Mass ratio effects underlie ecosystem responses to environmental change

Smith, Melinda D.; Koerner, Sally E.; Knapp, Alan K.; Avolio, Meghan L.; Chaves, Francis A.; Denton, Elsie M.; Dietrich, John; Gibson, David J.; Gray, Jesse; Hoffman, Ava M.; Hoover, David L.; Komatsu, Kimberly J.; Silletti, Andrea; Wilcox, Kevin R.; Yu, Qiang; Blair, John M.; Laliberté, ed., Etienne

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13330

Title: Mass ratio effects underlie ecosystem responses to environmental change

Journal Article · 13 January 2020 · Journal of Ecology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13330 · OSTI ID:1582689

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^[3]; Chaves, Francis A. ^[1];

^[4]; Dietrich, John ^[1];

^[5]; Gray, Jesse ^[1];

^[1];

^[6];

^[7]; Silletti, Andrea ^[8];

^[9];

^[10];

^[11]; Laliberté, ed., Etienne

Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
Department of Biology University of North Carolina Greensboro Greensboro NC USA
Morton K. Blaustein Department of Earth &, Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD USA
USDA Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center Burns OR USA
School of Biological Sciences Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL USA
USDA‐ARS Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit Fort Collins CO USA
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater MD USA
Odum School of Ecology The University of Georgia Athens GA USA
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA

Abstract Random species loss has been shown experimentally to reduce ecosystem function, sometimes more than other anthropogenic environmental changes. Yet, controversy surrounds the importance of this finding for natural systems where species loss is non‐random. We compiled data from 16 multi‐year experiments located at a single native tallgrass prairie site. These experiments included responses to 11 anthropogenic environmental changes, as well as non‐random biodiversity loss either the removal of uncommon/rare plant species or the most common (dominant) species. As predicted by the mass ratio hypothesis, loss of a dominant species had large impacts on productivity that were comparable to other anthropogenic drivers. In contrast, the loss of uncommon/rare species had small effects on productivity despite having the largest effects on species richness. The anthropogenic drivers that had the largest effects on productivity nitrogen, irrigation, and fire experienced not only loss of species but also significant changes in the abundance and identity of dominant species. Synthesis . These results suggest that mass ratio effects, rather than species loss per se, are an important determinant of ecosystem function with environmental change.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1582689

Journal Information:: Journal of Ecology, Journal Name: Journal of Ecology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 108; ISSN 0022-0477

Publisher:: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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