Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions
Climate change in the Arctic is predicted to drastically alter carbon and nutrient pools, plant communities, and plant–animal interactions. We examined how four levels of long-term (16 years) nutrient addition in moist acidic tundra affected plant community structure and the abundance of Eriophorum...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2356276 |
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| _version_ | 1841543293594238976 |
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| author | Nicole Williamson Matthew Suchocki Laura Gough |
| author_facet | Nicole Williamson Matthew Suchocki Laura Gough |
| author_sort | Nicole Williamson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate change in the Arctic is predicted to drastically alter carbon and nutrient pools, plant communities, and plant–animal interactions. We examined how four levels of long-term (16 years) nutrient addition in moist acidic tundra affected plant community structure and the abundance of Eriophorum vaginatum, the preferred forage for tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus). We also explored how simulated press and pulse herbivory for four years affected Eriophorum at these different nutrient levels. Shifts in plant community structure, reductions in species diversity and richness, and decreased Eriophorum abundance were pronounced at the highest levels of nutrient addition. Eriophorum abundance was negatively correlated with deciduous shrub abundance, likely caused by light limitation in fertilized plots. Added nutrients generally increased Eriophorum leaf length, but effects varied among years and simulated herbivory treatments. After being clipped once, Eriophorum leaves regrew in fertilized plots to the same length as leaves that had not been clipped, demonstrating recovery. Our results show how interannual variation in plant growth and animal activity might exacerbate or dampen responses over multiple years. Changes to plant community composition and plant–vole interactions associated with increased soil nutrients resulting from warming could have cascading impacts on arctic ecosystems and carbon cycling. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1eb9bc5a3247488fb624b3007d5a08c5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1523-0430 1938-4246 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-1eb9bc5a3247488fb624b3007d5a08c52025-01-13T14:40:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupArctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research1523-04301938-42462024-12-0156110.1080/15230430.2024.2356276Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactionsNicole Williamson0Matthew Suchocki1Laura Gough2Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, USAClimate change in the Arctic is predicted to drastically alter carbon and nutrient pools, plant communities, and plant–animal interactions. We examined how four levels of long-term (16 years) nutrient addition in moist acidic tundra affected plant community structure and the abundance of Eriophorum vaginatum, the preferred forage for tundra voles (Microtus oeconomus). We also explored how simulated press and pulse herbivory for four years affected Eriophorum at these different nutrient levels. Shifts in plant community structure, reductions in species diversity and richness, and decreased Eriophorum abundance were pronounced at the highest levels of nutrient addition. Eriophorum abundance was negatively correlated with deciduous shrub abundance, likely caused by light limitation in fertilized plots. Added nutrients generally increased Eriophorum leaf length, but effects varied among years and simulated herbivory treatments. After being clipped once, Eriophorum leaves regrew in fertilized plots to the same length as leaves that had not been clipped, demonstrating recovery. Our results show how interannual variation in plant growth and animal activity might exacerbate or dampen responses over multiple years. Changes to plant community composition and plant–vole interactions associated with increased soil nutrients resulting from warming could have cascading impacts on arctic ecosystems and carbon cycling.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2356276Arcticclimate changeplant-animal interactionsplant community structureplant diversity |
| spellingShingle | Nicole Williamson Matthew Suchocki Laura Gough Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research Arctic climate change plant-animal interactions plant community structure plant diversity |
| title | Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions |
| title_full | Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions |
| title_fullStr | Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions |
| title_short | Soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant–vole interactions |
| title_sort | soil nutrient availability affects tundra plant community composition and plant vole interactions |
| topic | Arctic climate change plant-animal interactions plant community structure plant diversity |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2356276 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicolewilliamson soilnutrientavailabilityaffectstundraplantcommunitycompositionandplantvoleinteractions AT matthewsuchocki soilnutrientavailabilityaffectstundraplantcommunitycompositionandplantvoleinteractions AT lauragough soilnutrientavailabilityaffectstundraplantcommunitycompositionandplantvoleinteractions |