Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities
Human-mediated dispersal of non-native earthworms can cause substantial changes to the functioning and composition of ecosystems previously earthworm-free. Some of these earthworm species have the potential to “geoengineer†soils and increase plant nitrogen (N) uptake. Yet the possible consequenc...
Published in: | Ecology |
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Language: | English |
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Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap
2024
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-218292 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4212 |
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-218292 2024-05-19T07:49:37+00:00 Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities Jonsson, Hanna Olofsson, Johan Blume-Werry, Gesche Klaminder, Jonatan 2024 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-218292 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4212 eng eng UmeÃ¥ universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap The Ecological Society of America Ecology, 0012-9658, 2024, 105:2, orcid:0000-0002-6943-1218 orcid:0000-0003-0909-670X orcid:0000-0001-8814-0013 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-218292 doi:10.1002/ecy.4212 PMID 37996966 ISI:001121395900001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85179362361 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess earthworms grazing Lumbricidae non-native plant community soil moisture tundra Ecology Ekologi Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2024 ftumeauniv https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4212 2024-04-30T23:35:21Z Human-mediated dispersal of non-native earthworms can cause substantial changes to the functioning and composition of ecosystems previously earthworm-free. Some of these earthworm species have the potential to “geoengineer†soils and increase plant nitrogen (N) uptake. Yet the possible consequences of increased plant N concentrations on rodent grazing remains poorly understood. In this study, we present findings from a common garden experiment with two tundra communities, meadow (forb dominated) and heath (shrub dominated), half of them subjected to 4 years of earthworm presence (Lumbricus spp. and Aporrectodea spp.). Within four summers, our earthworm treatment changed plant community composition by increasing graminoid density by, on average, 94% in the heath vegetation and by 49% in the meadow. Rodent winter grazing was more intense on plants growing in soils with earthworms, an effect that coincided with higher N concentrations in plants, indicating a higher palatability. Even though earthworms reduced soil moisture, plant community productivity, as indicated by vegetation greenness (normalized difference vegetation index), was not negatively impacted. We conclude that earthworm-induced changes in plant composition and trophic interactions may fundamentally alter the functioning of tundra ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Ecology |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
earthworms grazing Lumbricidae non-native plant community soil moisture tundra Ecology Ekologi |
spellingShingle |
earthworms grazing Lumbricidae non-native plant community soil moisture tundra Ecology Ekologi Jonsson, Hanna Olofsson, Johan Blume-Werry, Gesche Klaminder, Jonatan Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
topic_facet |
earthworms grazing Lumbricidae non-native plant community soil moisture tundra Ecology Ekologi |
description |
Human-mediated dispersal of non-native earthworms can cause substantial changes to the functioning and composition of ecosystems previously earthworm-free. Some of these earthworm species have the potential to “geoengineer†soils and increase plant nitrogen (N) uptake. Yet the possible consequences of increased plant N concentrations on rodent grazing remains poorly understood. In this study, we present findings from a common garden experiment with two tundra communities, meadow (forb dominated) and heath (shrub dominated), half of them subjected to 4 years of earthworm presence (Lumbricus spp. and Aporrectodea spp.). Within four summers, our earthworm treatment changed plant community composition by increasing graminoid density by, on average, 94% in the heath vegetation and by 49% in the meadow. Rodent winter grazing was more intense on plants growing in soils with earthworms, an effect that coincided with higher N concentrations in plants, indicating a higher palatability. Even though earthworms reduced soil moisture, plant community productivity, as indicated by vegetation greenness (normalized difference vegetation index), was not negatively impacted. We conclude that earthworm-induced changes in plant composition and trophic interactions may fundamentally alter the functioning of tundra ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jonsson, Hanna Olofsson, Johan Blume-Werry, Gesche Klaminder, Jonatan |
author_facet |
Jonsson, Hanna Olofsson, Johan Blume-Werry, Gesche Klaminder, Jonatan |
author_sort |
Jonsson, Hanna |
title |
Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
title_short |
Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
title_full |
Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
title_fullStr |
Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
title_sort |
cascading effects of earthworm invasion increase graminoid density and rodent grazing intensities |
publisher |
Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-218292 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4212 |
genre |
Tundra |
genre_facet |
Tundra |
op_relation |
Ecology, 0012-9658, 2024, 105:2, orcid:0000-0002-6943-1218 orcid:0000-0003-0909-670X orcid:0000-0001-8814-0013 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-218292 doi:10.1002/ecy.4212 PMID 37996966 ISI:001121395900001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85179362361 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4212 |
container_title |
Ecology |
_version_ |
1799468130859220992 |