Rodent herbivory differentially affects mortality rates of 14 native plant species with contrasting life history and growth form traits

Bowman, Tiffanny R. Sharp; McMillan, Brock R.; Clair, Samuel B. St.

doi:10.1007/s00442-017-3944-y

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This study was conducted concurrently with a similar experiment in the Mojave Desert (Sharp Bowman et al. ). In both study systems, rodents greatly reduced seedling survival and changes in rodent abundance through time were associated with observable differences in plant mortality rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rodent herbivory and fire differentially affect plant species recruitment based on variability in life history traits

2017

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Abstract. Rodent consumers can have strong top-down effects on plant community development via seed predation, but their influence on seedling recruitment and how it varies depending on disturbance history and plant traits are largely unknown. Over a two-year period, we experimentally tested the influence of rodents and fire on seedling survival of 14 plant species with contrasting growth forms and life history traits in the Great Basin Desert. Seedling survival was dramatically increased by rodent exclusion and fire and was greater in 2013 than 2012. Rodent abundance was an order of magnitude lower in 2013 than 2012 and across both years showed a negative linear relationship with mean seedling survival of all 14 plant species (R 2 = À0.62). There was strong variability in plant species sensitivity to rodent herbivory with a more than 10-fold difference in mortality risk between the most sensitive species and the most resistant species and a high degree of variability in survival among all species. Mortality risk of forb species was double that of grass species and there was a trend toward higher mortality of native species compared to introduced species. The results suggest that rodent herbivory may be an important determinant of plant community assembly in desert ecosystems with plant life history strategies and growth form traits serving as important survival filters. Post-fire environments and low rodent years likely provide windows of opportunity for greater seedling recruitment due to a release from rodent herbivory pressure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rodent herbivory and fire differentially affect plant species recruitment based on variability in life history traits

2017

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“…Rodents can have strong top-down effects on Great Basin and Mojave plant communities (Sharp-Bowman et al,2017a, 2017b.…”

Section: Invertebrate Responses To Rodent Exclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many rodent species include insects as part of their diet, and small mammal insectivory has been shown to have strong effects on grassland invertebrate communities (Churchfield, Hollier, & Brown, 1991). The effects of rodents on plant community structure via granivory and folivory (Sharp-Bowman, McMillan, & St. Clair, 2017a, 2017b are also likely to have indirect effects on the abundance and diversity of insect communities. A previous study at our Great Basin site determined that rodents can suppress cheatgrass invasion (St. Clair, O'Connor, Gill, & McMillan, 2016); rodent exclusion produced a plant community dominated by invasive grasses, and where rodents had access, the plant community was a much more diverse annual forb community.…”

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confidence: 99%

Invertebrate community response to fire and rodent activity in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts

Day

Birrell

Terry

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Recent increases in the frequency and size of desert wildfires bring into question the impacts of fire on desert invertebrate communities. Furthermore, consumer communities can strongly impact invertebrates through predation and top‐down effects on plant community assembly. We experimentally applied burn and rodent exclusion treatments in a full factorial design at sites in both the Mojave and Great Basin deserts to examine the impact that fire and rodent consumers have on invertebrate communities. Pitfall traps were used to survey invertebrates from April through September 2016 to determine changes in abundance, richness, and diversity of invertebrate communities in response to fire and rodent treatments. Generally speaking, rodent exclusion had very little effect on invertebrate abundance or ant abundance, richness or diversity. The one exception was ant abundance, which was higher in rodent access plots than in rodent exclusion plots in June 2016, but only at the Great Basin site. Fire had little effect on the abundances of invertebrate groups at either desert site, with the exception of a negative effect on flying‐forager abundance at our Great Basin site. However, fire reduced ant species richness and Shannon's diversity at both desert sites. Fire did appear to indirectly affect ant community composition by altering plant community composition. Structural equation models suggest that fire increased invasive plant cover, which negatively impacted ant species richness and Shannon's diversity, a pattern that was consistent at both desert sites. These results suggest that invertebrate communities demonstrate some resilience to fire and invasions but increasing fire and spread of invasive due to invasive grass fire cycles may put increasing pressure on the stability of invertebrate communities.

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“…Native plant communities occupy space and resources that invasive species need to establish (Chambers, Roundy, & Blank, ; Prevéy, Germino, & Huntly, ). Herbivory by native consumers can reduce ecosystem invasibility (Allington et al, ; Pearson, Potter, & Maron, ; St. Clair et al, ) through seed predation and seedling herbivory of exotic species (Maron, Pearson, Potter, & Ortega, ; Pearson, Callaway, & Maron, ; Pearson, Hierro, Chiuffo, & Villarreal, ; Sharp‐Bowman, McMillan, & St. Clair, ). Generalist herbivores, including rodents, in some situations may provide only minimal biotic resistance against the establishment of strong plant invaders (Connolly, Pearson, & Mack, ; Lucero & Callaway, 2018a; Maron et al, ; Pearson et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss of biotic resistance and high propagule pressure promote invasive grass‐fire cycles

Clair

Bishop

2019

Journal of Ecology

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The spread of invasive grasses across Earth are modifying fire cycles resulting in state changes in arid ecosystems. Disturbance, biotic resistance of native biological communities and propagule pressure, are likely the important factors influencing the spread of invasive grasses and their influence on changing fire regimes. Over a 5‐year period (2011–2016), we tested how the potential loss of biotic resistance of native plant and native rodent communities related to fire and rodent exclusion treatments, in concert with increased propagule pressure affected the establishment of Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass) and the spread of secondary fires. Our study results suggest that native plant and native rodent communities contribute to biotic resistance against cheatgrass invasion and that fire and high propagule pressure act to diminish biotic resistance by native communities. Five years into the study, cheatgrass establishment was 11‐fold greater in burned plots than in unburned plots (with native plant communities still intact), 2.4‐fold greater in rodent exclusion plots than rodent access plots and 1.8‐fold greater with increased propagule pressure. At the start of the experiment in 2011 cheatgrass was present in the experimental blocks but at very low density (<1 plant/m2). However, by 2016, burned‐rodent excluded plots were fully invaded (1625 stems/m2). High propagule pressure released cheatgrass from biotic resistance of rodent communities in post‐fire conditions but had minimal effects on the biotic resistance of native plant communities in unburned plots. Fire in combination with either rodent exclusion or high cheatgrass propagule pressure produced higher density cheatgrass stands that were positively correlated with the spread of secondary fires that are characteristic of invasive grass‐fire cycles. Synthesis. Loss of native plant cover or reduction in rodent populations due to fire, extreme climatic events or disease outbreaks, which are increasing with human activity, may provide windows of opportunity for invasive grasses to escape biotic resistance and reinforce invasive grass‐fire cycles.

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Rodent herbivory differentially affects mortality rates of 14 native plant species with contrasting life history and growth form traits

Cited by 12 publications

References 51 publications

Rodent herbivory and fire differentially affect plant species recruitment based on variability in life history traits

Rodent herbivory and fire differentially affect plant species recruitment based on variability in life history traits

Invertebrate community response to fire and rodent activity in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts

Loss of biotic resistance and high propagule pressure promote invasive grass‐fire cycles

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