Does size matter? Effects of herbivore exclusion on soil properties

Although diverse herbivore communities utilise grasslands, many previous studies only excluded the largest animals. Thus, little is known about how smaller herbivores, including invertebrates, affect grassland processes. We find that sequentially excluding different sized herbivores strongly impacts soil properties such as moisture, temperature and respiration. Such changes have potential implications for ecosystem nutrient cycling (e.g. C storage).

This poster was presented at the British Ecological Society 2012 Annual Meeting in Birmingham between the 17th and 20th December.