Functional- and abundance-based mechanisms explain diversity loss due to N fertilization.

ABSTRACT: Human activities have increased N availability dramatically in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Extensive research demonstrates that local plant species diversity generally declines in response to nutrient enrichment, yet the mechanisms for this decline remain unclear. Based on an analysis of >900 species responses from 34 N-fertilization experiments across nine terrestrial ecosystems in North America, we show that both trait-neutral and trait-based mechanisms operate simultaneously to influence diversity loss as production increases. Rare species were often lost because of soil fertilization, randomly with respect to traits. The risk of species loss due to fertilization ranged from >60% for the rarest species to 10% for the most abundant species. Perennials, species with N-fixing symbi

SUBMITTER: Suding KN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC555488 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature