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Herbivores reduce s...
Herbivores reduce seedling recruitment in alpine plant communities
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- Opedal, Øystein H. (author)
- Lund University,Lunds universitet,Biodiversitet,Biologiska institutionen,Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten,BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate,Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC),Artbildning, anpassning och samevolution,Forskargrupper vid Lunds universitet,Biodiversity,Department of Biology,Faculty of Science,Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC),Speciation, Adaptation and Coevolution,Lund University Research Groups
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- Nystuen, Kristin O. (author)
- Nord University,Lund University
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- Hagen, Dagmar (author)
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
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- Holien, Håkon (author)
- Lund University
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- Sørensen, Mia Vedel (author)
- Nord University
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- Lang, Simone I. (author)
- University Centre in Svalbard
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- Lindmo, Sigrid (author)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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- Strimbeck, G. Richard (author)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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- Graae, Bente J. (author)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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(creator_code:org_t)
- 2021-02-16
- 2021
- English.
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In: Nordic Journal of Botany. - : Wiley. - 0107-055X .- 1756-1051. ; 39:2
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Abstract
Subject headings
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- Through changes in climate and other environmental factors, alpine tundra ecosystems are subject to increased cover of erect shrubs, reduced predictability of rodent dynamics and changes in wild and domesticated herbivore densities. To predict the dynamics of these ecosystems, we need to understand how these simultaneous changes affect alpine vegetation. In the long term, vegetation dynamics may depend critically on seedling recruitment. To study drivers of alpine plant seedling recruitment, we set up a field experiment where we manipulated the opportunity for plant–plant interactions through vegetation removal and introduction of willow transplants, the occurrence of herbivory through caging of plots, and then sowed 14 species into the plots. We replicated the experiment in three common alpine vegetation types (heath, meadow and Salix shrubland) and recorded seedling emergence and survival over five years. Strong effects of vegetation removal and substantial differences in recruitment among dominant vegetation types suggested important effects of local vegetation on the recruitment success of vascular-plant seedlings. Similarly, herbivore exclusion had strong positive effects on recruitment success. This effect arose primarily via reduced seedling mortality in plots from which herbivores had been experimentally excluded and became noticeably stronger over time. In contrast, we detected no consistent effects of experimental willow shrub introduction on seedling recruitment. These results demonstrate that large and small herbivores can affect alpine plant seedling recruitment negatively by trampling and feeding on seedlings. Importantly, the effects became stronger over time, suggesting that effects of herbivory on seedling recruitment accumulates over time and may relate to recruitment phases beyond initial seedling emergence.
Subject headings
- NATURVETENSKAP -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)
- NATURAL SCIENCES -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)
Keyword
- climate change
- herbivory
- plant–animal interactions
- seedling recruitment
- shrub encroachment
- species interactions
- vegetation dynamics
Publication and Content Type
- art (subject category)
- ref (subject category)
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