbivores most effectively reduced the additional live biomass at sites with low precipitation or high ambient soil nitrogen. Overall, these experimental results suggest that grassland biomass will outstrip wild herbivore control as human activities increase elemental nutrient supply, with widespread consequences for grazing and fire risk. It is unclear whether terrestrial herbivores are able to consume the extra plant biomass produced under nutrient enrichment. Here the authors test this in grasslands using a globally distributed network of coordinated field experiments, finding that wild herbivore control on grassland production declines under eutrophication.
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19
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Villar N, Paz C, Zipparro V, Nazareth S, Bulascoschi L, Bakker ES, Galetti M. Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nacho Villar
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Paz
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
| | - Valesca Zipparro
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
| | - Sergio Nazareth
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
| | - Leticia Bulascoschi
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
| | - Elisabeth S. Bakker
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) São Paulo Brazil
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables FL USA
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20
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Schmitz OJ, Leroux SJ. Food Webs and Ecosystems: Linking Species Interactions to the Carbon Cycle. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-104730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
All species within ecosystems contribute to regulating carbon cycling because of their functional integration into food webs. Yet carbon modeling and accounting still assumes that only plants, microbes, and invertebrate decomposer species are relevant to the carbon cycle. Our multifaceted review develops a case for considering a wider range of species, especially herbivorous and carnivorous wild animals. Animal control over carbon cycling is shaped by the animals’ stoichiometric needs and functional traits in relation to the stoichiometry and functional traits of their resources. Quantitative synthesis reveals that failing to consider these mechanisms can lead to serious inaccuracies in the carbon budget. Newer carbon-cycle models that consider food-web structure based on organismal functional traits and stoichiometry can offer mechanistically informed predictions about the magnitudes of animal effects that will help guide new empirical research aimed at developing a coherent understanding of the interactions and importance of all species within food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1B 3X9, Canada
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21
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Dodge VJ, Eviner VT, Cushman JH. Context-dependent effects of a reintroduced ungulate on soil properties are driven by soil texture, moisture, and herbivore activity. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10858-10871. [PMID: 33072301 PMCID: PMC7548165 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6743] [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: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is considerable evidence that large mammalian herbivores influence ecosystem-level processes, studies have reported such widely varying results that generalizations have remained elusive. Here, we use an 18-year-old exclosure experiment-stratified across a landscape heterogeneous with respect to soil texture, moisture and herbivore activity-to understand the variable effects of tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes), a native reintroduced herbivore, on soil properties along the coast of northern California. Elk significantly increased soil bulk density and created a compacted layer at shallow soil depth, while decreasing infiltration rate and pH. The effects of elk on bulk density, penetration resistance, and pH varied with soil type, being least pronounced in coarse, sandy loams, and greatest in loose sand. The effects of elk on nutrient availability varied along gradients of soil texture and moisture. In coarser soils, elk decreased ammonium availability, but increased it in finer soils. Elk also decreased soil moisture content, in part through their positive effect on bulk density, and this effect was most pronounced in coarser soils. Through decreasing soil moisture content, elk also decreased nitrate availability in coarser soils. At greater levels of elk activity (as measured by dung deposition), the elk effect on bulk density was amplified, and this had a corresponding negative effect on nitrate and phosphate availability. Our study has demonstrated that a better understanding of spatial variation in the effects of herbivores on ecosystems can emerge by evaluating their influences across gradients of soil texture, soil moisture, and herbivore activity. These data enabled us to evaluate several frameworks that have been developed to understand the variable effects of herbivores on ecosystems, which is a significant step in reconciling the many competing ideas put forth to explain the context-dependent effects of large herbivores on grazed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa J Dodge
- Department of Biology Sonoma State University Rohnert Park CA USA
| | - Valerie T Eviner
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis CA USA
| | - J Hall Cushman
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science University of Nevada Reno NV USA
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22
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De Jager NR, Rohweder JJ, Duveneck MJ. Climate Change Is Likely to Alter Future Wolf – Moose – Forest Interactions at Isle Royale National Park, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.543915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Leroux SJ, Wiersma YF, Vander Wal E. Herbivore Impacts on Carbon Cycling in Boreal Forests. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:1001-1010. [PMID: 32800352 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Large herbivores can have substantial effects on carbon (C) cycling, yet these animals are often overlooked in C budgets. Zoogeochemical effects may be particularly important in boreal forests, where diverse human activities are facilitating the expansion of large herbivore populations. Here, we argue that considering trophic dynamics is necessary to understand spatiotemporal variability in boreal forest C budgets. We propose a research agenda to scale local studies to landscape extents to measure the zoogeochemical impacts of large herbivores on boreal forest C cycling. Distributed networks of exclosure experiments, empirical studies across gradients in large herbivore abundance, multiscale models using herbivore distribution data, and remote sensing paired with empirical data will provide comprehensive accounting of C source-sink dynamics in boreal forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Yolanda F Wiersma
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
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24
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Petit Bon M, Gunnarsdotter Inga K, Jónsdóttir IS, Utsi TA, Soininen EM, Bråthen KA. Interactions between winter and summer herbivory affect spatial and temporal plant nutrient dynamics in tundra grassland communities. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Petit Bon
- Dept of Arctic Biology, Univ. Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) PO Box 156 NO‐9171 Longyearbyen Norway
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT) Tromsø Norway
| | - Katarina Gunnarsdotter Inga
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT) Tromsø Norway
| | | | - Tove Aagnes Utsi
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT) Tromsø Norway
| | - Eeva Marjatta Soininen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT) Tromsø Norway
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics, Arctic Univ. of Norway (UiT) Tromsø Norway
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25
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Abstract
AbstractUngulates have become abundant in many temperate forests, shifting tree species composition by browsing and altering soil physical conditions by trampling. Whether these effects cascade down to other trophic levels and ecosystem processes is poorly understood. Here, we assess the paths through which ungulates have cascading effects on other trophic levels (regeneration, litter, invertebrates, rodents and organic matter decomposition). We compared ungulate effects by comparing 15 response variables related to different trophic levels between paired fenced and unfenced plots in twelve temperate forest sites across the Netherlands, and used pathway analysis model to identify the (in)direct pathways through which ungulates have influenced these variables. We found that plots with ungulates (that is, unfenced) compared to plots without (that is, fenced) had lower litter depth, sapling diversity, sapling density, rodent activity, macro-invertebrate biomass, decomposition rate of tea bags, pine and birch litter and higher soil compaction. These findings were used in a path analysis to establish potential causal relationships, which showed that ungulate presence: decreased sapling density, which indirectly decreased rodent activity; decreased litter depth, which indirectly reduced invertebrate diversity; increased soil compaction, which also decreased invertebrate diversity. Soil pH decreased invertebrate biomass, which also increased nitrogen mineralization. Yet, we did not find cascading effects of ungulates on decomposition rates. Importantly, an increase in ungulate abundance strengthens the cascading effects in this system. Our results suggest that ungulates can trigger cascading effects on lower trophic levels, yet decomposition and mineralization rates are resilient to ungulate browsing and trampling. Therefore, temperate forests conservation could benefit by limiting ungulate abundance.
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26
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Sitters J, Wubs ERJ, Bakker ES, Crowther TW, Adler PB, Bagchi S, Bakker JD, Biederman L, Borer ET, Cleland EE, Eisenhauer N, Firn J, Gherardi L, Hagenah N, Hautier Y, Hobbie SE, Knops JMH, MacDougall AS, McCulley RL, Moore JL, Mortensen B, Peri PL, Prober SM, Riggs C, Risch AC, Schütz M, Seabloom EW, Siebert J, Stevens CJ, Veen GF(C. Nutrient availability controls the impact of mammalian herbivores on soil carbon and nitrogen pools in grasslands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:2060-2071. [PMID: 32012421 PMCID: PMC7155038 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands are subject to considerable alteration due to human activities globally, including widespread changes in populations and composition of large mammalian herbivores and elevated supply of nutrients. Grassland soils remain important reservoirs of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Herbivores may affect both C and N pools and these changes likely interact with increases in soil nutrient availability. Given the scale of grassland soil fluxes, such changes can have striking consequences for atmospheric C concentrations and the climate. Here, we use the Nutrient Network experiment to examine the responses of soil C and N pools to mammalian herbivore exclusion across 22 grasslands, under ambient and elevated nutrient availabilities (fertilized with NPK + micronutrients). We show that the impact of herbivore exclusion on soil C and N pools depends on fertilization. Under ambient nutrient conditions, we observed no effect of herbivore exclusion, but under elevated nutrient supply, pools are smaller upon herbivore exclusion. The highest mean soil C and N pools were found in grazed and fertilized plots. The decrease in soil C and N upon herbivore exclusion in combination with fertilization correlated with a decrease in aboveground plant biomass and microbial activity, indicating a reduced storage of organic matter and microbial residues as soil C and N. The response of soil C and N pools to herbivore exclusion was contingent on temperature - herbivores likely cause losses of C and N in colder sites and increases in warmer sites. Additionally, grasslands that contain mammalian herbivores have the potential to sequester more N under increased temperature variability and nutrient enrichment than ungrazed grasslands. Our study highlights the importance of conserving mammalian herbivore populations in grasslands worldwide. We need to incorporate local-scale herbivory, and its interaction with nutrient enrichment and climate, within global-scale models to better predict land-atmosphere interactions under future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Sitters
- Department of Aquatic EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Ecology and BiodiversityDepartment BiologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - E. R. Jasper Wubs
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Sustainable Agroecosystems GroupInstitute of Agricultural SciencesDepartment of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Elisabeth S. Bakker
- Department of Aquatic EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Thomas W. Crowther
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
- Institute of Integrative BiologyDepartment of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Peter B. Adler
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUTUSA
| | - Sumanta Bagchi
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
| | - Jonathan D. Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Lori Biederman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIAUSA
| | - Elizabeth T. Borer
- Department of Eology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Elsa E. Cleland
- Ecology, Behavior & Evolution SectionUniversity of California, San DiegoLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Jennifer Firn
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT)BrisbaneQldAustralia
| | - Laureano Gherardi
- School of Life Sciences and Global Drylands CenterArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Nicole Hagenah
- Mammal Research InstituteDepartment of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity GroupDepartment of BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Eology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Johannes M. H. Knops
- Department of Health & Environmental ScienceXi’an Jiaotong Liverpool UniversitySuzhouChina
| | | | | | - Joslin L. Moore
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityClaytonVic.Australia
| | | | - Pablo L. Peri
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA)Rio GallegosArgentina
- Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA)‐CONICETRio GallegosArgentina
| | | | - Charlotte Riggs
- Department of Soil, Water, and ClimateUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Anita C. Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ResearchBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Martin Schütz
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ResearchBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Eric W. Seabloom
- Department of Eology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Julia Siebert
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | | | - G. F. (Ciska) Veen
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
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27
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Ruess RW, McFarland JW, Person B, Sedinger JS. Geese mediate vegetation state changes with parallel effects on N cycling that leave nutritional legacies for offspring. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. W. Ruess
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska 99708 USA
| | | | - B. Person
- Wildlife Department North Slope Borough Barrow Alaska USA
| | - J. S. Sedinger
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada Reno Nevada 89557 USA
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28
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Dertien JS, Bagley CF, Haddix JA, Brinkman AR, Neipert ES, Jochum KA, Doherty PF. Spatiotemporal habitat use by a multitrophic Alaska alpine mammal community. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating sympatric habitat use of a mammal community can help determine intra- and inter-guild interactions and identify important habitats, potentially improving the management of these communities with a changing climate. Increasingly variable climatic patterns in Alaska, USA, are raising concerns of mismatched phenologies and altered ecosystem structures. We studied the occupancy of 10 mammal species over 15 months, via camera traps, occupying alpine areas of the Alaska Range in interior Alaska, from 2013 to 2014. We tested hypotheses about how habitat use of these species within and between groups varied by spatial and temporal covariates. Furthermore, we modeled two-species occupancy of brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) and gray wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) against different potential prey species. Our results suggest that medium-sized and large herbivore use was positively correlated with fine-scale covariates including rock, forb, and graminoid coverage. Large herbivore habitat use was also correlated with abiotic landscape covariates. Detection probabilities of predators and Dall’s sheep (Ovis dalli dalli Nelson, 1884) was improved by camera traps on wildlife trails. Two-species models suggested co-occurrence of habitat use between brown bear – caribou (Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) and gray wolf – caribou. Results demonstrate the sympatric habitat use by multiple groups of mammals within Alaskan alpine ecosystems and the importance of incorporating multiple groups and spatial scales when making management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S. Dertien
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
| | - Calvin F. Bagley
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, 1490 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1490, USA
| | - John A. Haddix
- Environmental Division, United States Army Garrison Fort Wainwright, 3023 Engineer Place, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703, USA
| | - Aleya R. Brinkman
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, United States Army Garrison Fort Wainwright, 3023 Engineer Place, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703, USA
| | - Elizabeth S. Neipert
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, 1490 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1490, USA
| | - Kim A. Jochum
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, United States Army Garrison Fort Wainwright, 3023 Engineer Place, Fort Wainwright, AK 99703, USA
| | - Paul F. Doherty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 1474 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1474, USA
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29
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Forbes ES, Cushman JH, Burkepile DE, Young TP, Klope M, Young HS. Synthesizing the effects of large, wild herbivore exclusion on ecosystem function. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S. Forbes
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - J. Hall Cushman
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science University of Nevada – Reno Reno Nevada
| | - Deron E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Truman P. Young
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California, Davis Davis California
| | - Maggie Klope
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Hillary S. Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
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30
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31
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Litter Decomposition in Yellowstone Grasslands: The Roles of Large Herbivores, Litter Quality, and Climate. Ecosystems 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-018-0310-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Wang Z, Yuan X, Wang D, Zhang Y, Zhong Z, Guo Q, Feng C. Large herbivores influence plant litter decomposition by altering soil properties and plant quality in a meadow steppe. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9089. [PMID: 29904052 PMCID: PMC6002471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26835-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Large herbivores act as a major driver of plant litter decomposition in grasslands. The modifications of soil biotic and abiotic properties, as well as the changes in quality (C/N ratio) of plant litter, are two key pathways by which large herbivores can affect litter decomposition. Yet we know little about the relative role of these two mechanisms in mediating decomposition. Here, by combining a large-scale and a small-scale field manipulative experiment, we examined how livestock (cattle and sheep) grazing affects standing litter decomposition of a dominant grass, Leymus chinensis in grasslands in northeast China. We found that livestock grazing affected litter decay rate both by its influences on soil property (soil moisture, nutrient content, and microbial communities) and on plant litter quality (C/N ratio). Due to their distinct body size and diet preference, cattle and sheep affected soil property and litter quality, thus litter decay rate, differently by causing varying disturbance regimes and by feeding on different dominant species. Our study provides evidence that herbivore grazing can influence litter decomposition by modifying soil conditions and litter quality independently. Therefore, choosing the proper large herbivore(s) in grazing regimes may be important in maintaining nutrient cycling in grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongnan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Xia Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China.
| | - Yang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Qinfeng Guo
- Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Southern Research Station, USDA-FS, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Chao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science/School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
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Gomez-Casanovas N, DeLucia NJ, Bernacchi CJ, Boughton EH, Sparks JP, Chamberlain SD, DeLucia EH. Grazing alters net ecosystem C fluxes and the global warming potential of a subtropical pasture. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:557-572. [PMID: 29280238 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The impact of grazing on C fluxes from pastures in subtropical and tropical regions and on the environment is uncertain, although these systems account for a substantial portion of global C storage. We investigated how cattle grazing influences net ecosystem CO2 and CH4 exchange in subtropical pastures using the eddy covariance technique. Measurements were made over several wet-dry seasonal cycles in a grazed pasture, and in an adjacent pasture during the first three years of grazer exclusion. Grazing increased soil wetness but did not affect soil temperature. By removing aboveground biomass, grazing decreased ecosystem respiration (Reco ) and gross primary productivity (GPP). As the decrease in Reco was larger than the reduction in GPP, grazing consistently increased the net CO2 sink strength of subtropical pastures (55, 219 and 187 more C/m2 in 2013, 2014, and 2015). Enteric ruminant fermentation and increased soil wetness due to grazers, increased total net ecosystem CH4 emissions in grazed relative to ungrazed pasture (27-80%). Unlike temperate, arid, and semiarid pastures, where differences in CH4 emissions between grazed and ungrazed pastures are mainly driven by enteric ruminant fermentation, our results showed that the effect of grazing on soil CH4 emissions can be greater than CH4 produced by cattle. Thus, our results suggest that the interactions between grazers and soil hydrology affecting soil CH4 emissions play an important role in determining the environmental impacts of this management practice in a subtropical pasture. Although grazing increased total net ecosystem CH4 emissions and removed aboveground biomass, it increased the net storage of C and decreased the global warming potential associated with C fluxes of pasture by increasing its net CO2 sink strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Gomez-Casanovas
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Energy Biosciences Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Nicholas J DeLucia
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Carl J Bernacchi
- Energy Biosciences Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | | | - Jed P Sparks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Samuel D Chamberlain
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Evan H DeLucia
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- Energy Biosciences Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
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35
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Belovsky GE, Slade JB. Grasshoppers affect grassland ecosystem functioning: Spatial and temporal variation. Basic Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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36
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Wang J, Wang D, Li C, Seastedt TR, Liang C, Wang L, Sun W, Liang M, Li Y. Feces nitrogen release induced by different large herbivores in a dry grassland. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:201-211. [PMID: 29034532 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores have pronounced effects on nutrient cycling in grasslands. These organisms are known to alter the quality and quantity of plant production as well as the amounts and quality of plant litter and animal wastes. The generalization that the relative quality of detritus inputs is enhanced by herbivores is well known, but how this process is affected by diet selection processing and feces production of different large herbivores remains largely unstudied. Here, we measured how these differences for cattle and sheep on a dry grassland might influence nitrogen (N) mineralization from feces. We found that cattle of larger body size tended to select the low quality grass Stipa grandis as their major food source. In contrast, the subdominant grass Leymus chinensis, with relatively high N content, was a majority in the diet of smaller sheep, when palatable forbs were insufficient in the field. This diverse diet quality resulted in a C:N ratio of cattle feces that was higher than that of sheep feces. Relatively higher labile C availability in the cattle feces, namely relatively higher cellulose/hemicellulose contents, promoted microbial growth and in turn accelerated cattle feces decomposition. A surprise finding was that the feces from cattle mineralized about twice as much N as feces from sheep, despite the latter having slightly higher N content. From a grassland productivity perspective, increasing the proportion of large body-sized species in grazing herbivore assemblages perhaps is beneficial to forage productivity and nutrient recycling by the rapid degradation of feces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhi Wang
- School of Environment and Institute of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology and Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Deli Wang
- School of Environment and Institute of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology and Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Chunqiang Li
- School of Environment and Institute of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology and Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Timothy R Seastedt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
| | - Cunzhu Liang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010021, China
| | - Ling Wang
- School of Environment and Institute of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology and Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Wei Sun
- School of Environment and Institute of Grassland Science, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology and Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, China
| | - Maowei Liang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010021, China
| | - Yu Li
- Institute of Mycology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, 130118, China
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Kolstad AL, Austrheim G, Solberg EJ, Venete AMA, Woodin SJ, Speed JDM. Cervid Exclusion Alters Boreal Forest Properties with Little Cascading Impacts on Soils. Ecosystems 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0202-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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38
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Growth responses of the common arctic graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum to simulated grazing are independent of soil nitrogen availability. Oecologia 2017; 186:151-162. [PMID: 29098420 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3990-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Plant compensatory growth responses to herbivory are mediated by soil fertility and can have significant feedbacks that affect overall ecosystem nutrient cycling. The sedge Eriophorum vaginatum is the dominant graminoid in arctic mesic tundra, and is heavily consumed by caribou. Here, we compare the principal compensatory growth models in explaining the impact of a single episode of simulated caribou grazing at two clipping intensities on E. vaginatum total growing season shoot production, nitrogen concentrations, and nitrogen pools, over two successive years across a soil nitrogen fertilisation gradient. The clipping treatments had no effect on shoot production in the growing season when they were applied, but substantially reduced growth in the following year. Surprisingly, these reductions were consistent across all levels of soil nitrogen availability. The Limiting Resource Model can best explain this legacy effect on production because it predicts alternate compensatory growth responses depending on whether or not the herbivory affects availability of the resource that most limits plant growth. Accordingly, our results suggest that shoot compensatory growth in the year after the clipping was limited by some resource other than nitrogen-probably internal carbohydrate reserves or soil phosphorus. The clipping treatments initially enhanced shoot nitrogen concentrations and pools, but shoot nitrogen pools had decreased by the end of the second year due to the legacy effect of reduced shoot production. Finally, inflorescence removal substantially stimulated new shoot production in both years. Together, our results suggest that herbivory can significantly enhance temporal and local spatial heterogeneity in graminoid growth and nitrogen cycling.
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Cline LC, Zak DR, Upchurch RA, Freedman ZB, Peschel AR. Soil microbial communities and elk foraging intensity: implications for soil biogeochemical cycling in the sagebrush steppe. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:202-211. [PMID: 28111902 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Foraging intensity of large herbivores may exert an indirect top-down ecological force on soil microbial communities via changes in plant litter inputs. We investigated the responses of the soil microbial community to elk (Cervus elaphus) winter range occupancy across a long-term foraging exclusion experiment in the sagebrush steppe of the North American Rocky Mountains, combining phylogenetic analysis of fungi and bacteria with shotgun metagenomics and extracellular enzyme assays. Winter foraging intensity was associated with reduced bacterial richness and increasingly distinct bacterial communities. Although fungal communities did not respond linearly to foraging intensity, a greater β-diversity response to winter foraging exclusion was observed. Furthermore, winter foraging exclusion increased soil cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzyme potential and higher foraging intensity reduced chitinolytic gene abundance. Thus, future changes in winter range occupancy may shape biogeochemical processes via shifts in microbial communities and subsequent changes to their physiological capacities to cycle soil C and N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Cline
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Donald R Zak
- School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rima A Upchurch
- School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zachary B Freedman
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Anna R Peschel
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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40
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Moorhead LC, Souza L, Habeck CW, Lindroth RL, Classen AT. Small mammal activity alters plant community composition and microbial activity in an old-field ecosystem. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leigh C. Moorhead
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall 1416 Circle Drive Knoxville Tennessee 37996 USA
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Sølvgade 83S DK-1307 Copenhagen K Denmark
| | - Lara Souza
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall 1416 Circle Drive Knoxville Tennessee 37996 USA
| | | | - Richard L. Lindroth
- Department of Entomology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Aimée T. Classen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; 569 Dabney Hall 1416 Circle Drive Knoxville Tennessee 37996 USA
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Sølvgade 83S DK-1307 Copenhagen K Denmark
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41
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De Jager NR, Drohan PJ, Miranda BM, Sturtevant BR, Stout SL, Royo AA, Gustafson EJ, Romanski MC. Simulating ungulate herbivory across forest landscapes: A browsing extension for LANDIS-II. Ecol Modell 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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42
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Interactive Effects Between Reindeer and Habitat Fertility Drive Soil Nutrient Availabilities in Arctic Tundra. Ecosystems 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0108-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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43
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Ellis NM, Leroux SJ. Moose directly slow plant regeneration but have limited indirect effects on soil stoichiometry and litter decomposition rates in disturbed maritime boreal forests. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nichola M. Ellis
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland 232 Elizabeth Avenue St. John's NLAIB 3X9 Canada
| | - Shawn J. Leroux
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland 232 Elizabeth Avenue St. John's NLAIB 3X9 Canada
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44
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Wilmers CC, Schmitz OJ. Effects of gray wolf‐induced trophic cascades on ecosystem carbon cycling. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C. Wilmers
- Environmental Studies Department Center for Integrated Spatial Research University of California 1156 High Street Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Oswald J. Schmitz
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Yale University 370 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511 USA
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45
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Digging Further into Wolf-Deer Interactions: Food Web Effects on Soil Nitrogen Availability in a Great Lakes Forest. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-176.1.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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46
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Nitrogen leaching from surface soil in a temperate mixed forest subject to intensive deer grazing. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11355-016-0296-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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47
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Knops JMH, Ritchie ME, Tilman D. Selective herbivory on a nitrogen fixing legume (Lathyrus venosus) influences productivity and ecosystem nitrogen pools in an oak savanna. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2000.11682585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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48
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Suominen O, Danell K, Bryant JP. Indirect effects of mammalian browsers on vegetation and ground-dwelling insects in an Alaskan floodplain. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.1999.11682554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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49
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Binkley D, Suarez F, Stottlemyer R, Caldwell B. Ecosystem development on terraces along the Kugururok River, northwest Alaska. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.1997.11682410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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50
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Zacheis AB, Hupp JW, Ruess RW. Response of a subarctic salt marsh plant community to foraging by captive lesser snow geese. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2002.11682719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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