Climate gradients shape spatial variation in the richness and composition of plant communities. Given future predicted changes climate means variability, likely regional magnitudes these changes, it is important to determine how temporal influences community structure. Here, we evaluated species richness, turnover, grassland communities responded interannual precipitation by synthesizing long-term data from grasslands across United States. We found that mean annual precipitation,(MAP) was a...

Understanding how biotic mechanisms confer stability in variable environments is a fundamental quest ecology, and one that becoming increasingly urgent with global change. Several mechanisms, notably portfolio effect associated species richness, compensatory dynamics generated by negative covariance selection for stable dominant populations can increase the of overall community. While importance these debated, few studies have contrasted their an environmental context. We analyzed nine...

Invaded systems are commonly associated with a change in ecosystem processes and decline native species diversity; however, many different causal pathways linking invasion, change, could produce this pattern. The initial driver of environmental may be anthropogenic, or it the invader itself; mechanism behind human-induced competition from invader, invader-induced (non-trophic effects). We examined applicability each these alternate Great Lakes coastal marshes invaded by hybrid cattail (Typha...

Abstract Although ecologists have documented the effects of nitrogen enrichment on productivity, diversity and species composition, we know little about relative importance mechanisms driving these effects. We propose that distinct aspects environmental change associated with N (resource limitation, asymmetric competition, interactions soil microbes) drive different plant response. test this in greenhouse mesocosms, experimentally manipulating each factor across three ecosystems: tallgrass...

Abstract Despite decades of interest, few studies have provided evidence supporting theoretical expectations for coupled relationships between aboveground and belowground diversity ecosystem functioning in non‐manipulated natural ecosystems. We characterized plant species richness density, soil bacterial, fungal eukaryotic phylogenetic (using 16S, ITS , 18S gene sequencing), function (levels C N, rates microbial enzyme activities) along a gradient density high‐elevation, C‐deficient soils to...

Summary Rainfall is a key determinant of production and composition in arid semi‐arid systems. Long‐term studies relating water availability primarily focus on current‐year precipitation patterns, though mounting evidence highlights the importance previous‐year rainfall particularly grasslands dominated by perennial species. The extent to which lagged effects occur annual grasslands, however, remains largely unexplored. We pair long‐term study with two manipulative experiments identify...

Sand made from recycled glass cullet could supplement limited dredged river sand (dredge) in coastal wetland restorations; however, its suitability for plants is unknown. In two experiments, we compared the biomass of several to growth dredge. First, grew Salix nigra , Zizaniopsis miliacea and Sporobolus alterniflorus fine‐ coarse‐glass sands, dredge, a coarse‐glass/dredge mixture. Second, Taxodium distichum Schoenoplectus californicus revised blend, mix. We characterized substrate porosity,...

Woody plants are encroaching into many herbaceous-dominated communities across the globe, including arctic and alpine tundra. Quantifying encroachment rate, testing which factors contribute to encroachment, determining how is taking place in community types occurring essential for predicting shifts tundra vegetation carbon (C) storage. We examined willow cover changes from 1946 2008 18 ha of Colorado using aerial photographs. linked this pattern change with experimental assessment effects...

Abstract Coastal systems are immensely valuable to humans. They contain unique ecosystems that biodiversity reservoirs and provide key ecosystem services as well a wealth of cultural heritage. Despite their importance humans, many coastal experiencing degradation threatens integrity provisioning services. While much is known about the plant communities associated wildlife in areas, microorganisms represents large knowledge gap. Here we review ecology plant-microbial symbioses systems,...

Abstract Nitrogen ( N ) deposition rates are increasing globally due to anthropogenic activities. Plant community responses often attributed altered competitive interactions between plants, but may also be a result of microbial , particularly root‐associated fungi RAF ), which known affect plant fitness. In response D eschampsia cespitosa codominant in the alpine tundra at iwot R idge CO increases abundance, while G eum rossii, its principal competitor, declines. Importantly, . rossii...

Background: High-elevation mountain systems may be particularly responsive to climate change.Aims: Here we investigate how changes along elevation gradients in can aid predicting vegetation distributional time, focusing on changing climatic controls affect meso-scale transitions at the lower and upper boundaries of alpine (with forest subnival zones, respectively) as well micro-scale among plant communities within belt. We focus climate-related drivers, relation change, but also consider...

Plants and soil microorganisms interact to play a central role in ecosystem functioning. To determine the potential importance of biotic interactions shaping distributions these organisms high-alpine subnival landscape, we examine cooccurrence patterns between plant species bulk-soil bacteria abundances. In this context, relationship reflects combination several assembly processes: that both parties can disperse site, they survive abiotic environmental conditions, biota either facilitate...

Nitrogen (N) inputs to the terrestrial environment have doubled worldwide during past century. N negatively impacts plant diversity, but it is unknown why some species are more susceptible than others. While often assumed that competition drives decline, enrichment also strongly affects soil microbial communities. Can these changes affect plant-microbe interactions in ways differentially influence success of species? Furthermore, can altered lead carbon (C) limitation plants?We focused on a...

Summary Environmental change can affect species directly by altering their physical environment and indirectly the abundance of interacting species. A key challenge at interface community ecology conservation biology is to predict how direct indirect effects combine influence response in a changing environment. In particular, little known about on biodiversity develop over time or potential ecosystem function. We studied nitrogen (N), winter precipitation (snow) warming influenced diversity...

Summary 1. Models of local stable coexistence require negative feedbacks, i.e. intraspecific interactions must be more than interspecific interactions. However, most competition experiments, often done in the glasshouse, have found evidence for competitive hierarchies. Measurement under realistic field conditions is necessary to assess their contribution community dynamics, and explicit measurement intermediaries thought important may allow studies account any variation experimental results....

Abstract Bacterial and fungal root endophytes can impact the fitness of their host plants, but relative importance drivers for endophyte communities is not well known. Host plant species, composition density surrounding space, abiotic could significantly affect bacterial communities. We investigated influence in alpine plants across a harsh high mountain landscape using high-throughput sequencing. There was less compositional overlap between than communities, with four ‘cosmopolitan’ OTUs...

Abstract Premise The soil microbiome plays a role in plant trait expression and fitness, plants may be locally adapted or maladapted to their microbiota. However, few studies of local adaptation have incorporated microbial treatment separate from manipulations the abiotic environment, so our understanding microbes is limited. Methods Here we tested effects on four paired populations an abundant alpine two community types, dry moist meadow. In 5‐month greenhouse experiment, manipulated source...

Abstract Questions Californian grasslands have a long history of invasion, starting with the introduction exotic forage species century ago, and followed by newer waves invaders. Both invasive produce large amounts litter, but importance litter accumulation on growth expansion these has not been rigorously assessed. We addressed following questions: (1) do type (exotic or species) quantity affect plant performance; (2) at which life stages does effects occur; (3) is impacting native...

Abstract Invasive plants often successfully occupy large areas encompassing broad environmental gradients in their invaded range, yet how invader dominance and effects on ecological communities vary across the landscape has rarely been explored. Furthermore, while impacts of invasion plant are well studied, it is not understood whether responses above‐ground (plant) below‐ground (microbial) coupled. Here we test patterns Phragmites australis (common reed) a field survey eight sites situated...