Functional trait and diversity measurements to understand the effects of climate and herbivory in California oak woodland understory communities, 2017-2019

This study examines how global changes in large herbivore populations (declining wild herbivores and increasing domestic herbivores) interacts with climate to influence plant communities by utilizing a large herbivore exclosure experiment in an oak savanna ecosystem in California with three herbivore assemblages (all herbivores, cattle-only excluded, all large herbivores excluded) across a topo-climatic gradient. Samples of plants were collected and processed to measure specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area (LA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Additional traits (leaf nitrogen content and seed mass) were determined via web database searches. The finding of this study highlight complex interactions between herbivore assemblages and climate.