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Plant species' origin predicts dominance and response to nutrient enrichment and herbivores in global grasslands.


ABSTRACT: Exotic species dominate many communities; however the functional significance of species' biogeographic origin remains highly contentious. This debate is fuelled in part by the lack of globally replicated, systematic data assessing the relationship between species provenance, function and response to perturbations. We examined the abundance of native and exotic plant species at 64 grasslands in 13 countries, and at a subset of the sites we experimentally tested native and exotic species responses to two fundamental drivers of invasion, mineral nutrient supplies and vertebrate herbivory. Exotic species are six times more likely to dominate communities than native species. Furthermore, while experimental nutrient addition increases the cover and richness of exotic species, nutrients decrease native diversity and cover. Native and exotic species also differ in their response to vertebrate consumer exclusion. These results suggest that species origin has functional significance, and that eutrophication will lead to increased exotic dominance in grasslands.

SUBMITTER: Seabloom EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4518311 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Plant species' origin predicts dominance and response to nutrient enrichment and herbivores in global grasslands.

Seabloom Eric W EW   Borer Elizabeth T ET   Buckley Yvonne M YM   Cleland Elsa E EE   Davies Kendi F KF   Firn Jennifer J   Harpole W Stanley WS   Hautier Yann Y   Lind Eric M EM   MacDougall Andrew S AS   Orrock John L JL   Prober Suzanne M SM   Adler Peter B PB   Anderson T Michael TM   Bakker Jonathan D JD   Biederman Lori A LA   Blumenthal Dana M DM   Brown Cynthia S CS   Brudvig Lars A LA   Cadotte Marc M   Chu Chengjin C   Cottingham Kathryn L KL   Crawley Michael J MJ   Damschen Ellen I EI   Dantonio Carla M CM   DeCrappeo Nicole M NM   Du Guozhen G   Fay Philip A PA   Frater Paul P   Gruner Daniel S DS   Hagenah Nicole N   Hector Andy A   Hillebrand Helmut H   Hofmockel Kirsten S KS   Humphries Hope C HC   Jin Virginia L VL   Kay Adam A   Kirkman Kevin P KP   Klein Julia A JA   Knops Johannes M H JM   La Pierre Kimberly J KJ   Ladwig Laura L   Lambrinos John G JG   Li Qi Q   Li Wei W   Marushia Robin R   McCulley Rebecca L RL   Melbourne Brett A BA   Mitchell Charles E CE   Moore Joslin L JL   Morgan John J   Mortensen Brent B   O'Halloran Lydia R LR   Pyke David A DA   Risch Anita C AC   Sankaran Mahesh M   Schuetz Martin M   Simonsen Anna A   Smith Melinda D MD   Stevens Carly J CJ   Sullivan Lauren L   Wolkovich Elizabeth E   Wragg Peter D PD   Wright Justin J   Yang Louie L  

Nature communications 20150715


Exotic species dominate many communities; however the functional significance of species' biogeographic origin remains highly contentious. This debate is fuelled in part by the lack of globally replicated, systematic data assessing the relationship between species provenance, function and response to perturbations. We examined the abundance of native and exotic plant species at 64 grasslands in 13 countries, and at a subset of the sites we experimentally tested native and exotic species response  ...[more]

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