Nitrogen could be too much of a good thing for the world's grasslands, according to study findings published
online by the journal Nature. The worldwide study shows that, on average, additional nitrogen will increase the amount of grass that can be grown. But a smaller number of species thrive, crowding out others that are better adapted to survive in harsher times. It results in wilder swings in the amount of available forage. The Nature article is one of several research articles on the relationships between grassland diversity, productivity and stability, generated by the
Nutrient Network experiment.
The three-year study monitored real-world grasslands at 41 locations on five continents. The sites included alpine grasslands in China, tallgrass prairies in the United States, pasture in Switzerland, savanna in Tanzania and old fields in Germany. The study found common trends among grasslands around the world.
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Source: University of nebraska-Lincoln