Indirect short- and long-term effects of aboveground invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores on soil microarthropod communities.

ABSTRACT: Recognition is growing that besides ungulates, small vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores are important drivers of grassland functioning. Even though soil microarthropods play key roles in several soil processes, effects of herbivores-especially those of smaller body size-on their communities are not well understood. Therefore, we progressively excluded large, medium and small vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores for three growing seasons using size-selective fences in two vegetation types in subalpine grasslands; short-grass and tall-grass vegetation generated by high and low historical levels of ungulate grazing. Herbivore exclusions generally had few effects on microarthropod communities, but exclusion of all herbivore groups resulted in decreased total springtail and Poduromorpha r

SUBMITTER: Vandegehuchte ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4349861 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature