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Yu Z, Zhang C, Liu X, Lei J, Zhang Q, Yuan Z, Peng C, Koerner SE, Xu J, Guo L. Responses of C:N:P stoichiometric correlations among plants, soils and microorganisms to warming: A meta-analysis. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:168827. [PMID: 38030014 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Plants, soils and microorganisms play important roles in maintaining stable terrestrial stoichiometry. Studying how nutrient balances of these biotic and abiotic players vary across temperature gradients is important when predicting ecosystem changes on a warming planet. The respective responses of plant, soil and microbial stoichiometric ratios to warming have been observed, however, whether and how the stoichiometric correlations among the three components shift under warming has not been clearly understood and identified. In the present study, we have performed a meta-analysis based on 600 case studies from 74 sites or locations to clarify whether and how warming affects plant, soil and microbial stoichiometry, respectively, and their correlations. Our results indicated that: (1) globally, plants had higher C:N and C:P values compared to soil and microbial pools, but their N:P distributions were similar; (2) warming did not significantly alter plant, soil and microbial C:N and C:P values, but had a noticeable effect on plant N:P ratios. When ecosystem types, duration and magnitude of warming were taken into account, there was an inconsistent and even inverse warming response in terms of the direction and magnitude of changes in the C:N:P ratios occurring among plants, soils and microorganisms; (3) despite various warming responses of the stoichiometric ratios detected separately for plants, soils and microorganisms, the stoichiometric correlations among all three parts remained constant even under different warming scenarios. Our study highlighted the complexity of the effect of warming on the C:N:P stoichiometry, as well as the absence and importance of simultaneous measurements of stoichiometric ratios across different components of terrestrial ecosystems, which should be urgently strengthened in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongkai Yu
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jichu Lei
- The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Zhiyou Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Changhui Peng
- School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Department of Biology Science, Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro 27402, USA
| | - Jianchu Xu
- Center for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; World Agroforestry Center, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Liang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China.
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2
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Wilcox KR, Chen A, Avolio ML, Butler EE, Collins S, Fisher R, Keenan T, Kiang NY, Knapp AK, Koerner SE, Kueppers L, Liang G, Lieungh E, Loik M, Luo Y, Poulter B, Reich P, Renwick K, Smith MD, Walker A, Weng E, Komatsu KJ. Accounting for herbaceous communities in process-based models will advance our understanding of "grassy" ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:6453-6477. [PMID: 37814910 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Grassland and other herbaceous communities cover significant portions of Earth's terrestrial surface and provide many critical services, such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and food production. Forecasts of global change impacts on these services will require predictive tools, such as process-based dynamic vegetation models. Yet, model representation of herbaceous communities and ecosystems lags substantially behind that of tree communities and forests. The limited representation of herbaceous communities within models arises from two important knowledge gaps: first, our empirical understanding of the principles governing herbaceous vegetation dynamics is either incomplete or does not provide mechanistic information necessary to drive herbaceous community processes with models; second, current model structure and parameterization of grass and other herbaceous plant functional types limits the ability of models to predict outcomes of competition and growth for herbaceous vegetation. In this review, we provide direction for addressing these gaps by: (1) presenting a brief history of how vegetation dynamics have been developed and incorporated into earth system models, (2) reporting on a model simulation activity to evaluate current model capability to represent herbaceous vegetation dynamics and ecosystem function, and (3) detailing several ecological properties and phenomena that should be a focus for both empiricists and modelers to improve representation of herbaceous vegetation in models. Together, empiricists and modelers can improve representation of herbaceous ecosystem processes within models. In so doing, we will greatly enhance our ability to forecast future states of the earth system, which is of high importance given the rapid rate of environmental change on our planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Wilcox
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Anping Chen
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ethan E Butler
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Scott Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Rosie Fisher
- CICERO Centre for International Cimate Research, Forskningsparken, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trevor Keenan
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Nancy Y Kiang
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lara Kueppers
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Guopeng Liang
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Eva Lieungh
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael Loik
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Yiqi Luo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Ben Poulter
- Biospheric Sciences Lab, NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Anthony Walker
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ensheng Weng
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kimberly J Komatsu
- University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Robinson ML, Hahn PG, Inouye BD, Underwood N, Whitehead SR, Abbott KC, Bruna EM, Cacho NI, Dyer LA, Abdala-Roberts L, Allen WJ, Andrade JF, Angulo DF, Anjos D, Anstett DN, Bagchi R, Bagchi S, Barbosa M, Barrett S, Baskett CA, Ben-Simchon E, Bloodworth KJ, Bronstein JL, Buckley YM, Burghardt KT, Bustos-Segura C, Calixto ES, Carvalho RL, Castagneyrol B, Chiuffo MC, Cinoğlu D, Cinto Mejía E, Cock MC, Cogni R, Cope OL, Cornelissen T, Cortez DR, Crowder DW, Dallstream C, Dáttilo W, Davis JK, Dimarco RD, Dole HE, Egbon IN, Eisenring M, Ejomah A, Elderd BD, Endara MJ, Eubanks MD, Everingham SE, Farah KN, Farias RP, Fernandes AP, Fernandes GW, Ferrante M, Finn A, Florjancic GA, Forister ML, Fox QN, Frago E, França FM, Getman-Pickering AS, Getman-Pickering Z, Gianoli E, Gooden B, Gossner MM, Greig KA, Gripenberg S, Groenteman R, Grof-Tisza P, Haack N, Hahn L, Haq SM, Helms AM, Hennecke J, Hermann SL, Holeski LM, Holm S, Hutchinson MC, Jackson EE, Kagiya S, Kalske A, Kalwajtys M, Karban R, Kariyat R, Keasar T, Kersch-Becker MF, Kharouba HM, Kim TN, Kimuyu DM, Kluse J, Koerner SE, Komatsu KJ, Krishnan S, Laihonen M, Lamelas-López L, LaScaleia MC, Lecomte N, Lehn CR, Li X, Lindroth RL, LoPresti EF, Losada M, Louthan AM, Luizzi VJ, Lynch SC, Lynn JS, Lyon NJ, Maia LF, Maia RA, Mannall TL, Martin BS, Massad TJ, McCall AC, McGurrin K, Merwin AC, Mijango-Ramos Z, Mills CH, Moles AT, Moore CM, Moreira X, Morrison CR, Moshobane MC, Muola A, Nakadai R, Nakajima K, Novais S, Ogbebor CO, Ohsaki H, Pan VS, Pardikes NA, Pareja M, Parthasarathy N, Pawar RR, Paynter Q, Pearse IS, Penczykowski RM, Pepi AA, Pereira CC, Phartyal SS, Piper FI, Poveda K, Pringle EG, Puy J, Quijano T, Quintero C, Rasmann S, Rosche C, Rosenheim LY, Rosenheim JA, Runyon JB, Sadeh A, Sakata Y, Salcido DM, Salgado-Luarte C, Santos BA, Sapir Y, Sasal Y, Sato Y, Sawant M, Schroeder H, Schumann I, Segoli M, Segre H, Shelef O, Shinohara N, Singh RP, Smith DS, Sobral M, Stotz GC, Tack AJM, Tayal M, Tooker JF, Torrico-Bazoberry D, Tougeron K, Trowbridge AM, Utsumi S, Uyi O, Vaca-Uribe JL, Valtonen A, van Dijk LJA, Vandvik V, Villellas J, Waller LP, Weber MG, Yamawo A, Yim S, Zarnetske PL, Zehr LN, Zhong Z, Wetzel WC. Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory. Science 2023; 382:679-683. [PMID: 37943897 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh8830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of herbivory for 503 plant species at 790 sites across 116° of latitude. With these data, we show that within-population variability in herbivory increases with latitude, decreases with plant size, and is phylogenetically structured. Differences in the magnitude of variability are thus central to how plant-herbivore biology varies across macroscale gradients. We argue that increased focus on interaction variability will advance understanding of patterns of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Robinson
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - P G Hahn
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - B D Inouye
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - N Underwood
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - S R Whitehead
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - K C Abbott
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - E M Bruna
- Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - N I Cacho
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - L A Dyer
- Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - L Abdala-Roberts
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - W J Allen
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - J F Andrade
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - D F Angulo
- Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Departamento de Recursos Naturales, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - D Anjos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - D N Anstett
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - R Bagchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - S Bagchi
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - M Barbosa
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - S Barrett
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation & Attractions Western Australia, Albany, Western Australia, Australia
| | - C A Baskett
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - E Ben-Simchon
- Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - K J Bloodworth
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - J L Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Y M Buckley
- School of Natural Sciences, Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - K T Burghardt
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - C Bustos-Segura
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - E S Calixto
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - R L Carvalho
- Institute of Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - M C Chiuffo
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, INIBIOMA, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - D Cinoğlu
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - E Cinto Mejía
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - M C Cock
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - R Cogni
- Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - O L Cope
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biology, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - T Cornelissen
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - D R Cortez
- Department of Biology, California State University San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - D W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - C Dallstream
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - W Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - J K Davis
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R D Dimarco
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos, IFAB, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - H E Dole
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - I N Egbon
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
| | - M Eisenring
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - A Ejomah
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
| | - B D Elderd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - M-J Endara
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología y Evolución en los Trópicos-EETROP, Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - M D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - S E Everingham
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - K N Farah
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - R P Farias
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil
| | - A P Fernandes
- Department of Botany, Ganpat Parsekar College of Education Harmal, Pernem, Goa, India
| | - G W Fernandes
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Knowledge Center for Biodiversity, Brazil
| | - M Ferrante
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - A Finn
- School of Natural Sciences, Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - G A Florjancic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - M L Forister
- Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Q N Fox
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - E Frago
- CIRAD, UMR CBGP, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - F M França
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
| | | | - Z Getman-Pickering
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - E Gianoli
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
| | - B Gooden
- CSIRO Black Mountain Laboratories, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Canberra, Australia
| | - M M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K A Greig
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - S Gripenberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - R Groenteman
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - P Grof-Tisza
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - N Haack
- Independent Institute for Environmental Issues, Halle, Germany
| | - L Hahn
- Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - S M Haq
- Wildlife Crime Control Division, Wildlife Trust of India, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - A M Helms
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - J Hennecke
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - S L Hermann
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - L M Holeski
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Adaptive Western Landscapes, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - S Holm
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
- Department of Zoology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - M C Hutchinson
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - E E Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - S Kagiya
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - A Kalske
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - M Kalwajtys
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - R Karban
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - R Kariyat
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - T Keasar
- Department of Biology and the Environment, University of Haifa - Oranim, Oranim, Tivon, Israel
| | - M F Kersch-Becker
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - H M Kharouba
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - T N Kim
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - D M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - J Kluse
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - S E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - K J Komatsu
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - S Krishnan
- Center for Sustainable Future, Amrita University and EIACP RP, Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, India
| | - M Laihonen
- Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - L Lamelas-López
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - M C LaScaleia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - N Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Department of Biology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université de Moncton, Moncton, Canada
| | - C R Lehn
- Biological Sciences Course, Instituto Federal Farroupilha, Panambi, RS, Brazil
| | - X Li
- College of Resources and Environmental sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - R L Lindroth
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - E F LoPresti
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - M Losada
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - A M Louthan
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - V J Luizzi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - S C Lynch
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - J S Lynn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - N J Lyon
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - L F Maia
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - R A Maia
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - T L Mannall
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - B S Martin
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - T J Massad
- Department of Scientific Services, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - A C McCall
- Biology Department, Denison University, Granville, OH, USA
| | - K McGurrin
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - A C Merwin
- Department of Biology and Geology, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH, USA
| | - Z Mijango-Ramos
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - C H Mills
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - A T Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - C M Moore
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, USA
| | - X Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - C R Morrison
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - M C Moshobane
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Brummeria, Silverton, South Africa
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - A Muola
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Tromsø, Norway
| | - R Nakadai
- Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - K Nakajima
- Insitute of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Cave Research, Shimohei-guun, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
| | - S Novais
- Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - C O Ogbebor
- Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - H Ohsaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - V S Pan
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - N A Pardikes
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - M Pareja
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - N Parthasarathy
- Department of Ecology and Evironmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | | | - Q Paynter
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - I S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - R M Penczykowski
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - A A Pepi
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - C C Pereira
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - S S Phartyal
- School of Ecology & Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, India
| | - F I Piper
- Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life and Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Ñuñoa, Santiago
| | - K Poveda
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - E G Pringle
- Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - J Puy
- School of Natural Sciences, Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - T Quijano
- Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - C Quintero
- INIBIOMA, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - S Rasmann
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - C Rosche
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - L Y Rosenheim
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J A Rosenheim
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J B Runyon
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - A Sadeh
- Department of Natural Resources, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Volcani Institute, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - Y Sakata
- Department of Biological Environment, Akita Prefectural University, Shimoshinjyo-Nakano, Akita, Japan
| | - D M Salcido
- Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - C Salgado-Luarte
- Instituto de Investigación Multidisciplinario en Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad de La Serena, La Serena, Chile
| | - B A Santos
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Y Sapir
- The Botanic Garden, School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Y Sasal
- INIBIOMA, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Y Sato
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Sawant
- Department of Ecology, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - H Schroeder
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - I Schumann
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M Segoli
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - H Segre
- Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
- Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Natural Resources, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Volcani Institute, Ramat Yishay, Israel
| | - O Shelef
- Department of Natural Resources, Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute, Rishon Le Tzion, Israel
| | - N Shinohara
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - R P Singh
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - D S Smith
- Department of Biology, California State University San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - M Sobral
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - G C Stotz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - A J M Tack
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M Tayal
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - J F Tooker
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - D Torrico-Bazoberry
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Universidad del Desarrollo, Las Condes, Chile
| | - K Tougeron
- Écologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, UMR 7058 CNRS, Amiens, France
- Ecology of Interactions and Global Change, Institut de Recherche en Biosciences, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - A M Trowbridge
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S Utsumi
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - O Uyi
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, USA
| | - J L Vaca-Uribe
- Programa de ingeniría agroecológica, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - A Valtonen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - L J A van Dijk
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - V Vandvik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - J Villellas
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - L P Waller
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - M G Weber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - A Yamawo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Japan
| | - S Yim
- Biology Department, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - P L Zarnetske
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - L N Zehr
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Z Zhong
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Beijing, China
| | - W C Wetzel
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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4
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Spohn M, Bagchi S, Biederman LA, Borer ET, Bråthen KA, Bugalho MN, Caldeira MC, Catford JA, Collins SL, Eisenhauer N, Hagenah N, Haider S, Hautier Y, Knops JMH, Koerner SE, Laanisto L, Lekberg Y, Martina JP, Martinson H, McCulley RL, Peri PL, Macek P, Power SA, Risch AC, Roscher C, Seabloom EW, Stevens C, Veen GFC, Virtanen R, Yahdjian L. The positive effect of plant diversity on soil carbon depends on climate. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6624. [PMID: 37857640 PMCID: PMC10587103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42340-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is currently known about how climate modulates the relationship between plant diversity and soil organic carbon and the mechanisms involved. Yet, this knowledge is of crucial importance in times of climate change and biodiversity loss. Here, we show that plant diversity is positively correlated with soil carbon content and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio across 84 grasslands on six continents that span wide climate gradients. The relationships between plant diversity and soil carbon as well as plant diversity and soil organic matter quality (carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) are particularly strong in warm and arid climates. While plant biomass is positively correlated with soil carbon, plant biomass is not significantly correlated with plant diversity. Our results indicate that plant diversity influences soil carbon storage not via the quantity of organic matter (plant biomass) inputs to soil, but through the quality of organic matter. The study implies that ecosystem management that restores plant diversity likely enhances soil carbon sequestration, particularly in warm and arid climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Spohn
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Lennart Hjelms väg 9, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Lori A Biederman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Miguel N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria C Caldeira
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jane A Catford
- Department of Geography, King's College London, 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Hagenah
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sylvia Haider
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology and Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle, Germany
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Health and Environmental Sciences, Xián Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Lauri Laanisto
- Department of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi St. 5, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ylva Lekberg
- MPG Ranch and University of Montana, Montana, USA
| | - Jason P Martina
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Holly Martinson
- Department of Biology, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD, 21157, USA
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Pablo L Peri
- National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Petr Macek
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sadkach 7, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sally A Power
- Haweksbury Institute for the Environment, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Carly Stevens
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - G F Ciska Veen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Risto Virtanen
- Ecology & Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Yahdjian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), CONICET, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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5
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Koerner SE, Avolio ML, Blair JM, Knapp AK, Smith MD. Multiple global change drivers show independent, not interactive effects: a long-term case study in tallgrass prairie. Oecologia 2023; 201:143-154. [PMID: 36507971 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystems are faced with an onslaught of co-occurring global change drivers. While frequently studied independently, the effects of multiple global change drivers have the potential to be additive, antagonistic, or synergistic. Global warming, for example, may intensify the effects of more variable precipitation regimes with warmer temperatures increasing evapotranspiration and thereby amplifying the effect of already dry soils. Here, we present the long-term effects (11 years) of altered precipitation patterns (increased intra-annual variability in the growing season) and warming (1 °C year-round) on plant community composition and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), a key measure of ecosystem functioning in mesic tallgrass prairie. Based on past results, we expected that increased precipitation variability and warming would have additive effects on both community composition and ANPP. Increased precipitation variability altered plant community composition and increased richness, with no effect on ANPP. In contrast, warming decreased ANPP via reduction in grass stems and biomass but had no effect on the plant community. Contrary to expectations, across all measured variables, precipitation and warming treatments had no interactive effects. While treatment interactions did not occur, each treatment did individually impact a different component of the ecosystem (i.e., community vs. function). Thus, different aspects of the ecosystem may be sensitive to different global change drivers in mesic grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA.
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - John M Blair
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80253, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80253, USA
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6
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Avolio ML, Komatsu KJ, Koerner SE, Grman E, Isbell F, Johnson DS, Wilcox KR, Alatalo JM, Baldwin AH, Beierkuhnlein C, Britton AJ, Foster BL, Harmens H, Kern CC, Li W, McLaren JR, Reich PB, Souza L, Yu Q, Zhang Y. Making sense of multivariate community responses in global change experiments. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L. Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Maryland USA
| | | | - Sally E. Koerner
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina Greensboro Greensboro North Carolina USA
| | - Emily Grman
- Department of Biology Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti Michigan USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - David S. Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science William & Mary Gloucester Point Virginia USA
| | - Kevin R. Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
| | | | - Andrew H. Baldwin
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
| | | | | | - Bryan L. Foster
- Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas USA
| | - Harry Harmens
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales Bangor UK
| | - Christel C. Kern
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Rhinelander Wisconsin USA
| | - Wei Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Northwest A&F University Yangling China
| | - Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso Texas USA
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnestoa and Institute for Global Change Biology University of Michigan St. Paul Minnesota USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology and School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University New South Wales Australia
| | - Lara Souza
- Oklahoma Biological Survey & Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yunhai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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7
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Langley JA, Grman E, Wilcox KR, Avolio ML, Komatsu KJ, Collins SL, Koerner SE, Smith MD, Baldwin AH, Bowman W, Chiariello N, Eskelinen A, Harmens H, Hovenden M, Klanderud K, McCulley RL, Onipchenko VG, Robinson CH, Suding KN. Do tradeoffs govern plant species responses to different global change treatments? Ecology 2021; 103:e3626. [PMID: 34967948 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Plants are subject to tradeoffs among growth strategies such that adaptations for optimal growth in one condition can preclude optimal growth in another. Thus, we predicted that a plant species that responds positively to one global change treatment would be less likely than average to respond positively to another treatment, particularly for pairs of treatments that favor distinct traits. We examined plant species abundances in 39 global change experiments manipulating two or more of the following: CO2 , nitrogen, phosphorus, water, temperature, or disturbance. Overall, the directional response of a species to one treatment was 13% more likely than expected to oppose its response to a another single-factor treatment. This tendency was detectable across the global dataset but held little predictive power for individual treatment combinations or within individual experiments. While tradeoffs in the ability to respond to different global change treatments exert discernible global effects, other forces obscure their influence in local communities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Adam Langley
- Department of Biology, Center of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova, PA
| | - Emily Grman
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD
| | - Kimberly J Komatsu
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Andrew H Baldwin
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
| | - William Bowman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Nona Chiariello
- Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Leipzig, Germany, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research iDiv, Leipzig, Germany, Ecology and Genetics Unit, University of Oulu, Finland
| | - Harry Harmens
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Mark Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Kari Klanderud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Aas, Norway
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Clare H Robinson
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Katharine N Suding
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
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8
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Young AL, Bloodworth KJ, Frost MDT, Green CE, Koerner SE. Heatwave implications for the future of longleaf pine savanna understory restoration. Plant Ecol 2021; 223:339-351. [PMID: 34849090 PMCID: PMC8617019 DOI: 10.1007/s11258-021-01212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The longleaf pine (LLP) savanna ecosystem once covered ~ 92 million acres of the Southeast USA, but due to anthropogenic activities such as logging and fire suppression, only 3% of its once widespread historic range remains. While many restoration efforts are underway to conserve this biodiverse ecosystem, restoration must be done in the context of climate change. In the last few decades, heatwaves have increased in frequency and intensity across the Southeastern USA with further increases predicted. To expand our understanding of LLP savanna restoration in light of these changes, we ran a series of three simulated heatwave greenhouse experiments through a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) incorporating ~ 150 undergraduate researchers per experiment. We measured plant growth metrics for four understory grasses commonly used in LLP savanna restoration efforts. We found that while most grass plug individuals survived heatwave conditions, aboveground production was reduced due to heatwaves. This productivity decrease could result in less biomass available for the essential vegetation fire feedback loop, where fire increases grass biomass, and in turn, more grass provides more fuel for fire. These results imply that land managers can proactively compensate for biomass loss due to heatwaves by planting more grass plugs during initial restoration. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11258-021-01212-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L. Young
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA
| | | | - Morgan D. T. Frost
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Curtis E. Green
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC USA
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9
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Zuo X, Zhao S, Cheng H, Hu Y, Wang S, Yue P, Liu R, Knapp AK, Smith MD, Yu Q, Koerner SE. Functional diversity response to geographic and experimental precipitation gradients varies with plant community type. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology Gansu ProvinceLanzhou China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
| | - Shenglong Zhao
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Huan Cheng
- College of forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Shaokun Wang
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Rentao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education Ningxia University Yinchuan China
| | - Alan K. Knapp
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina Greensboro Greensboro NC USA
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10
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Avolio ML, Komatsu KJ, Collins SL, Grman E, Koerner SE, Tredennick AT, Wilcox KR, Baer S, Boughton EH, Britton AJ, Foster B, Gough L, Hovenden M, Isbell F, Jentsch A, Johnson DS, Knapp AK, Kreyling J, Langley JA, Lortie C, McCulley RL, McLaren JR, Reich PB, Seabloom EW, Smith MD, Suding KN, Suttle KB, Tognetti PM. Determinants of community compositional change are equally affected by global change. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1892-1904. [PMID: 34170615 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Global change is impacting plant community composition, but the mechanisms underlying these changes are unclear. Using a dataset of 58 global change experiments, we tested the five fundamental mechanisms of community change: changes in evenness and richness, reordering, species gains and losses. We found 71% of communities were impacted by global change treatments, and 88% of communities that were exposed to two or more global change drivers were impacted. Further, all mechanisms of change were equally likely to be affected by global change treatments-species losses and changes in richness were just as common as species gains and reordering. We also found no evidence of a progression of community changes, for example, reordering and changes in evenness did not precede species gains and losses. We demonstrate that all processes underlying plant community composition changes are equally affected by treatments and often occur simultaneously, necessitating a wholistic approach to quantifying community changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly J Komatsu
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Emily Grman
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Andrew T Tredennick
- Department of Statistics, Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Sara Baer
- Kansas Biological Survey and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | | | | | - Bryan Foster
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA
| | - Mark Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Bayreuth, Germany
| | - David S Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Juergen Kreyling
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - J Adam Langley
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
| | - Christopher Lortie
- The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jennie R McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Katharine N Suding
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - K Blake Suttle
- Angelo Coast Range Reserve, University of California Natural Reserve System, Branscomb, CA, USA
| | - Pedro M Tognetti
- IFEVA, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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11
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Hautier Y, Zhang P, Loreau M, Wilcox KR, Seabloom EW, Borer ET, Byrnes JEK, Koerner SE, Komatsu KJ, Lefcheck JS, Hector A, Adler PB, Alberti J, Arnillas CA, Bakker JD, Brudvig LA, Bugalho MN, Cadotte M, Caldeira MC, Carroll O, Crawley M, Collins SL, Daleo P, Dee LE, Eisenhauer N, Eskelinen A, Fay PA, Gilbert B, Hansar A, Isbell F, Knops JMH, MacDougall AS, McCulley RL, Moore JL, Morgan JW, Mori AS, Peri PL, Pos ET, Power SA, Price JN, Reich PB, Risch AC, Roscher C, Sankaran M, Schütz M, Smith M, Stevens C, Tognetti PM, Virtanen R, Wardle GM, Wilfahrt PA, Wang S. Author Correction: General destabilizing effects of eutrophication on grassland productivity at multiple spatial scales. Nat Commun 2021; 12:630. [PMID: 33479239 PMCID: PMC7820221 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20997-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Eco-Environmental Forensics of Shandong University, 266237, Jinan, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.,Ministry of Justice Hub for Research & Practice in Eco-Environmental Forensics, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of MN, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of MN, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | | | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Andy Hector
- University of Oxford Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Peter B Adler
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Juan Alberti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), FCEyN, UNMdP-CONICET, CC 1260 Correo Central, B7600WAG, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Carlos A Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-4115, USA
| | - Lars A Brudvig
- Department of Plant Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Miguel N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marc Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Scarborough, ON, Canada
| | - Maria C Caldeira
- Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Oliver Carroll
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Mick Crawley
- Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Scott L Collins
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Pedro Daleo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), FCEyN, UNMdP-CONICET, CC 1260 Correo Central, B7600WAG, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1560 30th Street, Boulder, CO, 80309-0450, USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Philip A Fay
- USDA-ARS Grassland, Soil, and Water Research Laboratory, Temple, TX, 76502, USA
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Amandine Hansar
- Centre de recherché en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Département de biologie, Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL University, 77140, St-Pierre-les-Nemours, France
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of MN, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Department of Heatth and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong liverpool University, 214123, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Andrew S MacDougall
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- University of Kentucky, Plant & Soil Science, 1405 Veterans Drive, Lexington, KY, 40546-0312, USA
| | - Joslin L Moore
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - John W Morgan
- Department of Ecology, Environment & Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Akira S Mori
- Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
| | - Pablo L Peri
- INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Research)- UNPA (Southern Patagonia National University)-CONICET, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Edwin T Pos
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jodi N Price
- Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - Peter B Reich
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.,Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mahesh Sankaran
- Ecology & Evolution Group, National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560065, India.,School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Martin Schütz
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Melinda Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Carly Stevens
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Pedro M Tognetti
- IFEVA-Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET, Av San Martin 4453, C1417DSE, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Risto Virtanen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Glenda M Wardle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter A Wilfahrt
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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12
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Avolio ML, Wilcox KR, Komatsu KJ, Lemoine N, Bowman WD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Koerner SE, Smith MD, Baer SG, Gross KL, Isbell F, McLaren J, Reich PB, Suding KN, Suttle KB, Tilman D, Xu Z, Yu Q. Temporal variability in production is not consistently affected by global change drivers across herbaceous-dominated ecosystems. Oecologia 2020; 194:735-744. [PMID: 33130915 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how global change drivers (GCDs) affect aboveground net primary production (ANPP) through time is essential to predicting the reliability and maintenance of ecosystem function and services in the future. While GCDs, such as drought, warming and elevated nutrients, are known to affect mean ANPP, less is known about how they affect inter-annual variability in ANPP. We examined 27 global change experiments located in 11 different herbaceous ecosystems that varied in both abiotic and biotic conditions, to investigate changes in the mean and temporal variability of ANPP (measured as the coefficient of variation) in response to different GCD manipulations, including resource additions, warming, and irrigation. From this comprehensive data synthesis, we found that GCD treatments increased mean ANPP. However, GCD manipulations both increased and decreased temporal variability of ANPP (24% of comparisons), with no net effect overall. These inconsistent effects on temporal variation in ANPP can, in part, be attributed to site characteristics, such as mean annual precipitation and temperature as well as plant community evenness. For example, decreases in temporal variability in ANPP with the GCD treatments occurred in wetter and warmer sites with lower plant community evenness. Further, the addition of several nutrients simultaneously increased the sensitivity of ANPP to interannual variation in precipitation. Based on this analysis, we expect that GCDs will likely affect the magnitude more than the reliability over time of ecosystem production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Kimberly J Komatsu
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Nathan Lemoine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA.,Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - William D Bowman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sara G Baer
- Kansas Biological Survey and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Katherine L Gross
- WK Kellogg Biological Station and Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060, USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jennie McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Tx, 79968, USA
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Katharine N Suding
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | | | - David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Zhuwen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
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13
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Wilcox KR, Koerner SE, Hoover DL, Borkenhagen AK, Burkepile DE, Collins SL, Hoffman AM, Kirkman KP, Knapp AK, Strydom T, Thompson DI, Smith MD. Rapid recovery of ecosystem function following extreme drought in a South African savanna grassland. Ecology 2020; 101:e02983. [PMID: 31960960 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Climatic extremes, such as severe drought, are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude with climate change. Thus, identifying mechanisms of resilience is critical to predicting the vulnerability of ecosystems. An exceptional drought (<first percentile) impacted much of southern Africa during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons, including the site of a long-term fire experiment in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Prior to the drought, experimental fire frequencies (annual, triennial, and unburned) created savanna grassland plant communities that differed in composition and function, providing a unique opportunity to assess ecosystem resilience mechanisms under different fire regimes. Surprisingly, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) recovered fully in all fire frequencies the year after this exceptional drought. In burned sites, resilience was due mostly to annual forb ANPP compensating for reduced grass ANPP. In unburned sites, resilience of total and grass ANPP was due to subdominant annual and perennial grass species facilitating recovery in ANPP after mortality of other common grasses. This was possible because of high evenness among grass species in unburned sites predrought. These findings highlight the importance of both functional diversity and within-functional group evenness as mechanisms of ecosystem resilience to extreme drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27412, USA
| | - David L Hoover
- Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Andrea K Borkenhagen
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA.,Ndlovu Node, South African Environmental Observation Network, Phalaborwa, 1389, South Africa
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Ava M Hoffman
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Kevin P Kirkman
- Centre for Functional Ecology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Tercia Strydom
- Kruger National Park, Scientific Services, Private Bag X402, Skukuza, 1350, South Africa
| | - Dave I Thompson
- Ndlovu Node, South African Environmental Observation Network, Phalaborwa, 1389, South Africa.,School of Geography, Archaeology, and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3 WITS 2050, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
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14
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Avolio ML, Carroll IT, Collins SL, Houseman GR, Hallett LM, Isbell F, Koerner SE, Komatsu KJ, Smith MD, Wilcox KR. A comprehensive approach to analyzing community dynamics using rank abundance curves. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L. Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore Maryland 21218 USA
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) Annapolis Maryland 21401 USA
| | - Ian T. Carroll
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) Annapolis Maryland 21401 USA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico 87131 USA
| | - Gregory R. Houseman
- Department of Biological Sciences Wichita State University Wichita Kansas 67026 USA
| | - Lauren M. Hallett
- Environmental Studies Program and Department of Biology University of Oregon Eugene Oregon 97403 USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota Saint Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina Greensboro North Carolina 27402 USA
| | | | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Kevin R. Wilcox
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Agriculture Research Service Fort Collins Colorado 80526 USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming 80521 USA
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15
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Langley JA, Chapman SK, La Pierre KJ, Avolio M, Bowman WD, Johnson DS, Isbell F, Wilcox KR, Foster BL, Hovenden MJ, Knapp AK, Koerner SE, Lortie CJ, Megonigal JP, Newton PCD, Reich PB, Smith MD, Suttle KB, Tilman D. Ambient changes exceed treatment effects on plant species abundance in global change experiments. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:5668-5679. [PMID: 30369019 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The responses of species to environmental changes will determine future community composition and ecosystem function. Many syntheses of global change experiments examine the magnitude of treatment effect sizes, but we lack an understanding of how plant responses to treatments compare to ongoing changes in the unmanipulated (ambient or background) system. We used a database of long-term global change studies manipulating CO2 , nutrients, water, and temperature to answer three questions: (a) How do changes in plant species abundance in ambient plots relate to those in treated plots? (b) How does the magnitude of ambient change in species-level abundance over time relate to responsiveness to global change treatments? (c) Does the direction of species-level responses to global change treatments differ from the direction of ambient change? We estimated temporal trends in plant abundance for 791 plant species in ambient and treated plots across 16 long-term global change experiments yielding 2,116 experiment-species-treatment combinations. Surprisingly, for most species (57%) the magnitude of ambient change was greater than the magnitude of treatment effects. However, the direction of ambient change, whether a species was increasing or decreasing in abundance under ambient conditions, had no bearing on the direction of treatment effects. Although ambient communities are inherently dynamic, there is now widespread evidence that anthropogenic drivers are directionally altering plant communities in many ecosystems. Thus, global change treatment effects must be interpreted in the context of plant species trajectories that are likely driven by ongoing environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Adam Langley
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Meghan Avolio
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - William D Bowman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - David S Johnson
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Virginia
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Bryan L Foster
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Mark J Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina
| | - Christopher J Lortie
- The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, UCSB, Santa Barbara, California
| | | | | | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kenwyn B Suttle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
| | - David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota
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16
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Poulsen JR, Koerner SE, Moore S, Medjibe VP, Blake S, Clark CJ, Akou ME, Fay M, Meier A, Okouyi J, Rosin C, White LJT. Poaching empties critical Central African wilderness of forest elephants. Curr Biol 2018; 27:R134-R135. [PMID: 28222286 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Elephant populations are in peril everywhere, but forest elephants in Central Africa have sustained alarming losses in the last decade [1]. Large, remote protected areas are thought to best safeguard forest elephants by supporting large populations buffered from habitat fragmentation, edge effects and human pressures. One such area, the Minkébé National Park (MNP), Gabon, was created chiefly for its reputation of harboring a large elephant population. MNP held the highest densities of elephants in Central Africa at the turn of the century, and was considered a critical sanctuary for forest elephants because of its relatively large size and isolation. We assessed population change in the park and its surroundings between 2004 and 2014. Using two independent modeling approaches, we estimated a 78-81% decline in elephant numbers over ten years - a loss of more than 25,000 elephants. While poaching occurs from within Gabon, cross-border poaching largely drove the precipitous drop in elephant numbers. With nearly 50% of forest elephants in Central Africa thought to reside in Gabon [1], their loss from the park is a considerable setback for the preservation of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon.
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Sarah Moore
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Vincent P Medjibe
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Stephen Blake
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Connie J Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Mark Ella Akou
- World Wildlife Fund Central Africa Regional Programme Office, B.P. 6776, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Michael Fay
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Amelia Meier
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Joseph Okouyi
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon; Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, BP. 13354, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Cooper Rosin
- Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lee J T White
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon; Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, BP. 13354, Libreville, Gabon; African Forest Ecology Group, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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17
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Poulsen JR, Rosin C, Meier A, Mills E, Nuñez CL, Koerner SE, Blanchard E, Callejas J, Moore S, Sowers M. Ecological consequences of forest elephant declines for Afrotropical forests. Conserv Biol 2018; 32:559-567. [PMID: 29076179 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Poaching is rapidly extirpating African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) from most of their historical range, leaving vast areas of elephant-free tropical forest. Elephants are ecological engineers that create and maintain forest habitat; thus, their loss will have large consequences for the composition and structure of Afrotropical forests. Through a comprehensive literature review, we evaluated the roles of forest elephants in seed dispersal, nutrient recycling, and herbivory and physical damage to predict the cascading ecological effects of their population declines. Loss of seed dispersal by elephants will favor tree species dispersed abiotically and by smaller dispersal agents, and tree species composition will depend on the downstream effects of changes in elephant nutrient cycling and browsing. Loss of trampling and herbivory of seedlings and saplings will result in high tree density with release from browsing pressures. Diminished seed dispersal by elephants and high stem density are likely to reduce the recruitment of large trees and thus increase homogeneity of forest structure and decrease carbon stocks. The loss of ecological services by forest elephants likely means Central African forests will be more like Neotropical forests, from which megafauna were extirpated thousands of years ago. Without intervention, as much as 96% of Central African forests will have modified species composition and structure as elephants are compressed into remaining protected areas. Stopping elephant poaching is an urgent first step to mitigating these effects, but long-term conservation will require land-use planning that incorporates elephant habitat into forested landscapes that are being rapidly transformed by industrial agriculture and logging.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Cooper Rosin
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Amelia Meier
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Emily Mills
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Chase L Nuñez
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, U.S.A
| | - Emily Blanchard
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Jennifer Callejas
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Sarah Moore
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
| | - Mark Sowers
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, P.O. Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, U.S.A
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18
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Collins SL, Avolio ML, Gries C, Hallett LM, Koerner SE, La Pierre KJ, Rypel AL, Sokol ER, Fey SB, Flynn DFB, Jones SK, Ladwig LM, Ripplinger J, Jones MB. Temporal heterogeneity increases with spatial heterogeneity in ecological communities. Ecology 2018; 99:858-865. [PMID: 29352480 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as a foundational characteristic of ecological systems. Under global change, understanding temporal community heterogeneity is necessary for predicting the stability of ecosystem functions and services. Indeed, spatial heterogeneity is commonly used in alternative stable state theory as a predictor of temporal heterogeneity and therefore an early indicator of regime shifts. To evaluate whether spatial heterogeneity in species composition is predictive of temporal heterogeneity in ecological communities, we analyzed 68 community data sets spanning freshwater and terrestrial systems where measures of species abundance were replicated over space and time. Of the 68 data sets, 55 (81%) had a weak to strongly positive relationship between spatial and temporal heterogeneity, while in the remaining communities the relationship was weak to strongly negative (19%). Based on a mixed model analysis, we found a significant but weak overall positive relationship between spatial and temporal heterogeneity across all data sets combined, and within aquatic and terrestrial data sets separately. In addition, lifespan and successional stage were negatively and positively related to temporal heterogeneity, respectively. We conclude that spatial heterogeneity may be a predictor of temporal heterogeneity in ecological communities, and that this relationship may be a general property of many terrestrial and aquatic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA
| | - Corinna Gries
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Lauren M Hallett
- Environmental Studies Program and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27402, USA
| | | | - Andrew L Rypel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Eric R Sokol
- National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, Colorado, 80301, USA
| | - Samuel B Fey
- Biology Department, Reed College, Portland, Oregon, 97202, USA
| | - Dan F B Flynn
- The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, USA
| | - Sydney K Jones
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Laura M Ladwig
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Julie Ripplinger
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, 92521, USA
| | - Matt B Jones
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, California, 93101, USA
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19
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Wilcox KR, Tredennick AT, Koerner SE, Grman E, Hallett LM, Avolio ML, La Pierre KJ, Houseman GR, Isbell F, Johnson DS, Alatalo JM, Baldwin AH, Bork EW, Boughton EH, Bowman WD, Britton AJ, Cahill JF, Collins SL, Du G, Eskelinen A, Gough L, Jentsch A, Kern C, Klanderud K, Knapp AK, Kreyling J, Luo Y, McLaren JR, Megonigal P, Onipchenko V, Prevéy J, Price JN, Robinson CH, Sala OE, Smith MD, Soudzilovskaia NA, Souza L, Tilman D, White SR, Xu Z, Yahdjian L, Yu Q, Zhang P, Zhang Y. Asynchrony among local communities stabilises ecosystem function of metacommunities. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:1534-1545. [PMID: 29067791 PMCID: PMC6849522 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Temporal stability of ecosystem functioning increases the predictability and reliability of ecosystem services, and understanding the drivers of stability across spatial scales is important for land management and policy decisions. We used species‐level abundance data from 62 plant communities across five continents to assess mechanisms of temporal stability across spatial scales. We assessed how asynchrony (i.e. different units responding dissimilarly through time) of species and local communities stabilised metacommunity ecosystem function. Asynchrony of species increased stability of local communities, and asynchrony among local communities enhanced metacommunity stability by a wide range of magnitudes (1–315%); this range was positively correlated with the size of the metacommunity. Additionally, asynchronous responses among local communities were linked with species’ populations fluctuating asynchronously across space, perhaps stemming from physical and/or competitive differences among local communities. Accordingly, we suggest spatial heterogeneity should be a major focus for maintaining the stability of ecosystem services at larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Andrew T Tredennick
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84321, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27412, USA
| | - Emily Grman
- Biology Department, Eastern Michigan University, 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, Ypsilanti, MI, 48197, USA
| | - Lauren M Hallett
- Environmental Studies Program and Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Morton K. Blaustein Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 301 Olin Hall 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Kimberly J La Pierre
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Gregory R Houseman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, 67260, USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | | | - Juha M Alatalo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Andrew H Baldwin
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Edward W Bork
- Agriculture/Forestry Center, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2P5
| | - Elizabeth H Boughton
- Archbold Biological Station, MacArthur Agroecology Research Center, 300 Buck Island Ranch Road, Lake Placid, FL, 33852, USA
| | - William D Bowman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mountain Research Station, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Andrea J Britton
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Guozhen Du
- School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christel Kern
- Northern Research Station, US Forest Service, 5985 Highway K, Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA
| | - Kari Klanderud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Aas, Norway
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Juergen Kreyling
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Experimental Plant Ecology, Greifswald University, Soldmannstrasse 15, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (Ecoss), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.,Department for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jennie R McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Patrick Megonigal
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 20754, USA
| | - Vladimir Onipchenko
- Department of Geobotany, Moscow State Lomonosov University, Leninskie gory 1-12, 119234, Moscow, Russia
| | - Janet Prevéy
- USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave SW, Olympia, WA, 98512, USA
| | - Jodi N Price
- Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, 2640, Australia
| | - Clare H Robinson
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Osvaldo E Sala
- School of Life Sciences and School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia
- Conservation Biology Department, Institute of Environmental Sciences, CML, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lara Souza
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.,Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Shannon R White
- Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T5K 2M4, Canada
| | - Zhuwen Xu
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Laura Yahdjian
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Facultad de Agronomía, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station/Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yunhai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.,Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
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20
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Wilcox KR, Shi Z, Gherardi LA, Lemoine NP, Koerner SE, Hoover DL, Bork E, Byrne KM, Cahill J, Collins SL, Evans S, Gilgen AK, Holub P, Jiang L, Knapp AK, LeCain D, Liang J, Garcia-Palacios P, Peñuelas J, Pockman WT, Smith MD, Sun S, White SR, Yahdjian L, Zhu K, Luo Y. Asymmetric responses of primary productivity to precipitation extremes: A synthesis of grassland precipitation manipulation experiments. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:4376-4385. [PMID: 28370946 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Climatic changes are altering Earth's hydrological cycle, resulting in altered precipitation amounts, increased interannual variability of precipitation, and more frequent extreme precipitation events. These trends will likely continue into the future, having substantial impacts on net primary productivity (NPP) and associated ecosystem services such as food production and carbon sequestration. Frequently, experimental manipulations of precipitation have linked altered precipitation regimes to changes in NPP. Yet, findings have been diverse and substantial uncertainty still surrounds generalities describing patterns of ecosystem sensitivity to altered precipitation. Additionally, we do not know whether previously observed correlations between NPP and precipitation remain accurate when precipitation changes become extreme. We synthesized results from 83 case studies of experimental precipitation manipulations in grasslands worldwide. We used meta-analytical techniques to search for generalities and asymmetries of aboveground NPP (ANPP) and belowground NPP (BNPP) responses to both the direction and magnitude of precipitation change. Sensitivity (i.e., productivity response standardized by the amount of precipitation change) of BNPP was similar under precipitation additions and reductions, but ANPP was more sensitive to precipitation additions than reductions; this was especially evident in drier ecosystems. Additionally, overall relationships between the magnitude of productivity responses and the magnitude of precipitation change were saturating in form. The saturating form of this relationship was likely driven by ANPP responses to very extreme precipitation increases, although there were limited studies imposing extreme precipitation change, and there was considerable variation among experiments. This highlights the importance of incorporating gradients of manipulations, ranging from extreme drought to extreme precipitation increases into future climate change experiments. Additionally, policy and land management decisions related to global change scenarios should consider how ANPP and BNPP responses may differ, and that ecosystem responses to extreme events might not be predicted from relationships found under moderate environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Zheng Shi
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Nathan P Lemoine
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - David L Hoover
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Edward Bork
- Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Kerry M Byrne
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - James Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sarah Evans
- Department of Integrative Biology, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Anna K Gilgen
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petr Holub
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lifen Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Daniel LeCain
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Junyi Liang
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Pablo Garcia-Palacios
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - William T Pockman
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Shanghua Sun
- College of Forestry, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, China
| | - Shannon R White
- Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Laura Yahdjian
- Facultad de Agronomía, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kai Zhu
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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21
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Carlson BS, Koerner SE, Medjibe VP, White LJT, Poulsen JR. Deadwood stocks increase with selective logging and large tree frequency in Gabon. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:1648-1660. [PMID: 27500502 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Deadwood is a major component of aboveground biomass (AGB) in tropical forests and is important as habitat and for nutrient cycling and carbon storage. With deforestation and degradation taking place throughout the tropics, improved understanding of the magnitude and spatial variation in deadwood is vital for the development of regional and global carbon budgets. However, this potentially important carbon pool is poorly quantified in Afrotropical forests and the regional drivers of deadwood stocks are unknown. In the first large-scale study of deadwood in Central Africa, we quantified stocks in 47 forest sites across Gabon and evaluated the effects of disturbance (logging), forest structure variables (live AGB, wood density, abundance of large trees), and abiotic variables (temperature, precipitation, seasonality). Average deadwood stocks (measured as necromass, the biomass of deadwood) were 65 Mg ha-1 or 23% of live AGB. Deadwood stocks varied spatially with disturbance and forest structure, but not abiotic variables. Deadwood stocks increased significantly with logging (+38 Mg ha-1 ) and the abundance of large trees (+2.4 Mg ha-1 for every tree >60 cm dbh). Gabon holds 0.74 Pg C, or 21% of total aboveground carbon in deadwood, a threefold increase over previous estimates. Importantly, deadwood densities in Gabon are comparable to those in the Neotropics and respond similarly to logging, but represent a lower proportion of live AGB (median of 18% in Gabon compared to 26% in the Neotropics). In forest carbon accounting, necromass is often assumed to be a constant proportion (9%) of biomass, but in humid tropical forests this ratio varies from 2% in undisturbed forest to 300% in logged forest. Because logging significantly increases the deadwood carbon pool, estimates of tropical forest carbon should at a minimum use different ratios for logged (mean of 30%) and unlogged forests (mean of 18%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben S Carlson
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Vincent P Medjibe
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, Libreville, BP 20379, Gabon
| | - Lee J T White
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, Libreville, BP 20379, Gabon
- Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale, Libreville, BP 1354, Gabon
- African Forest Ecology Group, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - John R Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
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22
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Koerner SE, Poulsen JR, Blanchard EJ, Okouyi J, Clark CJ. Vertebrate community composition and diversity declines along a defaunation gradient radiating from rural villages in Gabon. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sally E. Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O. Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - John R. Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O. Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Emily J. Blanchard
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O. Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Joseph Okouyi
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Kalikak, BP 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | - Connie J. Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O. Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewei Miao
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Vincent P. Medjibe
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie IV BP. 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | - John R. Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie IV BP. 20379 Libreville Gabon
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24
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Smith MD, Knapp AK, Collins SL, Burkepile DE, Kirkman KP, Koerner SE, Thompson DI, Blair JM, Burns CE, Eby S, Forrestel EJ, Fynn RW, Govender N, Hagenah N, Hoover DL, Wilcox KR. Shared Drivers but Divergent Ecological Responses: Insights from Long-Term Experiments in Mesic Savanna Grasslands. Bioscience 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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25
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Burkepile DE, Thompson DI, Fynn RWS, Koerner SE, Eby S, Govender N, Hagenah N, Lemoine NP, Matchett KJ, Wilcox KR, Collins SL, Kirkman KP, Knapp AK, Smith MD. Fire frequency drives habitat selection by a diverse herbivore guild impacting top-down control of plant communities in an African savanna. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deron E. Burkepile
- Dept of Biology; Florida International University; North Miami FL USA
- Dept of Ecology; Evolution and Marine Biology, Univ. of California - Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Dave I. Thompson
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node, Scientific Services, Kruger National Park; Private Bag X1021 Phalaborwa 1389 South Africa
- School of Geography; Archaeology, and Environmental Studies, Univ. of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3 WITS 2050 South Africa
| | | | - Sally E. Koerner
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Stephanie Eby
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Navashni Govender
- Scientific Services, Kruger National Park; Private Bag X402 Skukuza 1350 South Africa
| | - Nicole Hagenah
- School of Life Sciences; Univ. of KwaZulu-Natal; Private Bag X01 Scottsville Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
| | - Nathan P. Lemoine
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Katherine J. Matchett
- School of Life Sciences; Univ. of KwaZulu-Natal; Private Bag X01 Scottsville Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
| | - Kevin R. Wilcox
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | | | - Kevin P. Kirkman
- School of Life Sciences; Univ. of KwaZulu-Natal; Private Bag X01 Scottsville Pietermaritzburg 3209 South Africa
| | - Alan K. Knapp
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Dept of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
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Avolio ML, Pierre KJL, Houseman GR, Koerner SE, Grman E, Isbell F, Johnson DS, Wilcox KR. A framework for quantifying the magnitude and variability of community responses to global change drivers. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00317.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Knapp AK, Hoover DL, Wilcox KR, Avolio ML, Koerner SE, La Pierre KJ, Loik ME, Luo Y, Sala OE, Smith MD. Characterizing differences in precipitation regimes of extreme wet and dry years: implications for climate change experiments. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:2624-2633. [PMID: 25652911 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 01/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is intensifying the hydrologic cycle and is expected to increase the frequency of extreme wet and dry years. Beyond precipitation amount, extreme wet and dry years may differ in other ways, such as the number of precipitation events, event size, and the time between events. We assessed 1614 long-term (100 year) precipitation records from around the world to identify key attributes of precipitation regimes, besides amount, that distinguish statistically extreme wet from extreme dry years. In general, in regions where mean annual precipitation (MAP) exceeded 1000 mm, precipitation amounts in extreme wet and dry years differed from average years by ~40% and 30%, respectively. The magnitude of these deviations increased to >60% for dry years and to >150% for wet years in arid regions (MAP<500 mm). Extreme wet years were primarily distinguished from average and extreme dry years by the presence of multiple extreme (large) daily precipitation events (events >99th percentile of all events); these occurred twice as often in extreme wet years compared to average years. In contrast, these large precipitation events were rare in extreme dry years. Less important for distinguishing extreme wet from dry years were mean event size and frequency, or the number of dry days between events. However, extreme dry years were distinguished from average years by an increase in the number of dry days between events. These precipitation regime attributes consistently differed between extreme wet and dry years across 12 major terrestrial ecoregions from around the world, from deserts to the tropics. Thus, we recommend that climate change experiments and model simulations incorporate these differences in key precipitation regime attributes, as well as amount into treatments. This will allow experiments to more realistically simulate extreme precipitation years and more accurately assess the ecological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - David L Hoover
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Kevin R Wilcox
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Kimberly J La Pierre
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael E Loik
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Osvaldo E Sala
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Ryan MJ, Scott NJ, Cook JA, Willink B, Chaves G, Bolaños F, García-Rodríguez A, Latella IM, Koerner SE. Too wet for frogs: changes in a tropical leaf litter community coincide with La Niña. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00352.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Koerner SE, Burkepile DE, Fynn RWS, Burns CE, Eby S, Govender N, Hagenah N, Matchett KJ, Thompson DI, Wilcox KR, Collins SL, Kirkman KP, Knapp AK, Smith MD. Plant community response to loss of large herbivores differs between North American and South African savanna grasslands. Ecology 2014; 95:808-16. [PMID: 24933802 DOI: 10.1890/13-1828.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Herbivory and fire shape plant community structure in grass-dominated ecosystems, but these disturbance regimes are being altered around the world. To assess the consequences of such alterations, we excluded large herbivores for seven years from mesic savanna grasslands sites burned at different frequencies in North America (Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas, USA) and South Africa (Kruger National Park). We hypothesized that the removal of a single grass-feeding herbivore from Konza would decrease plant community richness and shift community composition due to increased dominance by grasses. Similarly, we expected grass dominance to increase at Kruger when removing large herbivores, but because large herbivores are more diverse, targeting both grasses and forbs, at this study site, the changes due to herbivore removal would be muted. After seven years of large-herbivore exclusion, richness strongly decreased and community composition changed at Konza, whereas little change was evident at Kruger. We found that this divergence in response was largely due to differences in the traits and numbers of dominant grasses between the study sites rather than the predicted differences in herbivore assemblages. Thus, the diversity of large herbivores lost may be less important in determining plant community dynamics than the functional traits of the grasses that dominate mesic, disturbance-maintained savanna grasslands.
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Abstract
Grazing, fire, and climate shape mesic grassland communities. With global change altering all three factors, understanding how grasslands respond to changes in these combined drivers may aid in projecting future changes in grassland ecosystems. We manipulated rainfall and simulated grazing (clipping) in two long-term fire experiments in mesic grasslands in North America (NA) and South Africa (SA). Despite their common drivers, grasslands in NA and SA differ in evolutionary history. Therefore, we expected community structure and production in NA and SA to respond differently to fire, grazing, and drought. Specifically, we hypothesized that NA plant community composition and production would be more responsive than the SA plant communities to changes in the drivers and their interactions, and that despite this expected stability of SA grasslands, drought would be the dominant factor controlling production, but grazing would play the primary role in determining community composition at both sites. Contrary to our hypothesis, NA and SA grasslands generally responded similarly to grazing, drought, and fire. Grazing increased diversity, decreased grass cover and production, and decreased belowground biomass at both sites. Drought alone minimally impacted plant community structure, and we saw similar treatment interactions at the two sites. Drought was not the primary driver of grassland productivity, but instead drought effects were similar to or less than grazing and fire. Even though these grasslands differed in evolutionary history, they responded similarly to our fire, grazing, and climate manipulations. Overall, we found community and ecosystem convergence in NA and SA grasslands. Grazing and fire are as important as climate in controlling mesic grassland ecosystems on both continents.
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Abstract
Grazing, fire, and climate shape mesic grassland communities. With global change altering all three factors, understanding how grasslands respond to changes in these combined drivers may aid in projecting future changes in grassland ecosystems. We manipulated rainfall and simulated grazing (clipping) in two long-term fire experiments in mesic grasslands in North America (NA) and South Africa (SA). Despite their common drivers, grasslands in NA and SA differ in evolutionary history. Therefore, we expected community structure and production in NA and SA to respond differently to fire, grazing, and drought. Specifically, we hypothesized that NA plant community composition and production would be more responsive than the SA plant communities to changes in the drivers and their interactions, and that despite this expected stability of SA grasslands, drought would be the dominant factor controlling production, but grazing would play the primary role in determining community composition at both sites. Contrary to our hypothesis, NA and SA grasslands generally responded similarly to grazing, drought, and fire. Grazing increased diversity, decreased grass cover and production, and decreased belowground biomass at both sites. Drought alone minimally impacted plant community structure, and we saw similar treatment interactions at the two sites. Drought was not the primary driver of grassland productivity, but instead drought effects were similar to or less than grazing and fire. Even though these grasslands differed in evolutionary history, they responded similarly to our fire, grazing, and climate manipulations. Overall, we found community and ecosystem convergence in NA and SA grasslands. Grazing and fire are as important as climate in controlling mesic grassland ecosystems on both continents.
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Eby S, Burkepile DE, Fynn RWS, Burns CE, Govender N, Hagenah N, Koerner SE, Matchett KJ, Thompson DI, Wilcox KR, Collins SL, Kirkman KP, Knapp AK, Smith MD. Loss of a large grazer impacts savanna grassland plant communities similarly in North America and South Africa. Oecologia 2014; 175:293-303. [PMID: 24554031 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2895-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Eby
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA,
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Collins SL, Koerner SE, Plaut JA, Okie JG, Brese D, Calabrese LB, Carvajal A, Evansen RJ, Nonaka E. Stability of tallgrass prairie during a 19-year increase in growing season precipitation. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01995.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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