Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory
Forbs (“wildflowers”) are important contributors to grassland biodiversity but are vulnerable to environmental changes. In a factorial experiment at 94 sites on 6 continents, we test the global generality of several broad predictions: (1) Forb cover and richness decline under nutrient enrichment, pa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22266 https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-07882-7 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07882-7 |
| _version_ | 1855486902280388608 |
|---|---|
| author | Nelson, Rebecca A. Sullivan, Lauren L. Hersch-Green, Erika I. Seabloom, Eric William Borer, Elizabeth T. Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano Adler, Peter B. Biederman, Lori A. Bugalho, Miguel N. Caldeira, Maria C. Peri, Pablo Luis Harrison, Susan P. |
| author_browse | Adler, Peter B. Biederman, Lori A. Borer, Elizabeth T. Bugalho, Miguel N. Caldeira, Maria C. Harrison, Susan P. Hersch-Green, Erika I. Nelson, Rebecca A. Peri, Pablo Luis Seabloom, Eric William Sullivan, Lauren L. Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano |
| author_facet | Nelson, Rebecca A. Sullivan, Lauren L. Hersch-Green, Erika I. Seabloom, Eric William Borer, Elizabeth T. Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano Adler, Peter B. Biederman, Lori A. Bugalho, Miguel N. Caldeira, Maria C. Peri, Pablo Luis Harrison, Susan P. |
| author_sort | Nelson, Rebecca A. |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Forbs (“wildflowers”) are important contributors to grassland biodiversity but are vulnerable to environmental changes. In a factorial experiment at 94 sites on 6 continents, we test the global generality of several broad predictions: (1) Forb cover and richness decline under nutrient enrichment, particularly nitrogen enrichment. (2) Forb cover and richness increase under herbivory by large mammals. (3) Forb richness and cover are less affected by nutrient enrichment and herbivory in more arid climates, because water limitation reduces the impacts of competition with grasses. (4) Forb families will respond differently to nutrient enrichment and mammalian herbivory due to differences in nutrient requirements. We find strong evidence for the first, partial support for the second, no support
for the third, and support for the fourth prediction. Our results underscore that anthropogenic nitrogen addition is a major threat to grassland forbs, but grazing under high herbivore intensity can offset these nutrient effects. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA22266 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| publisherStr | Springer Nature |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA222662025-05-14T10:16:48Z Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory Nelson, Rebecca A. Sullivan, Lauren L. Hersch-Green, Erika I. Seabloom, Eric William Borer, Elizabeth T. Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano Adler, Peter B. Biederman, Lori A. Bugalho, Miguel N. Caldeira, Maria C. Peri, Pablo Luis Harrison, Susan P. Grasslands Herbaceous Plants Mineral Nutrients Herbivory Nitrogen Grazing Intensity Pastures Praderas Plantas Herbáceas Nutrientes Minerales Herbivoría Nitrógeno Intensidad de Pastoreo Pastizales Richness Riqueza Forbs (“wildflowers”) are important contributors to grassland biodiversity but are vulnerable to environmental changes. In a factorial experiment at 94 sites on 6 continents, we test the global generality of several broad predictions: (1) Forb cover and richness decline under nutrient enrichment, particularly nitrogen enrichment. (2) Forb cover and richness increase under herbivory by large mammals. (3) Forb richness and cover are less affected by nutrient enrichment and herbivory in more arid climates, because water limitation reduces the impacts of competition with grasses. (4) Forb families will respond differently to nutrient enrichment and mammalian herbivory due to differences in nutrient requirements. We find strong evidence for the first, partial support for the second, no support for the third, and support for the fourth prediction. Our results underscore that anthropogenic nitrogen addition is a major threat to grassland forbs, but grazing under high herbivore intensity can offset these nutrient effects. EEA Santa Cruz, INTA Fil: Nelson, Rebecca A. University of California at Davis. Department of Environmental Science & Policy; Estados Unidos Fil: Nelson, Rebecca A. Utah State University. Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L. Michigan State University. Department of Plant Biology; Estados Unidos Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L. Michigan State University. W K Kellogg Biological Station. Hickory Corners; Estados Unidos Fil: Sullivan, Lauren L. Michigan State University. Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program; Estados Unidos Fil: Hersch-Green, Erika I. Michigan Technological University. Dept. of Biological Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Seabloom, Eric William. University of Minnesota. Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Estados Unidos Fil: Borer, Elizabeth T. University of Minnesota. Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior; Estados Unidos Fil: Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA); Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA); Argentina Fil: Adler, Peter B. Utah State University. Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Biederman, Lori A. Iowa State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Bugalho, Miguel N. University of Lisbon. School of Agriculture. Center for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves” (CEABN-InBIO); Portugal. Fil: Caldeira, Maria C. University of Lisbon. School of Agriculture. Forest Research Centre. Associate Laboratory TERRA; Portugal. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Harrison, Susan P. University of California at Davis. Department of Environmental Science & Policy; Estados Unidos 2025-05-14T10:07:05Z 2025-05-14T10:07:05Z 2025-03-15 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22266 https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-07882-7 Nelson R.A.; Sullivan L.L.; Hersch-Green E.; Seabloom E.W.; Borer E.T.; Tognetti P.; Adler P.B.; Biederman L.; Bugalho M.N.; (…); Peri P.L.; et al. (2025) Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory. Communications Biology 8: 444. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07882-7 2399-3642 (online) https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07882-7 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Springer Nature Communications Biology 8 : Article number: 444. (2025) |
| spellingShingle | Grasslands Herbaceous Plants Mineral Nutrients Herbivory Nitrogen Grazing Intensity Pastures Praderas Plantas Herbáceas Nutrientes Minerales Herbivoría Nitrógeno Intensidad de Pastoreo Pastizales Richness Riqueza Nelson, Rebecca A. Sullivan, Lauren L. Hersch-Green, Erika I. Seabloom, Eric William Borer, Elizabeth T. Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano Adler, Peter B. Biederman, Lori A. Bugalho, Miguel N. Caldeira, Maria C. Peri, Pablo Luis Harrison, Susan P. Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title | Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title_full | Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title_fullStr | Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title_short | Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| title_sort | forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory |
| topic | Grasslands Herbaceous Plants Mineral Nutrients Herbivory Nitrogen Grazing Intensity Pastures Praderas Plantas Herbáceas Nutrientes Minerales Herbivoría Nitrógeno Intensidad de Pastoreo Pastizales Richness Riqueza |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22266 https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-07882-7 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07882-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nelsonrebeccaa forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT sullivanlaurenl forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT herschgreenerikai forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT seabloomericwilliam forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT borerelizabetht forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT tognettipedromaximiliano forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT adlerpeterb forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT biedermanloria forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT bugalhomigueln forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT caldeiramariac forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT peripabloluis forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory AT harrisonsusanp forbdiversitygloballyisharmedbynutrientenrichmentbutcanberescuedbylargemammalianherbivory |