Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra
Abstract Given the current rates of climate change, with associated shifts in herbivore population densities, understanding the role of different herbivores in ecosystem functioning is critical for predicting ecosystem responses. Here, we examined how migratory geese and resident, non‐migratory rein...
Published in: | Journal of Ecology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 |
id |
crwiley:10.1111/1365-2745.14200 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1111/1365-2745.14200 2024-06-02T08:01:39+00:00 Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra Petit Bon, Matteo Hansen, Brage B. Loonen, Maarten J. J. E. Petraglia, Alessandro Bråthen, Kari Anne Böhner, Hanna Layton‐Matthews, Kate Beard, Karen H. Le Moullec, Mathilde Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg S. van der Wal, René National Science Foundation Norges Forskningsråd 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Ecology volume 111, issue 12, page 2627-2642 ISSN 0022-0477 1365-2745 journal-article 2023 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 2024-05-03T11:44:27Z Abstract Given the current rates of climate change, with associated shifts in herbivore population densities, understanding the role of different herbivores in ecosystem functioning is critical for predicting ecosystem responses. Here, we examined how migratory geese and resident, non‐migratory reindeer—two dominating yet functionally contrasting herbivores—control vegetation and ecosystem processes in rapidly warming Arctic tundra. We collected vegetation and ecosystem carbon (C) flux data at peak plant growing season in the two longest running, fully replicated herbivore removal experiments found in high‐Arctic Svalbard. Experiments had been set up independently in wet habitat utilised by barnacle geese Branta leucopsis in summer and in moist‐to‐dry habitat utilised by wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus year‐round. Excluding geese induced vegetation state transitions from heavily grazed, moss‐dominated (only 4 g m −2 of live above‐ground vascular plant biomass) to ungrazed, graminoid‐dominated (60 g m −2 after 4‐year exclusion) and horsetail‐dominated (150 g m −2 after 15‐year exclusion) tundra. This caused large increases in vegetation C and nitrogen (N) pools, dead biomass and moss‐layer depth. Alterations in plant N concentration and CN ratio suggest overall slower plant community nutrient dynamics in the short‐term (4‐year) absence of geese. Long‐term (15‐year) goose removal quadrupled net ecosystem C sequestration (NEE) by increasing ecosystem photosynthesis more than ecosystem respiration (ER). Excluding reindeer for 21 years also produced detectable increases in live above‐ground vascular plant biomass (from 50 to 80 g m −2 without promoting vegetation state shifts), as well as in vegetation C and N pools, dead biomass, moss‐layer depth and ER. Yet, reindeer removal did not alter the chemistry of plants and soil or NEE. Synthesis . Although both herbivores were key drivers of ecosystem structure and function, the control exerted by geese in their main habitat (wet tundra) was much more ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Branta leucopsis Climate change Rangifer tarandus Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Svalbard Tundra Wiley Online Library Arctic Svalbard Journal of Ecology 111 12 2627 2642 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Given the current rates of climate change, with associated shifts in herbivore population densities, understanding the role of different herbivores in ecosystem functioning is critical for predicting ecosystem responses. Here, we examined how migratory geese and resident, non‐migratory reindeer—two dominating yet functionally contrasting herbivores—control vegetation and ecosystem processes in rapidly warming Arctic tundra. We collected vegetation and ecosystem carbon (C) flux data at peak plant growing season in the two longest running, fully replicated herbivore removal experiments found in high‐Arctic Svalbard. Experiments had been set up independently in wet habitat utilised by barnacle geese Branta leucopsis in summer and in moist‐to‐dry habitat utilised by wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus year‐round. Excluding geese induced vegetation state transitions from heavily grazed, moss‐dominated (only 4 g m −2 of live above‐ground vascular plant biomass) to ungrazed, graminoid‐dominated (60 g m −2 after 4‐year exclusion) and horsetail‐dominated (150 g m −2 after 15‐year exclusion) tundra. This caused large increases in vegetation C and nitrogen (N) pools, dead biomass and moss‐layer depth. Alterations in plant N concentration and CN ratio suggest overall slower plant community nutrient dynamics in the short‐term (4‐year) absence of geese. Long‐term (15‐year) goose removal quadrupled net ecosystem C sequestration (NEE) by increasing ecosystem photosynthesis more than ecosystem respiration (ER). Excluding reindeer for 21 years also produced detectable increases in live above‐ground vascular plant biomass (from 50 to 80 g m −2 without promoting vegetation state shifts), as well as in vegetation C and N pools, dead biomass, moss‐layer depth and ER. Yet, reindeer removal did not alter the chemistry of plants and soil or NEE. Synthesis . Although both herbivores were key drivers of ecosystem structure and function, the control exerted by geese in their main habitat (wet tundra) was much more ... |
author2 |
National Science Foundation Norges Forskningsråd |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Petit Bon, Matteo Hansen, Brage B. Loonen, Maarten J. J. E. Petraglia, Alessandro Bråthen, Kari Anne Böhner, Hanna Layton‐Matthews, Kate Beard, Karen H. Le Moullec, Mathilde Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg S. van der Wal, René |
spellingShingle |
Petit Bon, Matteo Hansen, Brage B. Loonen, Maarten J. J. E. Petraglia, Alessandro Bråthen, Kari Anne Böhner, Hanna Layton‐Matthews, Kate Beard, Karen H. Le Moullec, Mathilde Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg S. van der Wal, René Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
author_facet |
Petit Bon, Matteo Hansen, Brage B. Loonen, Maarten J. J. E. Petraglia, Alessandro Bråthen, Kari Anne Böhner, Hanna Layton‐Matthews, Kate Beard, Karen H. Le Moullec, Mathilde Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg S. van der Wal, René |
author_sort |
Petit Bon, Matteo |
title |
Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
title_short |
Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
title_full |
Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
title_fullStr |
Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
title_full_unstemmed |
Long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem CO 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ Arctic tundra |
title_sort |
long‐term herbivore removal experiments reveal how geese and reindeer shape vegetation and ecosystem co 2 ‐fluxes in high‐ arctic tundra |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Branta leucopsis Climate change Rangifer tarandus Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Svalbard Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Branta leucopsis Climate change Rangifer tarandus Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus Svalbard Tundra |
op_source |
Journal of Ecology volume 111, issue 12, page 2627-2642 ISSN 0022-0477 1365-2745 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14200 |
container_title |
Journal of Ecology |
container_volume |
111 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
2627 |
op_container_end_page |
2642 |
_version_ |
1800746055249166336 |