Author : Anne M. Nickel
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 136 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (51 download)
Book Synopsis The Influence of Edges and Plant Diversity on Mammal-induced Mortality of Prairie Plants by : Anne M. Nickel
Download or read book The Influence of Edges and Plant Diversity on Mammal-induced Mortality of Prairie Plants written by Anne M. Nickel and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herbivory is an important process in plant communities because herbivores have the ability to affect plant abundance, productivity, composition, diversity, and succession. In the grassland ecosystem, the effects of small-mammal herbivores on the plant community are beginning to be understood, but there is little understanding about what factors may influence small-mammal herbivory patterns. This research investigated two factors, wooded edges and plant diversity, that may affect herbivory of native tallgrass prairie seedlings by the small-mammal Microtus pennsylvanicus (the meadow vole). The first study investigated the impact of wooded edges on meadow vole distributions in Iowa tallgrass prairie reconstructions, and their subsequent effect on native prairie vegetation. Voles were less abundant at the wooded edge, resulting in less herbivory on seedlings near the edge. These results indicate that the wooded edges of prairie reconstructions may be refuges for native seedling establishment. The second study investigated the relationship between plant diversity and meadow vole herbivory in native and reconstructed prairies. We found a negative relationship between diversity and herbivory, with decreased herbivory on seedlings as diversity increased. These results suggest that the foraging behavior of voles is not only influenced by diversity, but that diversity may be perpetuated via vole herbivory. In high-diversity prairies, herbivory per species is low, and plant diversity is maintained. However, herbivory per species is great in low-diversity prairies, resulting in the perpetuation, and perhaps accentuation, of low diversity. Together, these studies show that wooded edges and plant diversity have an effect on meadow vole herbivory patterns. Consequently, both of these factors have the potential to change the plant community by altering predation pressure on seedlings. Studying the way in which wooded edges and plant diversity influence vole herbivory has helped our understanding of how prairies function in fragmented ecosystems and how important plant diversity is to prairie ecosystems.
