Direct effects dominate responses to climate perturbations in grassland plant communities [1]
Title | Direct effects dominate responses to climate perturbations in grassland plant communities |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | Chu C [2], Kleinhesselink AR [3], Havstad K [4], McClaran M.P. [5], Peters DC [6], Vermeire LT [7], Wei H [8], Adler PB [9] |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Pagination | 1-10 |
Accession Number | JRN00648 |
ARIS Log Number | 328527 |
Keywords | black grama grass [10], Bouteloua eripoda [11], chart quadrat data [12], climate change [13], climate perturbations [14], environmental change [15], grass communities [16], model [17] |
Abstract | Theory predicts that strong indirect effects of environmental change will impact communities when niche differences between competitors are small and variation in the direct effects experienced by competitors is large, but empirical tests are lacking. Here we estimate negative frequency dependence, a proxy for niche differences, and quantify the direct and indirect effects of climate change on each species. Consistent with theory, in four of five communities indirect effects are strongest for species showing weak negative frequency dependence. Indirect effects are also stronger in communities where there is greater variation in direct effects. Overall responses to climate perturbations are driven primarily by direct effects, suggesting that single species models may be adequate for forecasting the impacts of climate change in these communities. |
URL | /files/bibliography/16-016.pdf [18] |
DOI | 10.1038/ncomms11766 [19] |