Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia

Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems....

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Autores principales:	Jennifer Reinecke, Kseniia Ashastina, Frank Kienast, Elena Troeva, Karsten Wesche
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde772782021-12-02T17:44:54ZEffects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia10.1038/s41598-021-92079-12045-2322https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde772782021-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92079-1https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems. On the other hand, modern rangeland ecology emphasizes the often overriding importance of harsh climates. We visited two rewilding projects and three rangeland regions, sampling a total of 210 vegetation relevés in steppe and surrounding vegetation (grasslands, shrublands and forests) along an extensive climatic gradient across Yakutia, Russia. We analyzed species composition, plant traits, diversity indices and vegetation productivity, using partial canonical correspondence and redundancy analysis. Macroclimate was most important for vegetation composition, and microclimate for the occurrence of extrazonal steppes. Macroclimate and soil conditions mainly determined productivity of vegetation. Bison grazing was responsible for small-scale changes in vegetation through trampling, wallowing and debarking, thus creating more open and disturbed plant communities, soil compaction and xerophytization. However, the magnitude of effects depended on density and type of grazers as well as on interactions with climate and site conditions. Effects of bison grazing were strongest in the continental climate of Central Yakutia, and steppes were generally less affected than meadows. We conclude that contemporary grazing overall has rather limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia. Current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe, although large herbivores like bison can create more open and drier vegetation and increase nutrient availability in particular in the more continental Central Yakutian Plain.Jennifer ReineckeKseniia AshastinaFrank KienastElena TroevaKarsten WescheNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
description	Abstract The Siberian mammoth steppe ecosystem changed dramatically with the disappearance of large grazers in the Holocene. The concept of Pleistocene rewilding is based on the idea that large herbivore grazing significantly alters plant communities and can be employed to recreate lost ecosystems. On the other hand, modern rangeland ecology emphasizes the often overriding importance of harsh climates. We visited two rewilding projects and three rangeland regions, sampling a total of 210 vegetation relevés in steppe and surrounding vegetation (grasslands, shrublands and forests) along an extensive climatic gradient across Yakutia, Russia. We analyzed species composition, plant traits, diversity indices and vegetation productivity, using partial canonical correspondence and redundancy analysis. Macroclimate was most important for vegetation composition, and microclimate for the occurrence of extrazonal steppes. Macroclimate and soil conditions mainly determined productivity of vegetation. Bison grazing was responsible for small-scale changes in vegetation through trampling, wallowing and debarking, thus creating more open and disturbed plant communities, soil compaction and xerophytization. However, the magnitude of effects depended on density and type of grazers as well as on interactions with climate and site conditions. Effects of bison grazing were strongest in the continental climate of Central Yakutia, and steppes were generally less affected than meadows. We conclude that contemporary grazing overall has rather limited effects on vegetation in northeastern Siberia. Current rewilding practices are still far from recreating a mammoth steppe, although large herbivores like bison can create more open and drier vegetation and increase nutrient availability in particular in the more continental Central Yakutian Plain.
format	article
author	Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche
author_facet	Jennifer Reinecke Kseniia Ashastina Frank Kienast Elena Troeva Karsten Wesche
author_sort	Jennifer Reinecke
title	Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
title_short	Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
title_full	Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
title_fullStr	Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
title_full_unstemmed	Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia
title_sort	effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of ne-siberia
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/122bfa2ea2724836a0b66780cde77278
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Effects of large herbivore grazing on relics of the presumed mammoth steppe in the extreme climate of NE-Siberia

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