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 (1)...
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/06/305406.pdf |
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ftnioz:oai:imis.nioz.nl:287762 2023-05-15T15:07:21+02:00 Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction Howison, R.A. Olff, H. van de Koppel, J. Smit, C. 2017 application/pdf https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/06/305406.pdf en eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000406722400001 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/06/305406.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess %3Ci%3EEcol.+Monogr.+87%283%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+363-378.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%2Fecm.1259%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%2Fecm.1259%3C%2Fa%3E info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2017 ftnioz https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 2022-05-01T14:05:56Z 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 (1) herbivore-driven nutrient cycling, (2) plant-growth–water-infiltration feedback under aridity, and (3) 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 NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) Arctic Ecological Monographs 87 3 363 378 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftnioz |
language |
English |
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 (1) herbivore-driven nutrient cycling, (2) plant-growth–water-infiltration feedback under aridity, and (3) 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, R.A. Olff, H. van de Koppel, J. Smit, C. |
spellingShingle |
Howison, R.A. Olff, H. van de Koppel, J. Smit, C. Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
author_facet |
Howison, R.A. Olff, H. van de Koppel, J. Smit, C. |
author_sort |
Howison, R.A. |
title |
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_short |
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_full |
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_fullStr |
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
title_sort |
biotically driven vegetation mosaics in grazing ecosystems: the battle between bioturbation and biocompaction |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/06/305406.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra |
op_source |
%3Ci%3EEcol.+Monogr.+87%283%29%3C%2Fi%3E%3A+363-378.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%2Fecm.1259%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1002%2Fecm.1259%3C%2Fa%3E |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000406722400001 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/06/305406.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1259 |
container_title |
Ecological Monographs |
container_volume |
87 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
363 |
op_container_end_page |
378 |
_version_ |
1766338870323970048 |