Nutrient identity modifies the destabilising effects of eutrophication in grasslands

Nutrient enrichment can simultaneously increase and destabilise plant biomass production, with co‐limitation by multiple nutrients potentially intensifying these effects. Here, we test how factorial additions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium with essential nutrients (K+) affect the stab...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters 2022-04, Vol.25 (4), p.754-765
Main Authors: Carroll, Oliver, Batzer, Evan, Bharath, Siddharth, Borer, Elizabeth T., Campana, Sofía, Esch, Ellen, Hautier, Yann, Ohlert, Timothy, Seabloom, Eric W., Adler, Peter B., Bakker, Jonathan D., Biederman, Lori, Bugalho, Miguel N., Caldeira, Maria, Chen, Qingqing, Davies, Kendi F., Fay, Philip A., Knops, Johannes M. H., Komatsu, Kimberly, Martina, Jason P., McCann, Kevin S., Moore, Joslin L., Morgan, John W., Muraina, Taofeek O., Osborne, Brooke, Risch, Anita C., Stevens, Carly, Wilfahrt, Peter A., Yahdjian, Laura, MacDougall, Andrew S., Penuelas, Josep
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
biodiversity loss
Biomass
co‐limitation
Ecosystem
ecosystem function
ecosystem stability
Essential nutrients
Eutrophication
Fertilization
Grassland
Grasslands
Mean
Nitrogen
Nutrient enrichment
nutrient Network (NutNet)
Nutrients
Phosphorus
Plant biomass
Potassium
Species richness
Stability
Standard deviation
synchrony
variability
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Summary:Nutrient enrichment can simultaneously increase and destabilise plant biomass production, with co‐limitation by multiple nutrients potentially intensifying these effects. Here, we test how factorial additions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium with essential nutrients (K+) affect the stability (mean/standard deviation) of aboveground biomass in 34 grasslands over 7 years. Destabilisation with fertilisation was prevalent but was driven by single nutrients, not synergistic nutrient interactions. On average, N‐based treatments increased mean biomass production by 21–51% but increased its standard deviation by 40–68% and so consistently reduced stability. Adding P increased interannual variability and reduced stability without altering mean biomass, while K+ had no general effects. Declines in stability were largest in the most nutrient‐limited grasslands, or where nutrients reduced species richness or intensified species synchrony. We show that nutrients can differentially impact the stability of biomass production, with N and P in particular disproportionately increasing its interannual variability. Nutrient enrichment can simultaneously increase and destabilise plant biomass production, with co‐limitation by multiple nutrients potentially intensifying these effects. Here, using data from 34 grasslands over 7 years, we show prevalent destabilisation with fertilisation was driven by single‐nutrient effects on the temporal standard deviation of biomass production but was not influenced by synergistic interactions among multiple nutrients. Declines in stability were largest in the most nutrient‐limited grasslands, or where nutrients reduced species richness or intensified species synchrony.
ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.13946