Multispecies grasslands produce more yield from lower nitrogen inputs across a climatic gradient

作者：Jessica O’Malley, John A. Finn, Carsten S. Malisch, Matthias Suter, Sebastian T. Meyer, G. Peratoner, Marie‐Noëlle Thivierge, Diego Ábalos, Paul R. Adler, Т. Martijn Bezemer, Alistair Black, Åshild Ergon, Barbara Golińska, Guylain Grange, J. Hakl, Nyncke J. Hoekstra, Olivier Huguenin‐Elie, Jingying Jing, Jacob M. Jungers, Julie Lajeunesse, Ralf Loges, Gaétan Louarn, A. Lüscher, T. Moloney, C.K. Reynolds, Ieviņa Stūrīte, Ali S. Khan, Rishabh Vishwakarma, Yingjun Zhang, Feng Zhu, Caroline Brophy · 发表于：Science · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1126/science.ady0764 · 被引用次数：17 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems、Pasture and Agricultural Systems

High-yielding forage grasslands frequently contain low species diversity and receive high inputs of nitrogen fertilizer. To investigate multispecies mixtures as an alternative strategy, the 26-site international LegacyNet experiment systematically varied the diversity of sown grasslands using up to six high-yielding forage species (grasses, legumes, and herbs) managed under moderate nitrogen inputs. Multispecies mixtures outyielded two widely used grassland practices: a grass monoculture with higher nitrogen fertilizer and a two-species grass-legume community. High yields in multispecies mixtures were driven by strong positive grass-legume and legume-herb interactions. In warmer sites, the yield advantage of legume-containing multispecies mixtures over grass monocultures with higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs increased. Improved design of grassland mixtures can inform more environmentally sustainable forage production and may enhance adaptation of productive grasslands to a warming climate.