Data from: Spatial heterogeneity in species composition constrains plant community responses to herbivory and fertilization
- Description:
- Environmental change can result in substantial shifts in community composition. The associated immigration and extinction events are likely constrained by the spatial distribution of species. Still, studies on environmental change typically quantify biotic responses at single spatial (time series within a single plot) or temporal (spatial beta-diversity at single time points) scales, ignoring their potential interdependence. Here, we use data from a global network of grassland experiments to determine how turnover responses to two major forms of environmental change – fertilization and herbivore loss – are affected by species pool size and spatial compositional heterogeneity. Fertilization led to higher rates of local extinction whereas turnover in herbivore exclusion plots was driven by species replacement. Overall, sites with more spatially heterogeneous composition showed significantly higher rates of annual turnover, independent of species pool size and treatment. Taking into account spatial biodiversity aspects will therefore improve our understanding of consequences of global and anthropogenic change on community dynamics.
Usage Notes:composition-data
The file contains information on sample ID (site_code, block, plot), number of years since the first treatment application (0 = year before treatment application), treatment (Control = control, NPK = nutrient addition, Fence = herbivore exclusion, NPK+Fence = combined treatment of nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion), species identity (Taxon) and % cover of each speciesEnvironmental parameters measured in Y0
The file contains information on sample ID (site_code, block, plot), treatment (Control = control, NPK = nutrient addition, Fence = herbivore exclsuion, NPK+Fence = combiend treatment of nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion), soil measurements, ambient light measurement (Ambient_PAR), annual temperature variability (TEMP_VAR) and annual rainfall variability (MAP_VAR). All measurements were taken before the first application of treatments.env-param-Y0.csv - , , , , , , , , , , Cadotte, Marc, , , , , , , , , , MacDougall, Andrew, , , , , , , , , , , and
- Source Repository:
- Dryad
- Publisher(s):
- Dryad
- Access:
- Public
- URL:
- http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.8vs569h
- Publication date:
- 2019-05-24
- Keywords:
- Identifier:
- https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8vs569h
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