Nutrient enrichment increases invertebrate herbivory and pathogen damage in grasslands

Authors: EBELING, A - University Of Jena; STRAUSS, A - University Of Minnesota; ADLER, P - Utah State University; ARNILLA, C - University Of Toronto; BARRIO, I - University Of Iceland; BIEDERMAN, L - Iowa State University; BORER, E - University Of Minnesota; BUGHALO, M - University Of Lisbon; CALDEIRA, M - University Of Lisbon; DALEO, P - 1,4group, Inc; EISENHAUER, N - German Centre For Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDIV); ESKELINEN, A - German Centre For Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDIV); Fay, Philip; FIRN, J - Queensland University Of Technology; GRAFF, P - Universidad De Buenos Aires; HAIDER, S - German Centre For Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDIV); KOMATSU, J - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; MCCULLEY, R - University Of Kentucky; MITCHELL, C - University Of North Carolina; PERI, P - Universidad Nacional De La Patagonia Austral; POWER, S - Western Sydney University; PROBER, S - Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); RISCH, A - Swiss Federal Institute; ROSCHER, C - German Centre For Integrative Biodiversity Research (IDIV); SEABLOOM, E - University Of Minnesota; SCHIELZETH, H - Swiss Federal Institute; TEDDER, M - University Of Oulu; VIRTANEN, R - University Of Oulu; Blumenthal, Dana

Submitted to: Journal of Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/23/2021
Publication Date: 11/1/2021
Citation: Ebeling, A., Strauss, A.T., Adler, P., Arnilla, C.A., Barrio, I.C., Biederman, L.A., Borer, E.T., Bughalo, M.N., Caldeira, M.C., Daleo, P., Eisenhauer, N., Eskelinen, A., Fay, P.A., Firn, J., Graff, P., Haider, S., Komatsu, J., McCulley, R.L., Mitchell, C.E., Peri, P.L., Power, S.A., Prober, S.M., Risch, A.C., Roscher, C., Seabloom, E.W., Schielzeth, H., Tedder, M., Virtanen, R., Blumenthal, D.M. 2021. Nutrient enrichment increases invertebrate herbivory and pathogen damage in grasslands. Journal of Ecology. 110:327-339. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13801.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13801

Interpretive Summary: Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution have the potential to increase herbivore and pathogen damage in grasslands. Using a globally-distributed nutrient addition experiment, we describe damage on 153 plant species from twenty-seven grasslands on five continents. Both invertebrate herbivore damage and pathogen damage increased with nitrogen, while phosphorus effects were generally weaker. Damage was also higher in wet than dry grasslands, and grassland communities suffered more pathogen than invertebrate damage in 22 of 27 sites. These results demonstrate that nutrient pollution consistently increases plant damage in grasslands, with potential ramifications for ecosystem processes such as energy and nutrient cycling.

Technical Abstract: Plant damage by invertebrate herbivores and pathogens influences the dynamics of grassland ecosystems, but anthropogenic changes in nitrogen and phosphorus availability can affect these relationships. Using a globally-distributed experiment, we describe damage on 153 plant taxa from twenty-seven grasslands worldwide, under ambient conditions and with elevated nitrogen and phosphorus. Invertebrate damage increased with nitrogen, especially in grasses and forbs. Pathogen damage increased with nitrogen in grasses and legumes. Effects of phosphorus were generally weaker. Damage was higher in wet than dry grasslands, but climatic conditions did not change nutrient effects on leaf damage. On average, invertebrate damage was highest on legumes and pathogen damage was highest on grasses. Because grasses dominated, grassland communities suffered more pathogen than invertebrate damage in 22 of 27 sites. These results demonstrate that eutrophication consistently increases plant damage, emphasize the wide variation among sites, and provide broad evidence for hypotheses linking damage to precipitation.