Insights on global rangeland ecosystem services shaped by grazing and fertilization

Rangelands are crucial to human well‐being, but their ability to provide ecosystem services is threatened. We (1) quantified key ecosystem services provided by rangelands, (2) assessed short‐ and long‐term impacts of fertilization (nutrient addition) and the exclusion of large grazing herbivores with fences (herbivore exclusion) on services, and (3) identified synergies and trade‐offs among services. We measured indicators of ecosystem services and plant diversity at 79 sites across six continents in the global Nutrient Network. Short‐term herbivore exclusion increased forage quantity and soil fertility, but longer‐term herbivore exclusion decreased both along with plant richness and pollination. Nutrient addition improved forage provisioning, soil stability, climate regulation, and control of soil erosion but lowered plant diversity and impeded delivery of related services, especially after prolonged application. We found synergies between plant diversity and pollination, as well as between soil fertility, soil stability, and climate regulation. Trade‐offs between forage stability and quality persisted after nutrient addition but disappeared with herbivore exclusion. Our results suggest that alternative management actions may sustain livestock production while maintaining rangeland ecosystem services.

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Publication Details

Journal
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Published
2026-01-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.70022
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Rangeland and Wildlife Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
31.91

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article

Insights on global rangeland ecosystem services shaped by grazing and fertilization

Clinton Carbutt, Gregory Sonniér, Mary Ellyn DuPre, Scott L. Collins et al.
1 citations
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Rangeland and Wildlife Management
31.91
article

Insights on global rangeland ecosystem services shaped by grazing and fertilization

Clinton Carbutt, Gregory Sonniér, Mary Ellyn DuPre, Scott L. Collins, Risto Virtanen, Pamela Graff, Kenneth J. Elgersma, Andrew S. MacDougall, Jane A. Catford, P. L. Peri, Rebecca L. McCulley, Carly Stevens, Nicole Hagenah, Miguel N. Bugalho, Cecilia D. Molina, Sofía Campana, Petr Macek, Sumanta Bagchi, Erika I. Hersch‐Green, Jonathan D. Bakker, Eric W. Seabloom, Anita C. Risch, Thomas Ward Crowther, Sally A. Power, Dana M. Blumenthal, Lauri Laanisto, N. W. Smith, Isabel C. Barrio, Cynthia S. Brown, Jimena Alberti, Yann HAUTIER, Jodi N. Price, Jason P. Martina, Johannes M.H. Knops, Suzanne M Prober, Maria C Caldeira, Elizabeth H Boughton, Lydia R O’Halloran, Marc Cadotte, Ciska GF Veen, Christopher R Dickman, Anu Eskelinen, Laura Yahdjian, Anke Jentsch, Elizabeth T Borer, Pedro M Tognetti
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Rangelands are crucial to human well‐being, but their ability to provide ecosystem services is threatened. We (1) quantified key ecosystem services provided by rangelands, (2) assessed short‐ and long‐term impacts of fertilization (nutrient addition) and the exclusion of large grazing herbivores with fences (herbivore exclusion) on services, and (3) identified synergies and trade‐offs among services. We measured indicators of ecosystem services and plant diversity at 79 sites across six continents in the global Nutrient Network. Short‐term herbivore exclusion increased forage quantity and soil fertility, but longer‐term herbivore exclusion decreased both along with plant richness and pollination. Nutrient addition improved forage provisioning, soil stability, climate regulation, and control of soil erosion but lowered plant diversity and impeded delivery of related services, especially after prolonged application. We found synergies between plant diversity and pollination, as well as between soil fertility, soil stability, and climate regulation. Trade‐offs between forage stability and quality persisted after nutrient addition but disappeared with herbivore exclusion. Our results suggest that alternative management actions may sustain livestock production while maintaining rangeland ecosystem services.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Australian National University (AU), University of Northern Iowa (US), Agricultural University of Iceland (IS), Michigan Technological University (US), Texas Tech University (US), The University of Sydney (AU), University of Minnesota (US), Agricultural Research Service (US), Texas State University (US), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE), University of Lisbon (PT), University of Kentucky (US), Charles Sturt University (AU), University of California, Santa Barbara (US), University of New Mexico (US), King's College London (GB), University of Toronto (CA), National University of Mar del Plata (AR), Utrecht University (NL), Estonian University of Life Sciences (EE), University of Washington (US), Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR), Archbold Biological Station (US), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (CH), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE), Cascades (Canada) (CA), National University of Austral Patagonia (AR), ETH Zurich (CH), Agricultural Plant Physiology and Ecology Research Institute (AR), Scientific Services (ZA), Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NL), Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (AR), Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CZ), Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz (DE), Institute of Hydrobiology (UA), CSIRO Land and Water (AU), Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory (US), University of Bayreuth (DE), Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IN), Western Sydney University (AU), Lancaster University (GB), University of Montana (US), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (CN), University of Pretoria (ZA), University of Guelph (CA), Clemson University (US), Colorado State University (US), University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA), University of Oulu (FI)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clemson University, Texas Tech University, Colorado State University, University of Minnesota, Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands, Indian Institute of Science, University of Washington, Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia, Texas State University, Michigan Technological University, University of Northern Iowa, King's College London, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian National University, University of Pretoria, Charles Sturt University, University of Sydney, Universiteit Utrecht, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, University of Toronto, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Akademie Věd České Republiky, Inyuvesi Yakwazulu-Natali, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Háskóli Íslands, Universidade de Lisboa, Oulun Yliopisto, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Eesti Maaülikool, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Western Sydney University, Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Agencia Nacional de Promoción de la Investigación, el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Agricultural Research Service, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Institute of Hydrobiology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Rangeland and Wildlife Management
31.91
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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