Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands

Qingqing Chen; Shane A. Blowes; W. Stanley Harpole; Emma Ladouceur; Elizabeth T. Borer; Andrew MacDougall; Jason P. Martina; Jonathan D. Bakker; Pedro M. Tognetti; Eric W. Seabloom; Pedro Daleo; Sally Power; Christiane Roscher; Peter B. Adler; Ian Donohue; George Wheeler; Carly Stevens; G. F.Ciska Veen; Anita C. Risch; Glenda M. Wardle; Yann Hautier; Catalina Estrada; Erika Hersch-Green; Yujie Niu; Pablo L. Peri; Anu Eskelinen; Daniel S. Gruner; Harry Olde Venterink; Carla D’Antonio; Marc W. Cadotte; Sylvia Haider; Nico Eisenhauer; Jane Catford; Risto Virtanen; John W. Morgan; Michelle Tedder; Sumanta Bagchi; Maria C. Caldeira; Miguel N. Bugalho; Johannes M.H. Knops; Chris R. Dickman; Nicole Hagenah; Anke Jentsch; Petr Macek; Brooke B. Osborne; Lauri Laanisto; Jonathan M. Chase

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7

Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands

Qingqing Chen^*
, Shane A. Blowes
, W. Stanley Harpole
, Emma Ladouceur
, Elizabeth T. Borer
, Andrew MacDougall
, Jason P. Martina
, Jonathan D. Bakker
, Pedro M. Tognetti
, Eric W. Seabloom
, Pedro Daleo
, Sally Power
, Christiane Roscher
, Peter B. Adler
, Ian Donohue
, George Wheeler
, Carly Stevens
, G. F.Ciska Veen
, Anita C. Risch
, Glenda M. Wardle

Yann Hautier, Catalina Estrada, Erika Hersch-Green, Yujie Niu, Pablo L. Peri, Anu Eskelinen, Daniel S. Gruner, Harry Olde Venterink, Carla D’Antonio, Marc W. Cadotte, Sylvia Haider, Nico Eisenhauer, Jane Catford, Risto Virtanen, John W. Morgan, Michelle Tedder, Sumanta Bagchi, Maria C. Caldeira, Miguel N. Bugalho, Johannes M.H. Knops, Chris R. Dickman, Nicole Hagenah, Anke Jentsch, Petr Macek, Brooke B. Osborne, Lauri Laanisto, Jonathan M. Chase^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Health and Environmental Sciences

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
University of Prince Edward Island
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Guelph
Texas State University
University of Washington
Universidad de Buenos Aires
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata
Western Sydney University
Utah State University
Trinity College Dublin
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lancaster University
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
The University of Sydney
Utrecht University
Imperial College London
Michigan Technological University
University of Bayreuth
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral
University of Oulu
University of Maryland, College Park
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
University of California at Santa Barbara
University of Toronto
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Leipzig University
King's College London
University of Melbourne
La Trobe University
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
University of Lisbon
University of Pretoria
Czech Academy of Sciences
Estonian University of Life Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nutrient enrichment typically causes local plant diversity declines. A common but untested expectation is that nutrient enrichment also reduces variation in nutrient conditions among localities and selects for a smaller pool of species, causing greater diversity declines at larger than local scales and thus biotic homogenization. Here we apply a framework that links changes in species richness across scales to changes in the numbers of spatially restricted and widespread species for a standardized nutrient addition experiment across 72 grasslands on six continents. Overall, we find proportionally similar species loss at local and larger scales, suggesting similar declines of spatially restricted and widespread species, and no biotic homogenization after 4 years and up to 14 years of treatment. These patterns of diversity changes are generally consistent across species groups. Thus, nutrient enrichment poses threats to plant diversity, including for widespread species that are often critical for ecosystem functions.

Original language	English
Article number	4903
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

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Chen, Q., Blowes, S. A., Harpole, W. S., Ladouceur, E., Borer, E. T., MacDougall, A., Martina, J. P., Bakker, J. D., Tognetti, P. M., Seabloom, E. W., Daleo, P., Power, S., Roscher, C., Adler, P. B., Donohue, I., Wheeler, G., Stevens, C., Veen, G. F. C., Risch, A. C., ... Chase, J. M. (2025). Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands. Nature Communications, 16(1), Article 4903. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7

@article{f1cb90656468456cb5d4f78a58cc1fab,

title = "Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands",

abstract = "Nutrient enrichment typically causes local plant diversity declines. A common but untested expectation is that nutrient enrichment also reduces variation in nutrient conditions among localities and selects for a smaller pool of species, causing greater diversity declines at larger than local scales and thus biotic homogenization. Here we apply a framework that links changes in species richness across scales to changes in the numbers of spatially restricted and widespread species for a standardized nutrient addition experiment across 72 grasslands on six continents. Overall, we find proportionally similar species loss at local and larger scales, suggesting similar declines of spatially restricted and widespread species, and no biotic homogenization after 4 years and up to 14 years of treatment. These patterns of diversity changes are generally consistent across species groups. Thus, nutrient enrichment poses threats to plant diversity, including for widespread species that are often critical for ecosystem functions.",

author = "Qingqing Chen and Blowes, \{Shane A.\} and Harpole, \{W. Stanley\} and Emma Ladouceur and Borer, \{Elizabeth T.\} and Andrew MacDougall and Martina, \{Jason P.\} and Bakker, \{Jonathan D.\} and Tognetti, \{Pedro M.\} and Seabloom, \{Eric W.\} and Pedro Daleo and Sally Power and Christiane Roscher and Adler, \{Peter B.\} and Ian Donohue and George Wheeler and Carly Stevens and Veen, \{G. F.Ciska\} and Risch, \{Anita C.\} and Wardle, \{Glenda M.\} and Yann Hautier and Catalina Estrada and Erika Hersch-Green and Yujie Niu and Peri, \{Pablo L.\} and Anu Eskelinen and Gruner, \{Daniel S.\} and \{Olde Venterink\}, Harry and Carla D{\textquoteright}Antonio and Cadotte, \{Marc W.\} and Sylvia Haider and Nico Eisenhauer and Jane Catford and Risto Virtanen and Morgan, \{John W.\} and Michelle Tedder and Sumanta Bagchi and Caldeira, \{Maria C.\} and Bugalho, \{Miguel N.\} and Knops, \{Johannes M.H.\} and Dickman, \{Chris R.\} and Nicole Hagenah and Anke Jentsch and Petr Macek and Osborne, \{Brooke B.\} and Lauri Laanisto and Chase, \{Jonathan M.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Nature Communications",

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Chen, Q, Blowes, SA, Harpole, WS, Ladouceur, E, Borer, ET, MacDougall, A, Martina, JP, Bakker, JD, Tognetti, PM, Seabloom, EW, Daleo, P, Power, S, Roscher, C, Adler, PB, Donohue, I, Wheeler, G, Stevens, C, Veen, GFC, Risch, AC, Wardle, GM, Hautier, Y, Estrada, C, Hersch-Green, E, Niu, Y, Peri, PL, Eskelinen, A, Gruner, DS, Olde Venterink, H, D’Antonio, C, Cadotte, MW, Haider, S, Eisenhauer, N, Catford, J, Virtanen, R, Morgan, JW, Tedder, M, Bagchi, S, Caldeira, MC, Bugalho, MN, Knops, JMH, Dickman, CR, Hagenah, N, Jentsch, A, Macek, P, Osborne, BB, Laanisto, L & Chase, JM 2025, 'Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands', Nature Communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 4903. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7

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AU - Chen, Qingqing

AU - Blowes, Shane A.

AU - Harpole, W. Stanley

AU - Ladouceur, Emma

AU - Borer, Elizabeth T.

AU - MacDougall, Andrew

AU - Martina, Jason P.

AU - Bakker, Jonathan D.

AU - Tognetti, Pedro M.

AU - Seabloom, Eric W.

AU - Daleo, Pedro

AU - Power, Sally

AU - Roscher, Christiane

AU - Adler, Peter B.

AU - Donohue, Ian

AU - Wheeler, George

AU - Stevens, Carly

AU - Veen, G. F.Ciska

AU - Risch, Anita C.

AU - Wardle, Glenda M.

AU - Hautier, Yann

AU - Estrada, Catalina

AU - Hersch-Green, Erika

AU - Niu, Yujie

AU - Peri, Pablo L.

AU - Eskelinen, Anu

AU - Gruner, Daniel S.

AU - Olde Venterink, Harry

AU - D’Antonio, Carla

AU - Cadotte, Marc W.

AU - Haider, Sylvia

AU - Eisenhauer, Nico

AU - Catford, Jane

AU - Virtanen, Risto

AU - Morgan, John W.

AU - Tedder, Michelle

AU - Bagchi, Sumanta

AU - Caldeira, Maria C.

AU - Bugalho, Miguel N.

AU - Knops, Johannes M.H.

AU - Dickman, Chris R.

AU - Hagenah, Nicole

AU - Jentsch, Anke

AU - Macek, Petr

AU - Osborne, Brooke B.

AU - Laanisto, Lauri

AU - Chase, Jonathan M.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Nutrient enrichment typically causes local plant diversity declines. A common but untested expectation is that nutrient enrichment also reduces variation in nutrient conditions among localities and selects for a smaller pool of species, causing greater diversity declines at larger than local scales and thus biotic homogenization. Here we apply a framework that links changes in species richness across scales to changes in the numbers of spatially restricted and widespread species for a standardized nutrient addition experiment across 72 grasslands on six continents. Overall, we find proportionally similar species loss at local and larger scales, suggesting similar declines of spatially restricted and widespread species, and no biotic homogenization after 4 years and up to 14 years of treatment. These patterns of diversity changes are generally consistent across species groups. Thus, nutrient enrichment poses threats to plant diversity, including for widespread species that are often critical for ecosystem functions.

AB - Nutrient enrichment typically causes local plant diversity declines. A common but untested expectation is that nutrient enrichment also reduces variation in nutrient conditions among localities and selects for a smaller pool of species, causing greater diversity declines at larger than local scales and thus biotic homogenization. Here we apply a framework that links changes in species richness across scales to changes in the numbers of spatially restricted and widespread species for a standardized nutrient addition experiment across 72 grasslands on six continents. Overall, we find proportionally similar species loss at local and larger scales, suggesting similar declines of spatially restricted and widespread species, and no biotic homogenization after 4 years and up to 14 years of treatment. These patterns of diversity changes are generally consistent across species groups. Thus, nutrient enrichment poses threats to plant diversity, including for widespread species that are often critical for ecosystem functions.

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DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-59166-7

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

IS - 1

M1 - 4903

ER -

Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands

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