Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction
Grazing ecosystems ranging from the arctic tundra to tropical savannas are often characterized by small-scale mosaics of herbivore-preferred and herbivore-avoided patches, promoting plant biodiversity and resilience. The three leading explanations for bistable patchiness in grazed ecosystems are: i)...
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ftdryad:oai:v1.datadryad.org:10255/dryad.140102 2023-05-15T15:08:04+02:00 Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction Howison, Ruth A. Olff, Han van de Koppel, Johan Smit, Christian South African savanna Northern European salt-marsh 2017-03-14T06:50:25Z http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.140102 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 unknown doi:10.5061/dryad.3f2j7/1 doi:10.1002/ecm.1259 doi:10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 Howison RA, Olff H, van de Koppel J, Smit C (2017) Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction. Ecological Monographs 87(3): 363-378. 0012-9615 http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.140102 grazing ecosystems patch conversion bistable states bioturbation compaction abiotic stress ecosystem engineering soil amelioration water infiltration nutrient availability Article 2017 ftdryad https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7/1 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 2020-01-01T15:47:49Z Grazing ecosystems ranging from the arctic tundra to tropical savannas are often characterized by small-scale mosaics of herbivore-preferred and herbivore-avoided patches, promoting plant biodiversity and resilience. The three leading explanations for bistable patchiness in grazed ecosystems are: i) herbivore-driven nutrient cycling, ii) plant growth-water infiltration feedback under aridity, and iii) irreversible local herbivore-induced abiotic stress (topsoil erosion, salinity). However, these insufficiently explain the high temporal patch dynamics and wide-ranging distribution of grazing mosaics across productive habitats. Here we propose a fourth possibility where alternating patches are governed by the interplay of two important biotic processes: bioturbation by soil fauna that locally ameliorates soil conditions, promoting tall plant communities, alternating with biocompaction by large herbivores that locally impairs soil conditions, and promotes lawn communities. We review mechanisms that explain rapid conversions between bioturbation- and biocompaction-dominated patches, and provide a global map where this mechanism is possible. With a simple model we illustrate that this fourth mechanism expands the range of conditions under which grazing mosaics can persist. We conclude that the response of grazing systems to global change, as degradation or catastrophic droughts, will be contingent on the correct identification of the dominant process that drives their vegetation structural heterogeneity. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Tundra Dryad Digital Repository (Duke University) Arctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Dryad Digital Repository (Duke University) |
op_collection_id |
ftdryad |
language |
unknown |
topic |
grazing ecosystems patch conversion bistable states bioturbation compaction abiotic stress ecosystem engineering soil amelioration water infiltration nutrient availability |
spellingShingle |
grazing ecosystems patch conversion bistable states bioturbation compaction abiotic stress ecosystem engineering soil amelioration water infiltration nutrient availability Howison, Ruth A. Olff, Han van de Koppel, Johan Smit, Christian Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
topic_facet |
grazing ecosystems patch conversion bistable states bioturbation compaction abiotic stress ecosystem engineering soil amelioration water infiltration nutrient availability |
description |
Grazing ecosystems ranging from the arctic tundra to tropical savannas are often characterized by small-scale mosaics of herbivore-preferred and herbivore-avoided patches, promoting plant biodiversity and resilience. The three leading explanations for bistable patchiness in grazed ecosystems are: i) herbivore-driven nutrient cycling, ii) plant growth-water infiltration feedback under aridity, and iii) irreversible local herbivore-induced abiotic stress (topsoil erosion, salinity). However, these insufficiently explain the high temporal patch dynamics and wide-ranging distribution of grazing mosaics across productive habitats. Here we propose a fourth possibility where alternating patches are governed by the interplay of two important biotic processes: bioturbation by soil fauna that locally ameliorates soil conditions, promoting tall plant communities, alternating with biocompaction by large herbivores that locally impairs soil conditions, and promotes lawn communities. We review mechanisms that explain rapid conversions between bioturbation- and biocompaction-dominated patches, and provide a global map where this mechanism is possible. With a simple model we illustrate that this fourth mechanism expands the range of conditions under which grazing mosaics can persist. We conclude that the response of grazing systems to global change, as degradation or catastrophic droughts, will be contingent on the correct identification of the dominant process that drives their vegetation structural heterogeneity. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Howison, Ruth A. Olff, Han van de Koppel, Johan Smit, Christian |
author_facet |
Howison, Ruth A. Olff, Han van de Koppel, Johan Smit, Christian |
author_sort |
Howison, Ruth A. |
title |
Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_short |
Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_full |
Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_fullStr |
Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Data from: Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_sort |
data from: biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.140102 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 |
op_coverage |
South African savanna Northern European salt-marsh |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra |
op_relation |
doi:10.5061/dryad.3f2j7/1 doi:10.1002/ecm.1259 doi:10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 Howison RA, Olff H, van de Koppel J, Smit C (2017) Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction. Ecological Monographs 87(3): 363-378. 0012-9615 http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.140102 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7 https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3f2j7/1 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 |
_version_ |
1766339497822257152 |