Herbivory and eutrophication mediate grassland plant nutrient responses across a global climatic gradient

• Autores: Anderson, T. Michael; Griffith, Daniel M.; Grace, James B.; Lind, Eric M.; Adler, Peter B.; Biederman, Lori A.; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Daleo, Pedro; Firn, Jennifer; Hagenah, Nicole; Harpole, W. Stanley; MacDougall, Andrew S.; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Prober, Suzanne M.; Risch, Anita C.; Sankaran, Mahesh; Schütz, Martin; Seabloom, Eric W.; Stevens, Carly J.; Sullivan, Lauren L.; Wragg, Peter D.; Borer, Elizabeth T.
• Año de publicación: 2018
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Climate; Eutrophication; Fencing; Fertilizer; Grasses; Herbivores; N deposition; Nutrient Network (NutNet); Nutrients; Solar insolation; Stoichiometry
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

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 the importance of climate in determining plant nutrient concentrations mediated through effects on plant biomass, that eutrophication affects grassland nutrient pools via both soil and atmospheric pathways and that interactions among soils, herbivores and eutrophication drive plant nutrient responses at small scales, especially at water-limited sites.
Fil: Anderson, T. Michael. University Wake Forest; Estados Unidos
Fil: Griffith, Daniel M.. State University of Oregon; Estados Unidos
Fil: Grace, James B.. United States Geological Survey; Estados Unidos
Fil: Lind, Eric M.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos
Fil: Adler, Peter B.. State University of Utah; Estados Unidos
Fil: Biederman, Lori A.. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (ISU);
Fil: Blumenthal, Dana M.. United States Department Of Agriculture; Estados Unidos
Fil: Daleo, Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina
Fil: Firn, Jennifer. Queensland University Of Technology Qut; Australia
Fil: Hagenah, Nicole. University Of Kwazulu-natal; Sudáfrica
Fil: Harpole, W. Stanley. Helmholtz Zentrum Für Umweltforschung; Alemania
Fil: MacDougall, Andrew S.. University of Guelph; Canadá
Fil: McCulley, Rebecca L.. University of Kentucky; Estados Unidos
Fil: Prober, Suzanne M.. Csiro Land And Water; Australia
Fil: Risch, Anita C.. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt Fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-bereichs; Suiza
Fil: Sankaran, Mahesh. International Centre Of Theoretical Science. Tata Institute Of Fundamental Research; España
Fil: Schütz, Martin. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt Fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-bereichs; Suiza
Fil: Seabloom, Eric W.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos
Fil: Stevens, Carly J.. Lancaster Environment Centre; Reino Unido
Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos
Fil: Wragg, Peter D.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos
Fil: Borer, Elizabeth T.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos