Interactive effects of insects and ungulates on root growth in a native grassland

Clark, Michael R.; Coupe, Malcolm D.; Bork, Edward W.; Cahill, James F.

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.20177.x

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…However, increased herbivory towards range limits and beyond reduced plant fitness more so than in their core range. It is not uncommon to find greater biomass in plant populations and communities with ungulate exclusion (Clark et al, 2012; Evans et al, 2015; Maron & Pearson, 2011), but increased growth of individuals planted below their range without mammals is a novel result. Additionally, low biomass at F .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian herbivores restrict the altitudinal range limits of alpine plants

2021

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Although rarely experimentally tested, biotic interactions have long been hypothesised to limit low‐elevation range boundaries of species. We tested the effects of herbivory on three alpine‐restricted plant species by transplanting plants below (novel), at the edge (limit), or in the centre (core) of their current elevational range and factorially fencing‐out above‐ and belowground mammals. Herbivore damage was greater in range limit and novel habitats than in range cores. Exclosures increased plant biomass and reproduction more in novel habitats than in range cores, suggesting demographic costs of novel interactions with herbivores. We then used demographic models to project population growth rates, which increased 5–20% more under herbivore exclosure at range limit and novel sites than in core habitats. Our results identify mammalian herbivores as key drivers of the low‐elevation range limits of alpine plants and indicate that upward encroachment of herbivores could trigger local extinctions by depressing plant population growth.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mammalian herbivores restrict the altitudinal range limits of alpine plants

2021

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“…Where vegetation was grazed, we assigned that quadrat a value of one for that vegetation group, otherwise zero. Values assigned for each vegetation group were summed per transect and divided by 10 to obtain a frequency of grazing use ranging from 0% to 100% (Clark et al 2012).…”

Section: Diet Selection Of Large Herbivores and Grasshoppersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is true that large mammals may alter foraging behavior in response to other ungulates (Bailey et al 1996), as well as disturbances from other fauna and their impacts on vegetation (e.g., prairies dogs; Davidson et al 2010), yet whether and how large herbivores alter foraging behavior in response to insect activity is still poorly understood (Clark et al 2012). We found that herbivorous insects did influence the foraging behavior of large herbivores: Sheep tended to spend more time on grazing during the peak of the growing season (August) when they grazed with grasshoppers ( Fig.…”

Section: The Positive Interactions Between Vertebrate and Invertebratmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive interactions between large herbivores and grasshoppers, and their consequences for grassland plant diversity

Zhong

Wang

Zhu

et al. 2014

Ecology

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Although the influence of positive interactions on plant and sessile communities has been well documented, surprisingly little is known about their role in structuring terrestrial animal communities. We evaluated beneficial interactions between two distantly related herbivore taxa, large vertebrate grazers (sheep) and smaller insect grazers (grasshoppers), using a set of field experiments in eastern Eurasian steppe of China. Grazing by large herbivores caused significantly higher grasshopper density, and this pattern persisted until the end of the experiment. Grasshoppers, in turn, increased the foraging time of larger herbivores, but such response occurred only during the peak of growing season (August). These reciprocal interactions were driven by differential herbivore foraging preferences for plant resources; namely, large herbivores preferred Artemisia forbs, whereas grasshoppers preferred Leymus grass. The enhancement of grasshopper density in areas grazed by large herbivores likely resulted from the selective consumption of Artemisia forbs by vertebrate grazers, which may potentially improve the host finding of grasshoppers. Likewise, grasshoppers appeared to benefit large herbivores by decreasing the cover and density of the dominant grass Leymus chinensis, which hampers large herbivores' access to palatable forbs. Moreover, we found that large herbivores grazing alone may significantly decrease plant diversity, yet grasshoppers appeared to mediate such negative effects when they grazed with large herbivores. Our results suggest that the positive, reciprocal interactions in terrestrial herbivore communities may be more prevalent and complex than previously thought.

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“…When a plant was removed, we assigned that bite a value of one for the belonging species group. Values assigned for each species group were summed per livestock type and divided by total bites of plants to obtain a relative grazing frequency of species groups ranging from 0%-100%, similar to procedures of Clark et al (2012) and Zhong et al (2014).…”

Section: Livestock Foraging Behavior Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Livestock grazing impacts on plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) vary by species identity

Wang

et al. 2019

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Livestock and small burrowing mammals are potential ecosystem engineers and major drivers of ecosystem processes. Small mammals, often considered competitors with livestock, have been reported to increase in recent years and have been identified for their negative impacts on ecosystem services such as plant production and soil carbon sequestration.However, these increases and impacts by small mammals have rarely been studied with respect to how they may be influenced by livestock grazing. Here we experimentally manipulated large enclosures on the alpine grassland of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, each with different livestock assemblages: yak (Bos grunniens), Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries), mixed populations of yak and sheep, and a control plot containing no livestock to study the potential impacts of livestock on the dominant small mammalian herbivore in the region, the plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae). We found that during the period of peak vegetative growth all pika populations in livestock experimental plots increased compared with those in the control plots. Additionally, pika populations and active pika burrow density increased more in experimental plots containing yaks compared with the sheep-only experimental plots. These results provide evidence that livestock grazing can increase the risk of pika outbreaks, which has led to this species being classified as a pest and subject to widespread control measures.We suggest explicitly incorporating livestock species identity in addition to grazing intensity and duration into management considerations to ensure maintenance of native biodiversity and long-term sustainability on the alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

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Interactive effects of insects and ungulates on root growth in a native grassland

Cited by 7 publications

References 54 publications

Mammalian herbivores restrict the altitudinal range limits of alpine plants

Mammalian herbivores restrict the altitudinal range limits of alpine plants

Positive interactions between large herbivores and grasshoppers, and their consequences for grassland plant diversity

Livestock grazing impacts on plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) vary by species identity

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