TY - JOUR
T1 - Large grazers modify effects of aboveground–belowground interactions on small-scale plant community composition
AU - Veen, G.F.
AU - Geuverink, E.
AU - Olff, H.
N1 - Reporting year: 2012
Metis note: 5061; WAG; TE
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Aboveground and belowground organisms
influence plant community composition by local interactions,
and their scale of impact may vary from millimeters
belowground to kilometers aboveground. However, it still
poorly understood how large grazers that select their forage
on large spatial scales interact with small-scale aboveground–
belowground interactions on plant community
heterogeneity. Here, we investigate how cattle (Bos taurus)
modify the effects of interactions between yellow meadow
ants (Lasius flavus) and European brown hares (Lepus
europaeus) on the formation of small-scale heterogeneity
in vegetation composition. In the absence of cattle, hares
selectively foraged on ant mounds, while under combined
grazing by hares and cattle, vertebrate grazing pressure was
similar on and off mounds. Ant mounds that were grazed
by only hares had a different plant community composition
compared to their surroundings: the cover of the grazingintolerant
grass Elytrigia atherica was reduced on ant
mounds, whereas the relative cover of the more grazingtolerant
and palatable grass Festuca rubra was enhanced.
Combined grazing by hares and cattle, resulted in
homogenization of plant community composition on and
off ant mounds, with high overall cover of F. rubra. We
conclude that hares can respond to local ant–soil–vegetation
interactions, because they are small, selective herbivores
that make their foraging decisions on a local scale.
This results in small-scale plant patches on mounds of
yellow meadow ants. In the presence of cattle, which are
less selective aboveground herbivores, local plant community
patterns triggered by small-scale aboveground–
belowground interactions can disappear. Therefore, cattle
modify the consequences of aboveground–belowground
interactions for small-scale plant community composition.
AB - Aboveground and belowground organisms
influence plant community composition by local interactions,
and their scale of impact may vary from millimeters
belowground to kilometers aboveground. However, it still
poorly understood how large grazers that select their forage
on large spatial scales interact with small-scale aboveground–
belowground interactions on plant community
heterogeneity. Here, we investigate how cattle (Bos taurus)
modify the effects of interactions between yellow meadow
ants (Lasius flavus) and European brown hares (Lepus
europaeus) on the formation of small-scale heterogeneity
in vegetation composition. In the absence of cattle, hares
selectively foraged on ant mounds, while under combined
grazing by hares and cattle, vertebrate grazing pressure was
similar on and off mounds. Ant mounds that were grazed
by only hares had a different plant community composition
compared to their surroundings: the cover of the grazingintolerant
grass Elytrigia atherica was reduced on ant
mounds, whereas the relative cover of the more grazingtolerant
and palatable grass Festuca rubra was enhanced.
Combined grazing by hares and cattle, resulted in
homogenization of plant community composition on and
off ant mounds, with high overall cover of F. rubra. We
conclude that hares can respond to local ant–soil–vegetation
interactions, because they are small, selective herbivores
that make their foraging decisions on a local scale.
This results in small-scale plant patches on mounds of
yellow meadow ants. In the presence of cattle, which are
less selective aboveground herbivores, local plant community
patterns triggered by small-scale aboveground–
belowground interactions can disappear. Therefore, cattle
modify the consequences of aboveground–belowground
interactions for small-scale plant community composition.
KW - national
U2 - 10.1007/s00442-011-2093-y
DO - 10.1007/s00442-011-2093-y
M3 - Article
SN - 0029-8549
VL - 168
SP - 511
EP - 518
JO - Oecologia
JF - Oecologia
IS - 2
ER -