Meta-analysis shows that wild large herbivores shape ecosystem properties and promote spatial heterogeneity

Trepel, Jonas; le Roux, Elizabeth; Abraham, Andrew J.; Buitenwerf, Robert; Kamp, Johannes; Kristensen, Jeppe A.; Tietje, Melanie; Lundgren, Erick J.; Svenning, Jens-Christian

doi:10.1038/s41559-024-02327-6

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…Fensham & Skull, 1999;Lundgren et al, 2024;Price et al, 2022;Wells et al, 2022). For example, meso-and megaherbivores can have distinctly different effects on plant communities (Trepel et al, 2024). Body size, shoulder height and gape size have all been shown to affect feeding preferences in terrestrial animals (Moran & Catterall, 2010;Potter et al, 2022).…”

Section: Herb Ivore-pl Ant Tr Ait Inter Ac Ti On Smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, trophic rewilding should result in higher functional diversity of 'host' plant communities via decreased dominance and increased dispersal and heterogeneity of vegetation structure and abiotic conditions (Le Roux et al, 2018;Tanentzap et al, 2023;Trepel et al, 2024). Large bulk-feeding herbivores should reduce the dominance of acquisitive species and increase light availability, promoting diversity (Koerner et al, 2018;Mortensen et al, 2018)-though this may be dampened in cases of very inflated nutrient levels (e.g.…”

Section: Con Clus Ionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lastly, artificially overabundant herbivores (as in many livestock systems) and impoverished herbivore communities (e.g. dominated by deer; translating to higher herbivore selectivity) may result in reduction of positive or outright negative effects on plant diversity at the local scale (Trepel et al, 2024), due to their strong selective pressure on avoidant, resistant and tolerant trait combinations.…”

Section: Con Clus Ionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there remains a need for greater mechanistic understanding of the effects of megafauna restoration on biodiversity and ecosystem processes across environments (Forbes et al, 2019), differing ecosystem starting points (Schweiger et al, 2019), at large spatial scales (but for examples of larger scale studies, see Gordon et al, 2023;Guyton et al, 2020;Tanentzap et al, 2023) and in terms of differing faunal composition (e.g. with or without megaherbivores or large carnivores; Trepel et al, 2024). Here, we explore the idea that the application of trait-based approaches to understanding the consequences of the reinstatement of trophic complexity has the potential to fill this gap, complementing emerging evidence that a trait focus can improve our understanding of plant community responses to trophic rewilding (Pringle et al, 2023;Trepel et al, 2024).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…with or without megaherbivores or large carnivores; Trepel et al, 2024). Here, we explore the idea that the application of trait-based approaches to understanding the consequences of the reinstatement of trophic complexity has the potential to fill this gap, complementing emerging evidence that a trait focus can improve our understanding of plant community responses to trophic rewilding (Pringle et al, 2023;Trepel et al, 2024).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Integrating functional traits into trophic rewilding science

Atkinson,

Gallagher,

Czyżewski

et al. 2024

Journal of Ecology

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Trophic rewilding is gaining rapid momentum as a means of restoration across the world. Advances in research are elucidating the wide‐ranging effects of trophic rewilding and megafauna re‐establishment on ecosystem properties and processes including resilience, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, productivity and plant richness. A substantial gap remains in trophic rewilding research on how rewilding affects the frequency and expression of plant functional traits, a key hypothesised avenue by which megafauna can affect biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Yet, there is extensive literature examining the effects of mammal herbivory and exclusion on plant traits from which we may infer potential effects of megafauna reintroductions. Here, we synthesise the literature to show the multifaceted ways that plant functional composition responds to mammalian herbivory and explore how these responses are modulated by the density and identity of herbivores as well as resource availability, ecosystem productivity and historical contingency. We further explore these interactions in a quantitative analysis on European plant species. In addition, we link these broad patterns between mammal herbivory and traits to literature on plant invasions to predict how trophic rewilding may be able to reduce invasive plant dominance, as ecosystems around the world are transitioning towards novel states, occupied by a mix of native and introduced species. Expanding current research on herbivore effects (and their implications for trophic rewilding) beyond plant species richness and towards measurable functional traits can help assess and quantify processes that were not previously possible. Trait approaches can help to test mechanistic hypotheses on the top‐down impacts of large herbivores on plant communities to reveal links between trophic rewilding and ecosystem processes and properties. Synthesis. Given the rapid, much‐needed expansion of restoration and rewilding activities across the world, trait‐based ecology offers a pathway to generalisable predictions of the ecosystem impacts of rewilding, particularly in the context of both the unique landscape processes associated with rewilding (e.g. landscape scale spatiotemporal variability, dispersal) and of widely emerging novel ecosystems.

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Section: Herb Ivore-pl Ant Tr Ait Inter Ac Ti On Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Con Clus Ionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Con Clus Ionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Integrating functional traits into trophic rewilding science

Atkinson,

Gallagher,

Czyżewski

et al. 2024

Journal of Ecology

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Diet comparison between sympatric European bison, red deer and fallow deer in a Mediterranean landscape

Filella,

Morán,

Kemp

et al. 2024

Biodivers Conserv

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At the end of 2020, 18 European bison (Bison bonasus) were introduced to El Encinarejo estate, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. This hunting-oriented estate has 956 hectares of dehesa, Mediterranean forest and scrubland in which about 400 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 200 fallow deer (Dama dama) coexist with the bison. To know how trophic resources are used by these herbivore species, faecal samples were collected during the year 2021. The microhistological analysis technique was used to determine the percentage of epidermal fragments of the main functional groups (woody plants, graminoids, legumes and forbs) in each sample. The results showed significant differences between animal species and seasons of the year. Globally, woody plants are preferentially consumed in autumn and winter, graminoids in summer and legumes and forbs in spring. The woody component was the most abundant in the diet of the three species, accounting for 81% of the plant fragments present in red deer faeces, 52% in bison and 38% in fallow deer. This is the first study describing the dietary use of Pistacia lentiscus by European bison, the substantial use throughout all seasons indicates it as a very important diet source. In addition, the interspecific comparison showed that the bison significantly consumed more graminoids (21%), whereas legumes were more present in fallow deer diet (32%). Finally, red deer consumed less forbs than the other two species (8%). It is concluded that there is a certain distribution of trophic resources between the three species that may facilitate their coexistence.

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Biotic Deterioration and Homogenization: Why It Matters

Hessen

2024

Int J Polit Cult Soc

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Globally, locally, and regionally, there are different patterns of biotic diversity and community composition reflecting past evolutionary history shaped by differences in niches, productivity, climate, and other ambient factors, as well as migration barriers. Historically, humans have impacted and eroded these biotic patterns, notably by the impact of agriculture in a wide sense, but to an increasing extent also by logging, overharvesting, spreading of species, urbanization, and climate change. Besides causing (in most cases) a declining diversity, it also implies a biotic homogenization where ecosystem communities become spatially more similar, often by replacement of locally adopted specialist species with more widespread generalist species. Besides discussing these drivers of biotic degradation and homogenization, I also discuss why and how it matters both from a biocentric and anthropocentric point of view, how biotic and cultural homogenization are integrated via agricultural impacts, loss of habitats that also are home to indigenous people as well as by travel, trade, and consumption. In fact, the global cultural homogenization towards western consumerism is the overarching cause of biotic homogenization, biodiversity loss as well as climate change. Finally, solutions are discussed. There are local and regional means to counteract biotic losses and homogenization by retaining and restoring landscape elements, yet globally these trends can only be countered through systemic societal changes.

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Meta-analysis shows that wild large herbivores shape ecosystem properties and promote spatial heterogeneity

Cited by 20 publications

References 95 publications

Integrating functional traits into trophic rewilding science

Integrating functional traits into trophic rewilding science

Diet comparison between sympatric European bison, red deer and fallow deer in a Mediterranean landscape

Biotic Deterioration and Homogenization: Why It Matters

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