Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-2021
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Source Publication
Journal of Plant Ecology
Source ISSN
1752-9921
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtab066
Abstract
Aims
Both extreme drought and insect herbivores can suppress plant growth in grassland communities. However, most studies have examined extreme drought and insects in isolation, and there is reason to believe that insects might alter the ability of grasslands to withstand drought. Unfortunately, few studies have tested the interactive effects of extreme drought and insect herbivores in grassland communities.
Methods
Here, we tested the drought–herbivore interactions using a manipulative experiment that factorially crossed extreme drought with the exclusion of insect herbivores in a temperate semiarid grassland in Inner Mongolia.
Important Findings
Our results demonstrated that both extreme drought and insect herbivores separately decreased total plant cover. When combined, insect herbivores reduced the impact of drought on total cover by increasing the relative abundance of drought-resistant dominant species. Our results highlight that the negative effect of extreme drought on total plant cover could be alleviated by maintaining robust insect herbivore communities.
Recommended Citation
Xu, Chong; Ke, Yuguang; Wu, Honghui; Smith, Melinda D.; LeMoine, Nathan P.; Zhang, Weiguo; and Yu, Qiang, "Herbivores Alleviate the Negative Effects of Extreme Drought on Plant Community by Enhancing Dominant Species" (2021). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 914.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/914
Comments
Accepted version. Journal of Plant Ecology, Vol. 14, No. 6 (December 2021): 1030-1036. DOI. © 2021 Oxford University Press. Used with permission.