Rights statement: Copyright by the Ecological Society of America. Anderson, T.M., Griffith, D.M., Grace, J.B., Lind, E.M., Adler, P.B., Biederman, L.A., Blumenthal, D.M., Daleo, P., Firn, J., Hagenah, N., Harpole, W.S., MacDougall, A.S., McCulley, R.L., Prober, S.M., Risch, A.C., Sankaran, M., Schütz, M., Seabloom, E.W., Stevens, C.J., Sullivan, L.L., Wragg, P.D. and Borer, E.T. (2018), Herbivory and eutrophication mediate grassland plant nutrient responses across a global climatic gradient. Ecology, 99: 822-831. doi:10.1002/ecy.2175
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Herbivory and eutrophication mediate grassland plant nutrient responses across a global climatic gradient
AU - Anderson, T. Michael
AU - Griffith, Daniel M.
AU - Grace, James B.
AU - Lind, Eric M.
AU - Adler, Peter B.
AU - Biederman, Lori A.
AU - Blumenthal, Dana M.
AU - Daleo, Pedro
AU - Firn, Jennifer
AU - Hagenah, Nicole
AU - Harpole, W. Stanley
AU - MacDougall, Andrew S.
AU - McCulley, Rebecca L.
AU - Prober, Suzanne M.
AU - Risch, Anita C.
AU - Sankaran, Mahesh
AU - Schütz, Martin
AU - Seabloom, Eric W.
AU - Stevens, Carly J.
AU - Sullivan, Lauren L.
AU - Wragg, Peter D.
AU - Borer, Elizabeth T.
N1 - Copyright by the Ecological Society of America. Anderson, T.M., Griffith, D.M., Grace, J.B., Lind, E.M., Adler, P.B., Biederman, L.A., Blumenthal, D.M., Daleo, P., Firn, J., Hagenah, N., Harpole, W.S., MacDougall, A.S., McCulley, R.L., Prober, S.M., Risch, A.C., Sankaran, M., Schütz, M., Seabloom, E.W., Stevens, C.J., Sullivan, L.L., Wragg, P.D. and Borer, E.T. (2018), Herbivory and eutrophication mediate grassland plant nutrient responses across a global climatic gradient. Ecology, 99: 822-831. doi:10.1002/ecy.2175
PY - 2018/4/2
Y1 - 2018/4/2
N2 - Plant stoichiometry, the relative concentration of elements, is a key regulator of ecosystem functioning and is also being altered by human activities. In this paper we sought to understand the global drivers of plant stoichiometry and compare the relative contribution of climatic vs. anthropogenic effects. We addressed this goal by measuring plant elemental (C, N, P and K) responses to eutrophication and vertebrate herbivore exclusion at eighteen sites on six continents. Across sites, climate and atmospheric N deposition emerged as strong predictors of plot-level tissue nutrients, mediated by biomass and plant chemistry. Within sites, fertilization increased total plant nutrient pools, but results were contingent on soil fertility and the proportion of grass biomass relative to other functional types. Total plant nutrient pools diverged strongly in response to herbivore exclusion when fertilized; responses were largest in ungrazed plots at low rainfall, whereas herbivore grazing dampened the plant community nutrient responses to fertilization. Our study highlights (1) the importance of climate in determining plant nutrient concentrations mediated through effects on plant biomass, (2) that eutrophication affects grassland nutrient pools via both soil and atmospheric pathways and (3) that interactions among soils, herbivores and eutrophication drive plant nutrient responses at small scales, especially at water-limited sites.
AB - Plant stoichiometry, the relative concentration of elements, is a key regulator of ecosystem functioning and is also being altered by human activities. In this paper we sought to understand the global drivers of plant stoichiometry and compare the relative contribution of climatic vs. anthropogenic effects. We addressed this goal by measuring plant elemental (C, N, P and K) responses to eutrophication and vertebrate herbivore exclusion at eighteen sites on six continents. Across sites, climate and atmospheric N deposition emerged as strong predictors of plot-level tissue nutrients, mediated by biomass and plant chemistry. Within sites, fertilization increased total plant nutrient pools, but results were contingent on soil fertility and the proportion of grass biomass relative to other functional types. Total plant nutrient pools diverged strongly in response to herbivore exclusion when fertilized; responses were largest in ungrazed plots at low rainfall, whereas herbivore grazing dampened the plant community nutrient responses to fertilization. Our study highlights (1) the importance of climate in determining plant nutrient concentrations mediated through effects on plant biomass, (2) that eutrophication affects grassland nutrient pools via both soil and atmospheric pathways and (3) that interactions among soils, herbivores and eutrophication drive plant nutrient responses at small scales, especially at water-limited sites.
KW - climate
KW - eutrophication
KW - fencing
KW - fertilizer
KW - grasses
KW - herbivores
KW - N deposition
KW - Nutrient Network (NutNet)
KW - nutrients
KW - solar insolation
KW - stoichiometry
U2 - 10.1002/ecy.2175
DO - 10.1002/ecy.2175
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29603733
AN - SCOPUS:85044662428
VL - 99
SP - 822
EP - 831
JO - Ecology
JF - Ecology
SN - 0012-9658
IS - 4
ER -