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High resistance towards herbivore-induced habitat change in a high Arctic arthropod community.

ABSTRACT: Mammal herbivores may exert strong impacts on plant communities, and are often key drivers of vegetation composition and diversity. We tested whether such mammal-induced changes to a high Arctic plant community are reflected in the structure of other trophic levels. Specifically, we tested whether substantial vegetation changes following the experimental exclusion of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) altered the composition of the arthropod community and the predator-prey interactions therein. Overall, we found no impact of muskox exclusion on the arthropod community: the diversity and abundance of both arthropod predators (spiders) and of their prey were unaffected by muskox presence, and so was the qualitative and quantitative structure of predator-prey interactions. Hence, high Arctic arthropod communities seem highly resistant towards even large biotic changes in their habitat, which we attribute to the high connectance in the food web.

SUBMITTER: Schmidt NM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6012692 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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High resistance towards herbivore-induced habitat change in a high Arctic arthropod community.

Schmidt Niels M NM Mosbacher Jesper B JB Eitzinger Bernhard B Vesterinen Eero J EJ Roslin Tomas T

Biology letters 20180501 5

Mammal herbivores may exert strong impacts on plant communities, and are often key drivers of vegetation composition and diversity. We tested whether such mammal-induced changes to a high Arctic plant community are reflected in the structure of other trophic levels. Specifically, we tested whether substantial vegetation changes following the experimental exclusion of muskoxen (<i>Ovibos moschatus</i>) altered the composition of the arthropod community and the predator-prey interactions therein. ...[more]

PMID: 29743265

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