Abstract
Changes in species richness, turnover, composition and above-ground biomass of herb-rich woodland were documented following fertilizer application and water addition over three growing seasons. Addition of fertilizer significantly reduced species richness relative to unmanipulated control and water addition plots after 3 years. This change coincided with significant increases in biomass, which were largely due to increased growth of exotic annual grasses. The reductions in richness observed in the fertilized plots were a consequence of both lower rates of local colonization and enhanced rates of local extinction of the resident species. Species loss was not random; native species were lost after nutrient addition whereas exotic species were not. Nutrient limitation was more important for species coexistence in these communities than was water availability.
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Acknowledgements
Seraphina Cutler, Susanna Venn, Nicola Hardy and Poly McMillan assisted with field work. Support was provided by the Thomas family and the Friends of the Grampians (Gariwerd). The manuscript was improved by helpful comments from Peter Green, Ian Lunt, Bob Parsons and Bryan Foster and extensive input from two anonymous reviewers.
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Price, J.N., Morgan, J.W. Vegetation dynamics following resource manipulations in herb-rich woodland. Plant Ecol 188, 29–37 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9145-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9145-0