Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Author ORCID Identifier
Philip A. Fay https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8291-6316
Laura Yahdjian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9635-1221
Peter B. Adler https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4216-4009
Jonathan D. Bakker https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8973-2771
Elizabeth T. Borer https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2259-5853
W. Stanley Harpole https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3404-9174
Erika I. Hersch-Green https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3887-0768
Travis E. Huxman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0801-3442
Eric W. Seabloom https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6780-9259
Sumanta Bagchi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4841-6748
Isabel C. Barrio https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8120-5248
Yvonne M. Buckley https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7599-3201
Miguel N. Bugalho https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7081-657X
Maria C. Caldeira https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3586-8526
Jane A. Catford https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0582-5960
Qingqing Chen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1957-3848
Scott L. Collins https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0193-2892
Pedro Daleo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9759-1203
Chris R. Dickman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1067-3730
Ian Donohue https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-6448
Mary Ellyn DuPre https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1567-2681
Nico Eisenhauer https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0371-6720
Anu Eskelinen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1707-5263
Yann Hautier https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4347-7741
Robert W. Heckman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2281-3091
Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3804-7077
Jason P. Martina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3912-4911
Harry Olde Venterink https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8963-1153
Pablo L. Peri https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5398-4408
Xavier Raynaud https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9065-2867
Zhengwei Ren https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4911-0716
Christiane Roscher https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9301-7909
Melinda D. Smith https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4920-6985
Marie Spohn https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1010-7317
Michelle Tedder https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8021-0929
Glenda M. Wardle https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0189-1899
George R. Wheeler https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3975-9826
Volume
122
Issue
15
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Publication Date
4-11-2025
Journal Article Version
Version of Record
First Page
1
Last Page
9
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
Ecosystems are experiencing changing global patterns of mean annual precipitation (MAP) and enrichment with multiple nutrients that potentially colimit plant biomass production. In grasslands, mean aboveground plant biomass is closely related to MAP, but how this relationship changes after enrichment with multiple nutrients remains unclear. We hypothesized the global biomass–MAP relationship becomes steeper with an increasing number of added nutrients, with increases in steepness corresponding to the form of interaction among added nutrients and with increased mediation by changes in plant community diversity. We measured aboveground plant biomass production and species diversity in 71 grasslands on six continents representing the global span of grassland MAP, diversity, management, and soils. We fertilized all sites with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium with micronutrients in all combinations to identify which nutrients limited biomass at each site. As hypothesized, fertilizing with one, two, or three nutrients progressively steepened the global biomass–MAP relationship. The magnitude of the increase in steepness corresponded to whether sites were not limited by nitrogen or phosphorus, were limited by either one, or were colimited by both in additive, or synergistic forms. Unexpectedly, we found only weak evidence for mediation of biomass–MAP relationships by plant community diversity because relationships of species richness, evenness, and beta diversity to MAP and to biomass were weak or opposing. Site-level properties including baseline biomass production, soils, and management explained little variation in biomass–MAP relationships. These findings reveal multiple nutrient colimitation as a defining feature of the global grassland biomass–MAP relationship.
Recommended Citation
P.A. Fay, L.A. Gherardi, L. Yahdjian, P.B. Adler, J.D. Bakker, S. Bharath, E.T. Borer, W.S. Harpole, E. Hersch-Green, T.E. Huxman, A.S. MacDougall, A.C. Risch, E.W. Seabloom, S. Bagchi, I.C. Barrio, L. Biederman, Y.M. Buckley, M.N. Bugalho, M.C. Caldeira, J.A. Catford, Q. Chen, E.E. Cleland, S.L. Collins, P. Daleo, C.R. Dickman, I. Donohue, M.E. DuPre, N. Eisenhauer, A. Eskelinen, N. Hagenah, Y. Hautier, R.W. Heckman, I.S. Jónsdóttir, J.M.H. Knops, R. Laungani, J.P. Martina, R.L. McCulley, J.W. Morgan, H. Olde Venterink, P.L. Peri, S.A. Power, X. Raynaud, Z. Ren, C. Roscher, M.D. Smith, M. Spohn, C.J. Stevens, M.J. Tedder, R. Virtanen, G.M. Wardle, & G.R. Wheeler, Interactions among nutrients govern the global grassland biomass–precipitation relationship, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 122 (15) e2410748122, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2410748122 (2025).