The more themerrier? Multi-species grazing ofsmall herbivores mediates plant community impacts

Biodiversity and Conservation

Jiapeng Qu • WeihongJi • James C. Russell • He Zhang • Yanming Zhang

J. Qu • H. Zhang • Y Zhang ()

Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China

e-mail:

J. Qu

e-mail:

W. Ji

Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland Campus, Private Bag 102904, North Shore mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand

J. Russell

School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

Appendix A

Table A.1.Abbreviations of species’ names used in the Fig. 3.

Abbreviation / Species’ name / Abbreviation / Species’ name
Aco pen / Aconitum. pendulum / Lag hum / Lagotis. humilis
Art sie / Artemisia. sieversiana / Lantib / Lancea. tibetica
Astfla / Aster. flaccidus / Ligvir / Ligularia. virgaurea
Ast mon / Astragalus. mongholicus / Oxy och / Oxytropis. ochrocephala
Bup chi / Bupleurum. chinense / Par tri / Parnassia. trinervis
Car alr / Carex. alrofusca / Pedkan / Pedicularis. kansuensis
Del gra / Delphinium. grandiflorum / Verspi / Veronica. spicata
Gen far / Gentiana. farreri / Pot ans / Potentilla. anserine
Gen pal / Gentianopsis. paludosa / Ran acr / Ranunculus. acris
Gen squ / Gentiana. squarrosa / Ste med / Stellaria. media
Gen str / Gentiana. straminea / Tar mon / Taraxacum. mongolicum
Gla mar / Glaux. maritima / Tha alp / Thalictrum. alpinum
Gue div / Gueldenstaedtia. diversifolia / Ped man / Pedicularis. mandshurica

Table A.2.Analyses of variance for plant summary variables, the F-values and P-values were shown.

Plant variables / Effects / F / P
diversity / treatment / 13.704 / 0.034*
year / 7.870 / 0.068
treatment × year / 0.005 / 0.948
block / 0.796 / 0.438
site / 0.416 / 0.565
richness / treatment / 3.213 / 0.171
year / 3.103 / 0.176
treatment × year / 0.028 / 0.877
block / 1.021 / 0.387
site / 1.120 / 0.368
evenness / treatment / 6.015 / 0.091
year / 13.396 / 0.035*
treatment × year / 0.034 / 0.865
block / 0.157 / 0.718
site / 0.344 / 0.599
height / treatment / 15.589 / 0.029*
year / 0.230 / 0.664
treatment × year / 0.158 / 0.718
block / 1.154 / 0.362
site / 2.780 / 0.194
total canopy cover / treatment / 4.257 / 0.131
year / 1.977 / 0.254
treatment × year / 0.116 / 0.756
block / 2.341 / 0.224
site / 0.119 / 0.753
palatable† cover / treatment / 12.936 / 0.037*
year / 1828.333 / <0.001***
treatment × year / 0.000 / >0.999
block / 3.624 / 0.153
site / 0.914 / 0.410
chemically unpalatable‡ cover / treatment / 0.413 / 0.566
year / 18.732 / 0.023*
treatment × year / 0.060 / 0.822
block / 0.336 / 0.603
site / 0.055 / 0.830
physically unpalatable§ cover / treatment / 6.642 / 0.011*
year / 2.575 / 0.207
treatment × year / 0.359 / 0.591
block / 7.895 / 0.067
site / 3.717 / 0.149

Symbols: * p < 0.05, ** p< 0.01, *** p<0.001. Asterisks indicate significant differences among treatments or sites, or between years or blocks.

† palatable indicates the plant species that are palatable to plateau pikas.

‡chemically unpalatable indicates the plant species containing tannins, terpenes, alkaloids, etc., which are unpalatable for pikas.

§physically unpalatable indicates the plant species with thorns, spines, villous, etc., which are unpalatable for pikas.