Nutrient-induced shifts of dominant species reduce ecosystem stability via increases in species synchrony and population variability.

Abstract

The mechanisms underlying nutrient-induced diversity-stability relationships have been examined extensively. However, the effects of nutrient-induced shifts of dominant species on ecosystem stability have rarely been evaluated. We compiled a dataset from a long-term nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) enrichment experiment conducted in an alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau to test the effects of nutrient-induced shifts of dominant species on stability. Our results show that N enrichment increased synchrony among the dominant species, which contributed to a significant increase in synchrony of the whole community. Meanwhile, N-induced shifts in dominant species composition significantly increased population variability. Increases in species synchrony and population variability resulted in a decline in ecosystem stability. Our study has important implications for progress in understanding the role of plant functional compensation in the stability of ecosystem functions, which is critical for better understanding the mechanisms driving both community assembly and ecosystem functions.