Nutrients cause grassland biomass to outpaceherbivory

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dc.contributor.authorBorer, Elizabeth
dc.contributor.authorHarpole, W. Stanley
dc.contributor.authorAdler, Peter
dc.contributor.authorArnillas, Carlos Alberto
dc.contributor.authorBugalho, Miguel
dc.contributor.authorCadotte, Marc
dc.contributor.authorCaldeira, Maria
dc.contributor.authorCampana, Sofia
dc.contributor.authorDickman, Christopher
dc.contributor.authorDickson, Timothy
dc.contributor.authorDonohue, Ian
dc.contributor.authorEskelinen, Anu
dc.contributor.authorFirn, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorGraff, Pamela
dc.contributor.authorGruner, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorHeckman, Robert
dc.contributor.authorKoltz, Amanda
dc.contributor.authorKomatsu, Kimberly
dc.contributor.authorLannes, Luciola
dc.contributor.authorMacDougall, Andrew
dc.contributor.authorMartina, Jason
dc.contributor.authorMoore, Joslin
dc.contributor.authorMortensen, Brent
dc.contributor.authorOchoa-Hueso, Raul
dc.contributor.authorOlde Venterink, Harry
dc.contributor.authorPower, Sally
dc.contributor.authorPrice, Jodi
dc.contributor.authorRisch, Anita
dc.contributor.authorSankaran, Mahesh
dc.contributor.authorSchutz, M.
dc.contributor.authorSitters, Judith
dc.contributor.authorStevens, Carly
dc.contributor.authorVirtanen, Risto
dc.contributor.authorWilfahrt, Peter
dc.contributor.authorSeabloom, Eric
dc.date.accessioned2020-12-09T21:44:39Z
dc.date.available2020-12-09T21:44:39Z
dc.date.issued2020-11
dc.description.abstractHuman activities are transforming grassland biomass via changing climate, elemental nutrients, and herbivory. Theory predicts that food-limited herbivores will consume any additional biomass stimulated by nutrient inputs (‘consumer-controlled’). Alternatively,nutrient supply is predicted to increase biomass where herbivores alter community com-position or are limited by factors other than food (‘resource-controlled’). Using an experiment replicated in 58 grasslands spanning six continents, we show that nutrient addition and vertebrate herbivore exclusion each caused sustained increases in above ground live biomass over a decade, but consumer control was weak. However, at sites with high vertebrate grazing intensity or domestic livestock, herbivores consumed the additional fertilization-induced biomass, supporting the consumer-controlled prediction. Herbivores most effectively reduced the additional live biomass at sites with low precipitation or high ambient soil nitrogen. Overall, these experimental results suggest that grassland biomass will outstrip wild herbivore control as human activities increase elemental nutrient supply, with widespread consequences for grazing and fire risk.
dc.description.departmentBiology
dc.formatText
dc.format.extent9 pages
dc.format.medium1 file (.pdf)
dc.identifier.citationBorer, E.T., Harpole, W.S., Adler, P.B., <i>et al.</i> (2020). Nutrients cause grassland biomass to outpace herbivory. Nature Communications, 11(6036).
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19870-y
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/13063
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Nature
dc.rights.licenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
dc.sourceNature Communications, 2020, Vol. 11, (6036).
dc.subjectgrassland biomass
dc.subjectherbivores
dc.subjectnutrients
dc.subjectherbivore control
dc.subjectBiology
dc.titleNutrients cause grassland biomass to outpaceherbivory
dc.typeArticle

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