Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8847039 | Basic and Applied Ecology | 2018 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
Using experiments and monitoring, we find that grasshoppers in a grassland ecosystem impact ecosystem functioning (nutrient cycling and primary production) in different ways among sites in the ecosystem. Experiments conducted over many years at two sites (21 and 15Â years, respectively) with the same grasshopper and plant species demonstrated that grasshoppers increased nitrogen availability (N) and consequently annual plant production (ANPP) at one site, and decreased N and consequently ANPP at the other site. Comparing the two sites, N increased on average by 8% and up to 21.6%, and resulting ANPP increased on average by 18.6% and up to 33.3%. Grasshoppers increase N and ANPP by preferentially feeding on slower decomposing plants, and the opposite occurs by preferentially feeding on faster decomposing plants. Monitoring 20 random sites in the ecosystem, grasshoppers consistently increased N and ANPP over 3Â years at 40% of sites, consistently decreased N and ANPP at 35% of sites, and sometimes increased and decreased N and ANPP at 25% of sites. Therefore, grassland grasshoppers, and insects in many ecosystems, may strongly affect ecosystem functioning.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Animal Science and Zoology
Authors
Gary E. Belovsky, Jennifer B. Slade,