Plant species' origin predicts dominance and response to nutrient enrichment and herbivores in global grasslands.

ABSTRACT: Exotic species dominate many communities; however the functional significance of species' biogeographic origin remains highly contentious. This debate is fuelled in part by the lack of globally replicated, systematic data assessing the relationship between species provenance, function and response to perturbations. We examined the abundance of native and exotic plant species at 64 grasslands in 13 countries, and at a subset of the sites we experimentally tested native and exotic species responses to two fundamental drivers of invasion, mineral nutrient supplies and vertebrate herbivory. Exotic species are six times more likely to dominate communities than native species. Furthermore, while experimental nutrient addition increases the cover and richness of exotic species, nutrients decrease

SUBMITTER: Seabloom EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4518311 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature