Co-dominant species fail to compensation after 13-year of dominant species removal in a natural grassland

作者：Wenyu Li · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.22541/au.175070750.02683801/v1 · 研究领域：Environmental Conservation and Management、Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

To better understand the dynamics of community resilience, it is crucial to examine the role of dominant species in maintaining ecosystem functions. Dominant species, due to their high abundance, are considered to maintain productivity after species loss. Therefore, we hypothesized that after the loss of dominant species, the lost productivity would be maintained by the co-dominant species in the remaining community. This study, conducted over 13 years in an alpine grassland, investigates the compensatory responses of remaining species following the removal of each of two dominant species, Kobresia pygmaea (Sedge) and Stipa purpurea (Grass), both individually and in combination, under two nitrogen level scenarios. We found that while partial compensation (compensation index < 1) occurred in the remaining community, neither of the remaining dominant species effectively compensated for the loss of the removed species. Our results highlight the functional traits and ecological niche independence of different dominant species.