Interactive disturbance effects of two disparate ecosystem engineers in North American shortgrass steppe.

Abstract:

:Disturbances such as fire, grazing, and soil mixing by animals interact to shape vegetation in grassland ecosystems. Animal-generated disturbances are unique in that they arise from a suite of behaviors that are themselves subject to modification by external factors. The manner in which co-occurring animal taxa interact to alter vegetation is a function of their respective behaviors, which shape the characteristics (e.g., the magnitude or extent) of their disturbances. To determine whether prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) interactively alter vegetation structure and heterogeneity on the Colorado shortgrass steppe, we characterized the size, dispersion, and vegetation of prairie dog burrow mounds and ant nests (located on and off prairie dog colonies) and vegetation growing beyond mound and nest perimeters. Ants located on prairie dog colonies engineered significantly larger nests and disturbed nearly twice as much total soil area as their off-colony counterparts. Ant nests were overdispersed both on and off prairie dog colonies, while prairie dog mounds were randomly dispersed. Where harvester ants and prairie dogs co-occur, the overdispersed pattern of on-colony ant nests is in effect "overlaid" onto the random pattern of prairie dog mounds, resulting in a unique, aggregated pattern of soil disturbance. Ant nests on prairie dog colonies had significantly less vegetation and lower plant species diversity than did prairie dog mounds, while off-colony nests were similar to mounds. These results suggest that ant nests are more highly disturbed when located on prairie dog colonies. Beyond nests proper, ants did not appear to alter vegetation in a manner distinct from prairie dogs. As such, the interactive effects of prairie dogs and ants on vegetation arise mainly from the disturbance characteristics of mounds and nests proper.

journal_name

Oecologia

journal_title

Oecologia

authors

Alba-Lynn C,Detling JK

doi

10.1007/s00442-008-1068-0

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2008-08-01 00:00:00

pages

269-78

issue

2

eissn

0029-8549

issn

1432-1939

journal_volume

157

pub_type

杂志文章
  • Photosynthesis in relation to leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content in Zimbabwean trees.

    abstract::CO2 assimilation in relation to light intensity and the relationship between leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and CO2 assimilation in 14 species of ecologically important Zimbabwean trees were examined. Eight of the species are members of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). In the majority of Zimbabwean climax wood...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00317582

    authors: Tuohy JM,Prior JA,Stewart GR

    更新日期:1991-11-01 00:00:00

  • The impact of climatic factors and host density on the long-term population dynamics of vole helminths.

    abstract::The seasonal and long-term population dynamics of helminths parasitizing voles suggested that density-dependent factors might be important in the population dynamics of common species, whereas density-independent factors predominate in the regulation of the rare species. To test this, we used single and multiple regre...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00317553

    authors: Haukisalmi V,Henttonen H

    更新日期:1990-06-01 00:00:00

  • Coexistence in streams: do source-sink dynamics allow salamanders to persist with fish predators?

    abstract::Theory suggests that source-sink dynamics can allow coexistence of intraguild predators and prey, but empirical evidence for this coexistence mechanism is limited. We used capture-mark-recapture, genetic methods, and stable isotopes to test whether source-sink dynamics promote coexistence between stream fishes, the in...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-011-1935-y

    authors: Sepulveda AJ,Lowe WH

    更新日期:2011-08-01 00:00:00

  • Phenotypic variation in seedlings of a "keystone" tree species (Quercus douglasii): the interactive effects of acorn source and competitive environment.

    abstract::Blue oak (Quercus douglasii) is a deciduous tree species endemic to California that currently exhibits poor seedling survival to sapling age classes. We used common garden techniques to examine how genetic variation at regional and local scales affected phenotypic expression in traits affecting oak seedling growth and...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00320511

    authors: Rice KJ,Gordon DR,Hardison JL,Welker JM

    更新日期:1993-12-01 00:00:00

  • Fine root biomass under light gap openings in an Amazon rain forest.

    abstract::Belowground processes in light gap openings are poorly understood, particularly in tropical forests. Fine roots in three zones of light gap openings and adjacent intact forest were regularly measured in buried bags and surface litter envelopes for 2 years. Fine root biomass does not vary significantly within gaps for ...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00317207

    authors: Sanford RL Jr

    更新日期:1990-07-01 00:00:00

  • Experimental evidence for interactive habitat segregation between roach (Rutilus rutilus) and rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) in a shallow eutrophic lake.

    abstract::The competitive interactions between roach (Rutilus rutilus) and rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) were investigated in two habitats, the open water and the waterlily zone. The growth rates of both species in enclosures were lower when confined together than when alone, demonstrating interspecific competition. Allopa...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00376972

    authors: Johansson L

    更新日期:1987-08-01 00:00:00

  • Osmotic potential and turgor maintenance in Spartina alterniflora Loisel.

    abstract::The dependence of leaf water potential (Ψ), osmotic potential (π) and turgor pressure (P) on relative water content (RWC) was determined for leaves of tall and short growth forms of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. from a site on Canary Creek marsh in Lewes, Delaware. Tall plants (ca. 1.5 m) occured along a drainage ditc...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00384269

    authors: Drake BG,Gallagher JL

    更新日期:1984-06-01 00:00:00

  • An antifungal terpenoid defends a neotropical tree (Hymenaea) against attack by fungus-growing ants (Atta).

    abstract::Foragers of the leafcutting ant, Atta cephalotes L. (Formicidae, Attini) seldom or never attack many of the plant species available to them in nature. In the semideciduous forests of lowland Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, one of the tree species seldom cut is Hymenaea courbaril L. (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae). We...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00376846

    authors: Hubbell SP,Wiemer DF,Adejare A

    更新日期:1983-12-01 00:00:00

  • The role of competition by dominants and temperature in the foraging of subordinate species in Mediterranean ant communities.

    abstract::In this paper we test the influence of temperature and interference competition by dominant species on the foraging of subordinate species in Mediterranean ant communities. We have analyzed the changes in resource use by subordinate species in plots with different abundances of dominant ants, and in different periods ...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s004420050674

    authors: Cerdá X,Retana J,Manzaneda A

    更新日期:1998-12-01 00:00:00

  • Distinct carbon sources indicate strong differentiation between tropical forest and farmland bird communities.

    abstract::The conversion of forest into farmland has resulted in mosaic landscapes in many parts of the tropics. From a conservation perspective, it is important to know whether tropical farmlands can buffer species loss caused by deforestation and how different functional groups of birds respond to land-use intensification. To...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2422-9

    authors: Ferger SW,Böhning-Gaese K,Wilcke W,Oelmann Y,Schleuning M

    更新日期:2013-02-01 00:00:00

  • Tree decline in southeastern Australia: Nitrate reductase activity and indications of unbalanced nutrition in Eucalyptus ovata (Labill.) and E. camphora (R.T. Baker) communities at Yellingbo, Victoria.

    abstract::The decline of riparian Eucalyptus camphora/E. ovata stands is examined in relation to an increase in nitrogen availability and to rising salinity in low-lying areas. There are several indications that declining stands are abnormally rich in N: (i) Nitrogen availability in declining stands was greater than that record...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00341475

    authors: Granger L,Kasel S,Adams MA

    更新日期:1994-07-01 00:00:00

  • Altered snowfall and soil disturbance influence the early life stage transitions and recruitment of a native and invasive grass in a cold desert.

    abstract::Climate change effects on plants are expected to be primarily mediated through early life stage transitions. Snowfall variability, in particular, may have profound impacts on seedling recruitment, structuring plant populations and communities, especially in mid-latitude systems. These water-limited and frequently inva...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-014-3180-7

    authors: Gornish ES,Aanderud ZT,Sheley RL,Rinella MJ,Svejcar T,Englund SD,James JJ

    更新日期:2015-02-01 00:00:00

  • Regeneration of Rhizophora mangle in a Caribbean mangrove forest: interacting effects of canopy disturbance and a stem-boring beetle.

    abstract::Current theory predicts that in low-density, seed-limited plant populations, seed predation will be more important than competition in determining the number of individuals that reach maturity. However, when plant density is high, competition for microsites suitable for establishment and growth is expected to have a r...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-003-1350-0

    authors: Sousa WP,Quek SP,Mitchell BJ

    更新日期:2003-11-01 00:00:00

  • Demographic costs of Chaoborus-induced defences in Daphnia pulex: a sensitivity analysis.

    abstract::We examined the demographic costs of Chaoborus-induced defensive spine structures in Daphnia pulex. Our aim was to assess the role of resource limitation and the interaction effects of limiting food level and antipredator structures on fitness of D. pulex and to pinpoint those life stages that are most sensitive to ch...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00323778

    authors: Walls M,Caswell H,Ketola M

    更新日期:1991-06-01 00:00:00

  • Differential effects of insect herbivory on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization.

    abstract::A series of field and laboratory experiments were conducted to examine whether natural levels of insect herbivory affect the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of two plant species. The plant species were the highly mycorrhizal (mycotrophic) Plantago lanceolata, which suffers small amounts of insect damage conti...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-001-0863-7

    authors: Gange AC,Bower E,Brown VK

    更新日期:2002-03-01 00:00:00

  • Effects of pond size and consequent predator density on two species of tadpoles.

    abstract::Experimental ponds were used as a model system of habitat patches to study the effect of habitat size on the relative growth performance of tadpoles of Bufo americanus and Pseudacris triseriata, and on colonization by predatory insects. Three pond depths and surface areas were habitat size treatments in a replicated, ...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00333303

    authors: Pearman PB

    更新日期:1995-04-01 00:00:00

  • Guppy populations differ in cannibalistic degree and adaptation to structural environments.

    abstract::There is considerable variation in cannibalism between different species and also between individuals of different species, although relatively little is known about what creates this variation. We investigated the degree of cannibalism in guppy (Poecilia reticulata) populations originating from high and low predation...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-011-1990-4

    authors: Nilsson KA,Lundbäck S,Postavnicheva-Harri A,Persson L

    更新日期:2011-10-01 00:00:00

  • Sensitivity of mosses to sulfur dioxide.

    abstract::Seven North American moss species responded differentially to fumigations with sulfur dioxide ranging from 0.5 to 4.0 ppm. Leucobryum glaucum and Dicranum scoparium were the most sensitive species; Dicranella heterophylla, Polytrichum ohioense and Pottia truncata, the most resistant. The results of fumigations with 0....

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00344925

    authors: Nash TH 3rd,Nash EH

    更新日期:1974-09-01 00:00:00

  • Cottonwood hybridization affects tannin and nitrogen content of leaf litter and alters decomposition.

    abstract::Cottonwoods are dominant riparian trees of the western United States and are known for their propensity to hybridize. We compared the decomposition of leaf litter from two species (Populus angustifolia and P. fremontii) and their hybrids. Three patterns were found. First, in one terrestrial and two aquatic experiments...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s004420050994

    authors: Driebe EM,Whitham TG

    更新日期:2000-04-01 00:00:00

  • Context-dependent resistance against butterfly herbivory in a polyploid herb.

    abstract::Spatial variation in biotic interactions and natural selection are fundamental parts of natural systems, and can be driven by differences in both trait distributions and the local environmental context of the interaction. Most studies of plant-animal interactions have been performed only in natural settings, making it...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-013-2831-4

    authors: König MA,Wiklund C,Ehrlén J

    更新日期:2014-04-01 00:00:00

  • Studies of the life-history and energetics of marine and brackish-water nematodes : I. Demography of Monhystera disjuncta at different temperature and feeding conditions.

    abstract::Aspects of the demography of Monhystera disjuncta were investigated at different temperatures (in agnotobiotic cultures) and in different feeding conditions (monoxenic cultures with different bacterial strains, and different densities in the feeding suspension with one strain). Embryonic development time, minimum gene...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00378033

    authors: Vranken G,Herman PM,Heip C

    更新日期:1988-11-01 00:00:00

  • Compromises between water-use efficiency and nitrogen-use efficiency in five species of California evergreens.

    abstract::In five California evergreen trees and shrubs cooccurring in this study but most common in habitats of different moisture availability, leaf nitrogen was a major determinant of photosynthetic capacity. Within each species, stomatal conductance was highly correlated with photosynthetic capacity, resulting in little var...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00376856

    authors: Field C,Merino J,Mooney HA

    更新日期:1983-12-01 00:00:00

  • Release from native root herbivores and biotic resistance by soil pathogens in a new habitat both affect the alien Ammophila arenaria in South Africa.

    abstract::Many native communities contain exotic plants that pose a major threat to indigenous vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Therefore the enemy release hypothesis (ERH) and biotic resistance hypothesis (BRH) were examined in relation to the invasiveness of the introduced dune grass Ammophila arenaria in South Africa. T...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-004-1662-8

    authors: Knevel IC,Lans T,Menting FB,Hertling UM,van der Putten WH

    更新日期:2004-11-01 00:00:00

  • Response to short-term inundation with isoosmotic solutions of seawater and sorbitol in a C4 nonhalophyte: evidence for a salt tolerance mechanism.

    abstract::To examine the importance of Na+ and Cl- to osmotic adjustment in a salt-tolerant ecotype of the C4 nonhalophyte Andropogon glomeratus, plants were watered with sorbitol, a neutral osmoticum, and synthetic seawater, for five days. Gas exchange measurements were made during the course of the watering treatment and duri...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00378043

    authors: Bowman WD

    更新日期:1988-11-01 00:00:00

  • Carbon balance, productivity, and water use of cold-winter desert shrub communities dominated by C3 and C4 species.

    abstract::Common generalizations concerning the ecologic significance of C4 photosynthesis were tested in a study of plant gas exchange, productivity, carbon balance, and water use in monospecific communities of C3 and C4 salt desert shrubs. Contrary to expectations, few of the hypotheses concerning the performance of C4 specie...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00345803

    authors: Caldwell MM,White RS,Moore RT,Camp LB

    更新日期:1977-12-01 00:00:00

  • Experimental confirmation of multiple community states in a marine ecosystem.

    abstract::Small changes in environmental conditions can unexpectedly tip an ecosystem from one community type to another, and these often irreversible shifts have been observed in semi-arid grasslands, freshwater lakes and ponds, coral reefs, and kelp forests. A commonly accepted explanation is that these ecosystems contain mul...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-009-1350-9

    authors: Petraitis PS,Methratta ET,Rhile EC,Vidargas NA,Dudgeon SR

    更新日期:2009-08-01 00:00:00

  • Assessing tree ring δ15N of four temperate deciduous species as an indicator of N availability using independent long-term records at the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV.

    abstract::Nitrogen deposition in the northeastern US changed N availability in the latter part of the twentieth century, with potential legacy effects. However, long-term N cycle measurements are scarce. N isotopes in tree rings have been used as an indicator of N availability through time, but there is little verification of w...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04528-4

    authors: Burnham MB,Adams MB,Peterjohn WT

    更新日期:2019-12-01 00:00:00

  • Energetic consequences of an inducible morphological defence in crucian carp.

    abstract::Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) increases in body depth in response to chemical cues from piscivores and the deeper body constitutes a morphological defence against gape-limited piscivores. In the field, deep-bodied individuals suffer a density-dependent cost when competing with shallow-bodied conspecifics. Here, w...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s004420050901

    authors: Pettersson LB,Brönmark C

    更新日期:1999-10-01 00:00:00

  • Competition between Bromus tectorum L. and Poa pratensis L.: the role of light.

    abstract::Bromus tectorum L. dominates sites of large-scale disturbance, while Poa pratensis L. dominates the sites of small-scale disturbance in the Festuca/Symphoricarpos habitat type in eastern Washington (USA). The role of incident irradiation in influencing these distributions was examined using field and glasshouse experi...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/BF00377187

    authors: Bookman PA,Mack RN

    更新日期:1983-03-01 00:00:00

  • Direct and indirect effects of temperature and prey abundance on bald eagle reproductive dynamics.

    abstract::Understanding the mechanisms by which populations are regulated is critical for predicting the effects of large-scale perturbations. While discrete mortality events provide clear evidence of direct impacts, indirect pathways are more difficult to assess but may play important roles in population and ecosystem dynamics...

    journal_title:Oecologia

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04578-8

    authors: Schmidt JH,Putera J,Wilson TL

    更新日期:2020-02-01 00:00:00