Large herbivores effects on plant community assembly across contrasting habitats

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ID: 322487
2026
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Abstract
Abstract Large herbivores can strongly influence plant community, but their effects may vary across habitats that differ in disturbance history, vegetation structure, and recovery potential. Here, we compared plant communities and their short-term responses to sika deer (Cervus nippon) browsing between fuelbreaks and adjacent forest understories in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. We used exclosure experiments to assess species composition, woody seedling recovery, community-weighted mean (CWM) functional traits, and phylogenetic structure after one year of deer exclusion. Plant communities differed significantly between the two habitats. Fuelbreaks had greater herbaceous and woody seedling cover and higher CWM values for leaf mass, leaf size, and nutrient-related traits than forest understories. In fuelbreaks, mowing had ceased both inside and outside exclosures, and the paired comparison showed that deer browsing altered species composition and reduced woody seedling richness and cover outside exclosures. These changes were accompanied by lower CWM values for leaf size, water content, calcium, crude fat, flavonoids, and alkaloids outside exclosures, together with broader-scale phylogenetic overdispersion (sesMPD > 0). In forest understories, deer effects were mainly reflected in herbaceous species composition and lower CWM values for crude fat outside exclosures. Forest understory communities showed broader-scale phylogenetic overdispersion both inside and outside exclosures (sesMPD > 0), but only outside exclosures showed finer-scale phylogenetic clustering (sesMNTD < 0). Overall, large herbivore effects on plant community were strongly mediated by habitat context. Future assessments should consider local habitat conditions, vegetation recovery trajectories, and longer-term monitoring of woody regeneration and community assembly.
Reference Key
openalex_W7170202608 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Peiying Wen, Zhizhen Tang, Lei Bao, Tianming Wang, Jianping Ge, Hongfang Wang
Journal journal of plant ecology
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jpe/rtag169
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtag169
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