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Long-Term Experiments Reveal Strong Interactions Between Lemmings and Plants in the Fennoscandian Highland Tundra

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Abstract

Both the theory and the observations suggest that, there are strong links between herbivores and plants in terrestrial ecosystems; although, the effect of herbivores on plant community biomass is often attributed to variations in plant palatability. The existence of a strong link is commonly tested by constructing exclosures that exclude herbivores during a period of time. We here present data from two long-term (9 and 20 years, respectively) herbivore exclosure studies in lemming habitats on arctic tundra in northernmost Norway. The exclusion of all mammalian herbivores triggered strong increases in community level plant biomass and substantial changes in plant community composition. Palatable plants like graminoids and large bryophytes, as well as unpalatable plants like evergreen ericoids, deciduous shrubs, and lichens were all favored by excluding lemmings. These results reveal that a substantial increase in community biomass which occurs only when plant species capable of accumulating biomass are present, and palatability is a poor predictor of long-term responses of plants to excluding herbivores.

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Acknowledgments

This study would not have been possible without the help of our devoted field assistants. The author especially thank Mirjam Szwierczynski and Karolina Norrman for their work. The logistic services provided by Steinar Kristensen at Joatka tundra lodge were crucial for our success. The study was supported by the Swedish Research Council, the Academy of Finland, and internal grants from the University of Turku and Finnmark University College. The team belongs to the Nordic Centre of Excellence TUNDRA, funded by the Norden Top-Level Research Initiative “Effect Studies and Adaptation to Climate Change.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Johan Olofsson

  2. Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Lauri Oksanen, Tarja Oksanen, Maria Tuomi, Katrine S. Hoset & Kukka Kyrö

  3. Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, 9500, Alta, Norway

    Lauri Oksanen, Tarja Oksanen, Maria Tuomi & Katrine S. Hoset

  4. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Risto Virtanen

  5. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Kukka Kyrö

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  1. Johan Olofsson
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  2. Lauri Oksanen
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  3. Tarja Oksanen
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  4. Maria Tuomi
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  5. Katrine S. Hoset
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  7. Kukka Kyrö
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katrine S. Hoset.

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Author Contributions

All coauthors contributed to the fieldwork. LO and JO designed the study, analyzed the data and wrote the paper with substantial contributions from all the other coauthors.

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Olofsson, J., Oksanen, L., Oksanen, T. et al. Long-Term Experiments Reveal Strong Interactions Between Lemmings and Plants in the Fennoscandian Highland Tundra. Ecosystems 17, 606–615 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9740-6

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