草食動物と栄養素は,光制限を通じて草原植物の多様性を制御する

Elizabeth T Borer¹, Eric W Seabloom¹, Daniel S Gruner²

¹Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.

Nature

|March 28, 2014

まとめ

栄養素の添加は,光を制限することによって,植物の多様性を減少させます. しかし,草食動物は,光の利用率を増やすことによってこれを相殺し,地球規模で草原の生物多様性を回復するのに役立ちます.

科学分野:

エコロジーエコロジーエコロジー
グローバル・チェンジ生物学生物学
植物共同体ダイナミクス

背景:

栄養素の濃縮や草食動物集団の変化を含む人間の活動が,地球規模の生物多様性に大きな影響を及ぼしている.
生態学理論は反対の効果を示唆している:栄養素の添加は光に対する競争を増加させ,植物種の損失につながり,草食動物は光の利用可能性を高め,競争の排除を防ぐ.

研究の目的:

草食生物からの光量の増加が,優化によって引き起こされる植物種の損失を相殺できるかどうかをテストする.
草原植物の多様性を制御する上で,栄養素と草食動物の相殺する役割を調査する.

主な方法:

6つの大陸の40の草原地帯を対象とした世界的な実験です.
植物の多様性や光の利用可能性への影響を評価するために,操作された栄養素添加と草食性のレベル.

主要な成果:

栄養素の添加は,強烈な光の制限により,地元の植物多様性を一貫して減少させました.
草食は,地面レベルの光を効果的に増加させた場所での植物多様性を救いました.
これらの効果は,異なる場所の生産性,土壌の窒素,草食動物タイプ,および気候において一貫していました.

結論:

栄養素の添加と草食は,光の制限を通じて草原植物の多様性を調節する相殺力として作用します.
草食は,草原における人為的な優太化によって引き起こされる種の減少を,光の利用可能性を高めることによって改善することができます.

さらに関連する動画

10:20

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

13.7K

10:16

Design and Operation of a Continuous 13C and 15N Labeling Chamber for Uniform or Differential, Metabolic and Structural, Plant Isotope Labeling

Published on: January 16, 2014

25.1K

関連する概念動画

02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

22.5K

Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.

22.5K

02:16

Light Acquisition

8.0K

In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.

8.0K

02:40

Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

12.6K

Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...

12.6K

02:11

The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition

36.3K

Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.

36.3K

01:26

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...

01:28

Microbial Nutrition

2.0K

Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...