In grasslands, every species matters

A new analysis of plants in grassland ecosystems around the world suggests most of those plant species are important. The findings, published in the journal Nature, show most species promoted ecosystem functioning in at least some years, sites and environmental conditions. In all, 84 percent of the grassland species are important to the ecosystem at some point. Prior to this multi-year, multi-context research, the argument for diversity was more difficult, says Brian Wilsey, associate professor of ecology, evolution, and organismal biology at Iowa State University. “In any single context, only about 27 percent of plant species were seen as important.” Since previous research had shown that such a small number of plant species were important to ecosystem processes, there was less reason to be concerned if grasslands lost different species and diversity lessened, he says. The species needed to provide one function during multiple years were not the same as those needed to provide multiple functions within one year, according to the study. “If you look at any one year at one site, you might say that species A or species B are really important,” Wilsey says. “But what we found was that if you run the analysis over several years, sites, or environmental-change contexts, many different species become important. This study really brought everything together.” The researchers looked at data from 17 grassland studies around the world, including two done in Iowa’s Loess Hills at the Western Research Farm and another done in Texas. “Under multiple contexts, many different plant species become really important,” Wilsey adds. “For instance, certain plant species are important on east-facing slopes and others are important on west-facing slopes. “Some plant species are important on grazing lands because they help grasslands recover quickly. Some plants are vital for nitrogen uptake, which is important because it keeps nitrogen out of water bodies.” This study may have further value as researchers look to the future. As climates change, Wilsey says, some plants may become more important because levels of precipitation and atmospheric CO2 change. “The results suggest that many more species are needed than previously thought for maintaining ecosystem services in a changing world. So this study suggests that it is crucial to keep as much diversity as we can.” The study’s lead author is Forest Isbell, a former graduate student of Wilsey’s now at McGill University.