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Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes
Journal of Ecology
Swansea University Authors: KATE DAVIDSON, Mike Fowler , John Griffin
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DOI (Published version): 10.1111/1365-2745.14407
Abstract
Large grazers modify vegetated ecosystems and are increasingly viewed as keystone species in trophic rewilding schemes. Yet, as their ecosystem influences are context‐dependent, a crucial challenge is identifying where grazers sustain, versus undermine, important ecosystem properties and their resil...
Published in: | Journal of Ecology |
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ISSN: | 0022-0477 1365-2745 |
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Wiley
2024
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URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67530 |
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Yet, as their ecosystem influences are context‐dependent, a crucial challenge is identifying where grazers sustain, versus undermine, important ecosystem properties and their resilience. Previous work in diverse European saltmarshes found that, despite changing plant and invertebrate community structure, grazers do not suppress below‐ground properties, including soil organic carbon (SOC). We hypothesised that, in contrast, eastern US saltmarshes would be sensitive to large grazers as extensive areas are dominated by a single grass, Spartina alterniflora. We predicted that grazers would reduce above‐ and below‐ground Spartina biomass, suppress invertebrate densities, shift soil texture and ultimately reduce SOC concentration. We tested our hypotheses using a replicated 51‐month large grazer (horse) exclusion experiment in Georgia, coupled with observations of 14 long‐term grazed sites, spanning ~1000 km of the eastern US coast. Grazer exclusion quickly led to increased Spartina height, cover and flowering, and increased snail density. Changes in vegetation structure were reflected in modified soil texture (reduced sand, increased clay) and elevated root biomass, yet we found no response of SOC. Large grazer exclusion also reduced drought‐associated vegetation die‐off. We also observed vegetation shifts in sites along the eastern US seaboard where grazing has occurred for hundreds of years. Unlike in the exclusion experiment, long‐term grazing was associated with reduced SOC. A structural equation model implicated grazing by revealing reduced stem height as a key driver of reduced soil organic carbon. Synthesis: These results illustrate the context dependency of large grazer impacts on ecosystem properties in coastal wetlands. In contrast to well‐studied European marshes, eastern US marshes are dominated and structured by a single foundational grass species resulting in vegetation and soil properties being more sensitive to grazing. Coastal systems characterised by a single foundation species might be inherently vulnerable to large grazers and lack resilience in the face of other disturbances, underlining that frameworks to explain and predict large grazer impacts must account for geographic variation in ecosystem structure.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Journal of Ecology</journal><volume>0</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Wiley</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0022-0477</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1365-2745</issnElectronic><keywords>Biodiversity, blue carbon, ecosystem resilience, horses, multifunctionality, Spartina alterniflora, Sporobolus alterniflorus, trophic cascade</keywords><publishedDay>2</publishedDay><publishedMonth>9</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2024</publishedYear><publishedDate>2024-09-02</publishedDate><doi>10.1111/1365-2745.14407</doi><url/><notes>Research Article</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>Division of Environmental Biology, Grant Number: OCE‐1832178</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2024-09-02T15:56:02.9452877</lastEdited><Created>2024-09-02T15:30:20.2122014</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences</level></path><authors><author><firstname>S. 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S.</firstname><surname>Fischman</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>S.</firstname><surname>Pennings</surname><orcid>0000-0003-4757-7125</orcid><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Mike</firstname><surname>Fowler</surname><orcid>0000-0003-1544-0407</orcid><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>John</firstname><surname>Griffin</surname><orcid>0000-0003-3295-6480</orcid><order>7</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>67530__31231__a74024b3660e4eacbce914c97e8196f7.pdf</filename><originalFilename>1365-2745.14407.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2024-09-02T15:30:20.1714790</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>2627761</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>© 2024 The Author(s). 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v2 67530 2024-09-02 Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes f382f4045afe626492fe3c0e4766c41b KATE DAVIDSON KATE DAVIDSON true false a3a29027498d4b43a3f082a0a5ba16b4 0000-0003-1544-0407 Mike Fowler Mike Fowler true false 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f 0000-0003-3295-6480 John Griffin John Griffin true false 2024-09-02 Large grazers modify vegetated ecosystems and are increasingly viewed as keystone species in trophic rewilding schemes. Yet, as their ecosystem influences are context‐dependent, a crucial challenge is identifying where grazers sustain, versus undermine, important ecosystem properties and their resilience. Previous work in diverse European saltmarshes found that, despite changing plant and invertebrate community structure, grazers do not suppress below‐ground properties, including soil organic carbon (SOC). We hypothesised that, in contrast, eastern US saltmarshes would be sensitive to large grazers as extensive areas are dominated by a single grass, Spartina alterniflora. We predicted that grazers would reduce above‐ and below‐ground Spartina biomass, suppress invertebrate densities, shift soil texture and ultimately reduce SOC concentration. We tested our hypotheses using a replicated 51‐month large grazer (horse) exclusion experiment in Georgia, coupled with observations of 14 long‐term grazed sites, spanning ~1000 km of the eastern US coast. Grazer exclusion quickly led to increased Spartina height, cover and flowering, and increased snail density. Changes in vegetation structure were reflected in modified soil texture (reduced sand, increased clay) and elevated root biomass, yet we found no response of SOC. Large grazer exclusion also reduced drought‐associated vegetation die‐off. We also observed vegetation shifts in sites along the eastern US seaboard where grazing has occurred for hundreds of years. Unlike in the exclusion experiment, long‐term grazing was associated with reduced SOC. A structural equation model implicated grazing by revealing reduced stem height as a key driver of reduced soil organic carbon. Synthesis: These results illustrate the context dependency of large grazer impacts on ecosystem properties in coastal wetlands. In contrast to well‐studied European marshes, eastern US marshes are dominated and structured by a single foundational grass species resulting in vegetation and soil properties being more sensitive to grazing. Coastal systems characterised by a single foundation species might be inherently vulnerable to large grazers and lack resilience in the face of other disturbances, underlining that frameworks to explain and predict large grazer impacts must account for geographic variation in ecosystem structure. Journal Article Journal of Ecology 0 Wiley 0022-0477 1365-2745 Biodiversity, blue carbon, ecosystem resilience, horses, multifunctionality, Spartina alterniflora, Sporobolus alterniflorus, trophic cascade 2 9 2024 2024-09-02 10.1111/1365-2745.14407 Research Article COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee Division of Environmental Biology, Grant Number: OCE‐1832178 2024-09-02T15:56:02.9452877 2024-09-02T15:30:20.2122014 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences S. J. Sharp 1 KATE DAVIDSON 2 C. Angelini 0000-0002-6669-5269 3 H. S. Fischman 4 S. Pennings 0000-0003-4757-7125 5 Mike Fowler 0000-0003-1544-0407 6 John Griffin 0000-0003-3295-6480 7 67530__31231__a74024b3660e4eacbce914c97e8196f7.pdf 1365-2745.14407.pdf 2024-09-02T15:30:20.1714790 Output 2627761 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
title |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
spellingShingle |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes KATE DAVIDSON Mike Fowler John Griffin |
title_short |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
title_full |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
title_fullStr |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
title_sort |
Large grazers suppress a foundational plant and reduce soil carbon concentration in eastern US saltmarshes |
author_id_str_mv |
f382f4045afe626492fe3c0e4766c41b a3a29027498d4b43a3f082a0a5ba16b4 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f |
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f382f4045afe626492fe3c0e4766c41b_***_KATE DAVIDSON a3a29027498d4b43a3f082a0a5ba16b4_***_Mike Fowler 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f_***_John Griffin |
author |
KATE DAVIDSON Mike Fowler John Griffin |
author2 |
S. J. Sharp KATE DAVIDSON C. Angelini H. S. Fischman S. Pennings Mike Fowler John Griffin |
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description |
Large grazers modify vegetated ecosystems and are increasingly viewed as keystone species in trophic rewilding schemes. Yet, as their ecosystem influences are context‐dependent, a crucial challenge is identifying where grazers sustain, versus undermine, important ecosystem properties and their resilience. Previous work in diverse European saltmarshes found that, despite changing plant and invertebrate community structure, grazers do not suppress below‐ground properties, including soil organic carbon (SOC). We hypothesised that, in contrast, eastern US saltmarshes would be sensitive to large grazers as extensive areas are dominated by a single grass, Spartina alterniflora. We predicted that grazers would reduce above‐ and below‐ground Spartina biomass, suppress invertebrate densities, shift soil texture and ultimately reduce SOC concentration. We tested our hypotheses using a replicated 51‐month large grazer (horse) exclusion experiment in Georgia, coupled with observations of 14 long‐term grazed sites, spanning ~1000 km of the eastern US coast. Grazer exclusion quickly led to increased Spartina height, cover and flowering, and increased snail density. Changes in vegetation structure were reflected in modified soil texture (reduced sand, increased clay) and elevated root biomass, yet we found no response of SOC. Large grazer exclusion also reduced drought‐associated vegetation die‐off. We also observed vegetation shifts in sites along the eastern US seaboard where grazing has occurred for hundreds of years. Unlike in the exclusion experiment, long‐term grazing was associated with reduced SOC. A structural equation model implicated grazing by revealing reduced stem height as a key driver of reduced soil organic carbon. Synthesis: These results illustrate the context dependency of large grazer impacts on ecosystem properties in coastal wetlands. In contrast to well‐studied European marshes, eastern US marshes are dominated and structured by a single foundational grass species resulting in vegetation and soil properties being more sensitive to grazing. Coastal systems characterised by a single foundation species might be inherently vulnerable to large grazers and lack resilience in the face of other disturbances, underlining that frameworks to explain and predict large grazer impacts must account for geographic variation in ecosystem structure. |
published_date |
2024-09-02T15:56:01Z |
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11.030209 |