Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems....
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278 2023-05-15T18:44:57+02:00 Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278 EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278 Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2021) Medicine R Science Q article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 2022-12-31T05:04:27Z Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems. On the other hand, modern rangeland ecology emphasizes the often overriding importance of harsh climates. We visited two rewilding projects and three rangeland regions, sampling a total of 210 vegetation relevés in steppe and surrounding vegetation (grasslands, shrublands and forests) along an extensive climatic gradient across Yakutia, Russia. We analyzed species composition, plant traits, diversity indices and vegetation productivity, using partial canonical correspondence and redundancy analysis. Macroclimate was most important for vegetation composition, and microclimate for the occurrence of extrazonal steppes. Macroclimate and soil conditions mainly determined productivity of vegetation. Bison grazing was responsible for small-scale changes in vegetation through trampling, wallowing and debarking, thus creating more open and disturbed plant communities, soil compaction and xerophytization. However, the magnitude of effects depended on density and type of grazers as well as on interactions with climate and site conditions. Effects of bison grazing were strongest in the continental climate of Central Yakutia, and steppes were generally less affected than meadows. We conclude that contemporary grazing overall has rather limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia. Current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe, although large herbivores like bison can create more open and drier vegetation and increase nutrient availability in particular in the more continental Central Yakutian Plain. Article in Journal/Newspaper Yakutia Siberia Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Scientific Reports 11 1 |
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Medicine R Science Q Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
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Medicine R Science Q |
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Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems. On the other hand, modern rangeland ecology emphasizes the often overriding importance of harsh climates. We visited two rewilding projects and three rangeland regions, sampling a total of 210 vegetation relevés in steppe and surrounding vegetation (grasslands, shrublands and forests) along an extensive climatic gradient across Yakutia, Russia. We analyzed species composition, plant traits, diversity indices and vegetation productivity, using partial canonical correspondence and redundancy analysis. Macroclimate was most important for vegetation composition, and microclimate for the occurrence of extrazonal steppes. Macroclimate and soil conditions mainly determined productivity of vegetation. Bison grazing was responsible for small-scale changes in vegetation through trampling, wallowing and debarking, thus creating more open and disturbed plant communities, soil compaction and xerophytization. However, the magnitude of effects depended on density and type of grazers as well as on interactions with climate and site conditions. Effects of bison grazing were strongest in the continental climate of Central Yakutia, and steppes were generally less affected than meadows. We conclude that contemporary grazing overall has rather limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia. Current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe, although large herbivores like bison can create more open and drier vegetation and increase nutrient availability in particular in the more continental Central Yakutian Plain. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche |
author_facet |
Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche |
author_sort |
Jennifer Reinecke |
title |
Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
title_short |
Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
title_full |
Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
title_fullStr |
Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia |
title_sort |
effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of ne-siberia |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278 |
genre |
Yakutia Siberia |
genre_facet |
Yakutia Siberia |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1 |
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Scientific Reports |
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11 |
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1766235840330072064 |