Combining paleo-data and modern exclosure experiments to assess the impact of megafauna extinctions on woody vegetation

摘要: Until recently in Earth history, very large herbivores (mammoths, ground sloths, diprotodons, and many others) occurred most of the World’s terrestrial ecosystems, but majority have gone extinct as part late-Quaternary extinctions. How has this large-scale removal affected landscape structure ecosystem functioning? In review, we combine paleo-data with information from modern exclosure experiments to assess impact (and their disappearance) on woody species, structure, functions. landscapes characterized by intense herbivory, plants can persist defending themselves or association defended growing places that are physically inaccessible herbivores, where high predator activity limits foraging herbivores. At scale, different herbivore densities assemblages may result dynamic gradients cover. The extinctions were natural large-herbivore removal; paleoecological record shows evidence widespread changes community composition function, consistent experiments. We propose a conceptual framework describes plant abundance mediated diversity density, predicting suppression is strongest high. conclude decline induces major alterations