Impacts of large herbivores on plant community structure and dynamics

摘要: INTRODUCTION How do large herbivores affect plant community structure and dynamics? Here we review the main direct impacts of on communities. We briefly effects individual plants (or ramets) range responses to herbivory, as a basis from which explore complexities processes operating at level. Large make foraging decisions spatial (from bite landscape) temporal seconds years) scales, also respond herbivore similar ranges scales (plant part community) (Bailey et al . 1996, Hodgson & Illius Crawley 1997). This provides challenge for identification key affecting plant‐herbivore interactions mechanisms driving damage under different conditions. Scale issues (both spatial) are paramount study dynamics (Crawley 1997, Olff Ritchie 1998), scale is implicitly or explicitly brought into many sections in this review. can underlie apparent controversies literature about influences vegetation, an awareness their implications fundamental. The vegetation have been particularly widely studied relation management pasture plants, primarily grasses (Rosenthal Kotanen 1994, 1998). In chapter, focus shrub woodland systems where possible complement earlier reviews.