Some Effects of Mammalian Herbivores and Fertilization on Tundra Soils and Vegetation

McKendrick, Jay D.; Batzli, George O.; Everett, K. R.; Swansons, C.

doi:10.2307/1550501

Cited by 139 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…When the vegetation along fences was studied, herbs were the only growth forms that did not respond significantly to summer grazing by reindeer (Olofsson et al 200 1). In the same study, dwarf shrubs were replaced by graminoids in consequence of grazing, which is consistent with previous findings (Clarke et al 1995, McKendrick et al 1980. Compared with grasses and forbs, dwarf shrubs have a poor ability to compensate for defoliation and graz ing (Mulder 1999).…”

Section: Cover Of the Speciessupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Furthermore, reduced self-shading and an increased proportion of young leaves may also be advantageous for the growth rate of grasses. However, low nutrient availability limits plant growth in subarctic and alpine areas, especially of grasses (Chapin et al 1986, McKendrick et al 1980. Consequently, grasses are usually ofless importance in plant communities in these areas.…”

Section: Cover Of the Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use and abuse of reindeer range

2008

APS

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Section: Cover Of the Speciessupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Cover Of the Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use and abuse of reindeer range

2008

APS

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“…Graminoids usually increase their abundance after nitrogen treatment in alpine and arctic communities (Appendix 1; McKendrick et al 1980;Bowman et al 1993;Press et al 1998;Theodose and Bowman 1997;Körner 2003b;Calvo et al 2005). Grasses and sedges can respond differently to N fertilization.…”

Section: Functional Group Response To Fertilisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alpine plant functional group responses to fertiliser addition depend on abiotic regime and community composition

et al. 2012

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Background and aims We ask how productivity responses of alpine plant communities to increased nutrient availability can be predicted from abiotic regime and initial functional type composition. Methods We compared four Caucasian alpine plant communities (lichen heath, Festuca varia grassland, Geranium-Hedysarum meadow, snow bed community) forming a toposequence and contrasting in productivity and dominance structure for biomass responses to experimental fertilization (N, P, NP, Ca) and irrigation for 4-5 years. Results The dominant plants in more productive communities monopolized added N and P, at the expense of their neighbors. In three out of four communities, N and P fertilizations gave greater aboveground biomass increase than N or P fertilization alone, indicating overall co-limitation of N and P, with N being most limiting. Relative biomass increase in NP treatment was negatively related to biomass in control plots across the four communities. Grasses often responded more vigorously to P, but sedges to N alone. Finally, we present one of the rare examples of a forb showing a strong N or NP response. Conclusion Our findings will help improve our ability to predict community composition and biomass dynamics in cool ecosystems subject to changing nutrient availability as induced by climate or land-use changes.

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“…Terrestrial herbivores often increase (McKendrick et al 1980, Swank et al 1981, Ruess and McNaughton 1987, Holland and Detling 1990, Shariff et al 1994, Frank and Evans 1997, McNaughton et al 1997), but sometimes decrease (Pastor et al 1988, Ritchie et al 1998, the rate of nitrogen cycling. The factors that determine whether herbivory has a net positive or negative effect on nitrogen cycling are not clear and are likely to vary in time and space.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some cases, the concentration of nitrogen in herbivore biomass and waste products leads to a fertilizer effect, stimulating nitrogen mineralization and increasing nitrogen availibility (McKendrick et al 1980, McNaughton et al 1988, Frank et al 1994, Shariff et al 1994, Pastor et al 1996, Frank and Evans 1997. Herbivory often increases the quality of the grazed plants by decreasing their C:N ratio (McNaughton 1979, Seastedt 1985, Seastedt et al 1988, Merrill et al 1994, which increases litter decomposition and stimulates net mineralization (Taylor et al 1989, Frank et al 1994, Scott and Binkley 1997, Frank and Groffman 1998.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct and Indirect Effects of Herbivores on Nitrogen Dynamics: Voles in Riparian Areas

Sirotnak¹,

Huntly²

2000

Ecology

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Abstract. Herbivores can directly increase nitrogen mobility by increasing the quality of organic matter entering the decomposition cycle, but they also may decrease nitrogen mobility by decreasing the biomass of high-nitrogen species in the plant community. We assessed effects of voles (Microtus) on nitrogen dynamics using exclosures in two riparian meadows (Crystal Bench and Blacktail Deer Creek) in Yellowstone National Park (USA). At both sites, the quantity of plant litter was decreased by herbivory following a vole population peak in 1992. At Crystal Bench, removal of voles caused a decrease in the nitrogen concentration and an increase in the C:N ratio of plant litter over the four years of the study. The higher quality litter produced in the presence of voles at Crystal resulted in a larger pool of potentially mineralizable nitrogen in soil from control plots relative to soils from plots that had not been accessible to voles. At Crystal, vole removal did not cause a change in plant community composition. However, at Blacktail, after several years of vole exclusion, legumes became more common in exclosures than in control plots that were accessible to voles. Selective herbivory on high-nitrogen legumes kept the litter quality outside exclosures low, whereas higher legume biomass caused a decrease in C:N ratio of plant litter inside exclosures. The removal of voles at Blacktail caused a 15% increase in the fraction of the soil nitrogen that was rapidly mineralizable.Our results show that voles increased nitrogen mobility, especially during and after population peaks. However, that increase was offset by decreases in nitrogen mineralization over longer periods when voles caused a decrease in high-quality plant litter produced by preferred forage plants, especially legumes. Thus, both the mechanisms by which voles affected nitrogen dynamics and the net effects of voles varied over time and space. The balance of direct and indirect effects may provide a general mechanistic explanation of whether herbivores increase or decrease the rate of nitrogen cycling.

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Some Effects of Mammalian Herbivores and Fertilization on Tundra Soils and Vegetation

Cited by 139 publications

References 15 publications

Use and abuse of reindeer range

Use and abuse of reindeer range

Alpine plant functional group responses to fertiliser addition depend on abiotic regime and community composition

Direct and Indirect Effects of Herbivores on Nitrogen Dynamics: Voles in Riparian Areas

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