Forb Diversity Globally is Harmed by Nutrient Enrichment but can be Rescued by Large Mammalian Herbivory

Authors

• Rebecca A. Nelson, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Lauren L. Sullivan, Michigan State University
• Erika I. Hersch-Green, Michigan Technological University
• Eric W. Seabloom, University of Minnesota
• Elizabeth T. Borer, University of Minnesota
• Pedro M. Tognetti, Universidad de Buenos Aires y CONICET
• Peter B. Adler, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Lori Biederman, Iowa State University
• Miguel N. Bugalho, University of Lisbon
• Maria C. Caldeira, University of Lisbon
• Juan P. Cancela, University of Azores
• Luísa G. Carvalheiro, Universidade Federal de Goiás
• Jane A. Catford, King's College London
• Chris R. Dickman, University of Sydney
• Aleksandra J. Dolezal, University of Guelph
• Ian Donohue, Trinity College Dublin
• Anne Ebeling, University Jena
• Nico Eisenhauer, Leipzig University
• Kenneth J. Elgersma, University of Northern Iowa
• Anu Eskelinen, University of Oulu
• Catalina Estrada, Imperial College London
• Magda Garbowski, New Mexico State University
• Pamela Graff, Universidad de Buenos Aires y CONICET
• Daniel S. Gruner, University of Maryland
• Nicole Hagenah, University of Pretoria
• Sylvia Haider, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• W. Stanley Harpole, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
• Yann Hautier, Utrecht University
• Anke Jentsch, University of Bayreuth
• Nicolina Johanson, University of Oulu
• Sally E. Koerner, University of North Carolina
• Lucíola S. Lannes, São Paulo State University
• Andrew S. MacDougall, University of Guelph
• Holly Martinson, McDaniel College
• John W. Morgan, La Trobe University
• Harry Olde Venterink, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
• Devyn Orr, Eastern Oregon Ag Research Center
• Brooke B. Osborne, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Pablo L. Peri, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA)
• Sally A. Power, Western Sydney University
• Xavier Raynaud, Sorbonne Université
• Anita C. Risch, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL
• Mani Shrestha, University of Bayreuth
• Nicholas G. Smith, Texas Tech University
• Carly J. Stevens, Lancaster University
• G. F. Ciska Veen, Netherlands Institute of Ecology
• Risto Virtanen, University of Oulu
• Glenda M. Wardle, University of Sydney
• Amelia A. Wolf, University of Texas at Austin
• Alyssa L. Young, University of North Carolina Greensboro
• Susan P. Harrison, University of California, Davis

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Communications Biology

Author ORCID Identifier

Rebecca A. Nelson https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9574-0241

Erika I. Hersch-Green https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3887-0768

Eric W. Seabloom https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6780-9259

Elizabeth T. Borer https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2259-5853

Pedro M. Tognetti https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7358-1334

Peter B. Adler https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4216-4009

Lori Biederman https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2171-7898

Miguel N. Bugalho https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7081-657X

Maria C. Caldeira https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3586-8526

Juan P. Cancela https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3357-3820

Luísa G. Carvalheiro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7655-979X

Jane A. Catford https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0582-5960

Aleksandra J. Dolezal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1388-3610

Ian Donohue https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-6448

Anne Ebeling https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3221-4017

Nico Eisenhauer https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0371-6720

Kenneth J. Elgersma https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9012-8590

Anu Eskelinen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1707-5263

Catalina Estrada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0074-0776

Pamela Graff https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6042-2673

Daniel S. Gruner https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3153-4297

W. Stanley Harpole https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3404-9174

Yann Hautier https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4347-7741

Anke Jentsch https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2345-8300

Nicolina Johanson https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5296-4086

Sally E. Koerner https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6403-7513

Lucíola S. Lannes https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0603-4071

Andrew S. MacDougall https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1869-7868

Holly Martinson https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1462-0051

Harry Olde Venterink https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8963-1153

Pablo L. Peri https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5398-4408

Sally A. Power https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2723-8671

Anita C. Risch https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-8336

Mani Shrestha https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6165-8418

Nicholas G. Smith https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7048-4387

Carly J. Stevens https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2390-1763

G. F. Ciska Veen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7736-9998

Risto Virtanen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8295-8217

Glenda M. Wardle https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0189-1899

Amelia A. Wolf https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7660-3455

Alyssa L. Young https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2373-4264

Volume

8

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Publication Date

3-15-2025

Journal Article Version

Version of Record

First Page

1

Last Page

10

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Abstract

Forbs (“wildflowers”) are important contributors to grassland biodiversity but are vulnerable to environmental changes. In a factorial experiment at 94 sites on 6 continents, we test the global generality of several broad predictions: (1) Forb cover and richness decline under nutrient enrichment, particularly nitrogen enrichment. (2) Forb cover and richness increase under herbivory by large mammals. (3) Forb richness and cover are less affected by nutrient enrichment and herbivory in more arid climates, because water limitation reduces the impacts of competition with grasses. (4) Forb families will respond differently to nutrient enrichment and mammalian herbivory due to differences in nutrient requirements. We find strong evidence for the first, partial support for the second, no support for the third, and support for the fourth prediction. Our results underscore that anthropogenic nitrogen addition is a major threat to grassland forbs, but grazing under high herbivore intensity can offset these nutrient effects.

Recommended Citation

Nelson, R.A., Sullivan, L.L., Hersch-Green, E.I. et al. Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory. Commun Biol 8, 444 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07882-7