Resource availability determines the importance of niche-based versus stochastic community assembly in grasslands

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Niche-based selection and stochastic processes can operate simultaneously to generate spatial and temporal variation in species composition. Yet, the conditions under which ecological dynamics are dominated by niche-based versus stochastic processes are poorly understood. Using a field experiment in early-successional temperate grassland and null models of beta diversity, this study investigates the effects of soil nutrient supply on the relative importance of niche-based selection versus stochastic dynamics for variation in species composition among sites. Nutrient availability was manipulated experimentally,
individual seed mixtures with 25 species were sown in each experimental plot, and then stochastic and deterministic niche-based assembly processes were allowed to happen. We found that compositional variation among grassland plots with low nutrient supply was driven by stochastic immigration and extinctions. In contrast, nutrient enrichment reduced the importance of stochasticity and imposed a deterministic environmental filter that homogenized communities through the selection of few species with greater competitive ability for light. This demonstrates that soil nutrient availability is
a critical environmental feature that dictates the degree to which terrestrial plant communities are controlled by nichebased selection versus stochastic assembly processes. Our study shows further that alternative states of eutrophic grasslands emerge from initial stochastic variation in the composition of a particular functional group of species that can become dominant at high nutrient supply. We discuss potential mechanisms underlying the shift from stochastic to niche-driven dynamics along soil nutrient gradients.
Original languageEnglish
JournalOikos
Volume126
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1134-1141
Number of pages8
ISSN0030-1299
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 08.2017

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. "Entstrickung" von im Privatvermögen gehaltenen wesentlichen Beteiligungen an ausländischen Kapitalgesellschaften
  2. Taguchi approach for the optimization of refill friction stir spot welding parameters for AA2198-T8 aluminum alloy
  3. Predicting recurrent chat contact in a psychological intervention for the youth using natural language processing
  4. Anwendung des § 8 b KStG 2002 und Auswirkungen auf die Gewerbesteuer - Erste Analyse des BMF-Schreibens vom 28042003
  5. Von Agenten, Akteuren und Strukturen in den Internationalen Beziehungen. Konturen einer empirischen Agency-Forschung
  6. Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Rausch-Niveaus eines als Folge von digitalisierten Messwerten repräsentierten Signals
  7. The impact of M&A announcements on stock prices of the bidding firm - Event study based on German and US-listed firms
  8. Kraft ist nicht gleich Kraft. Und wie können die Kraftfähigkeiten spielerisch in der Grundschule vermittelt werden?“
  9. Using conditional inference trees and random forests to predict the bioaccumulation potential of organic chemicals
  10. Positive intercropping effects on biomass production are species-specific and involve rhizosphere enzyme activities
  11. Methane yield of biomass from extensive grassland is affected by compositional changes induced by order of arrival
  12. Netzwerk, zwischenbetriebliche Kooperation und Genossenschaft - Entwicklung eines integrativen Begriffsverständnisses
  13. Thesenpapier zum Fachgespräch zum Thema „Weiterentwicklung des Parlamentarischen Beirats für nachhaltige Entwicklung“
  14. Legacy effects of past land use on current biodiversity in a low-intensity farming landscape in Transylvania (Romania)
  15. Log in and breathe out: cost-effectiveness of internet-based recreation training for better sleep in stressed employees
  16. A genetic algorithm for a self-learning parameterization of an aerodynamic part feeding system for high-speed assembly
  17. People incorrectly correcting other people: The pragmatics of (re-)corrections and their negotiation in a Facebook group
  18. Parametric finite element model and mechanical characterisation of electrospun materials for biomedical applications
  19. Average wage, qualification of the workforce and export performance in German enterprises: evidence from KombiFiD data
  20. Life satisfaction and the consumption values of partners and friends: Empirical evidence from German panel survey data
  21. Zulässigkeit eines Blanko-Eigenwechsels als Sicherheit im Verbrauchervertrag und Klage auf Zahlung einer Wechselschuld
  22. Predictive mapping of plant species and communities using GIS and Landsat data in a southern Mongolian mountain range
  23. Zukünftige Kompetenzfelder für Führungskräfte - Einblicke in eine Bedarfsanalyse für Weiterbildung und Wissenstransfer