Plants Shape Their Environment

And people think plants are boring! Below is an excerpt of Dr. Valerie Eviner work on how plant species affect ecosystem processes with Institue for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.

Plants not only respond to their environment, but also actively alter their habitat. Different plant species can have distinct effects on almost every aspect of ecosystem structure and function. However, most studies investigating the effects of plant species on ecosystems have focused on one type of effect (e.g. N cycling, water dynamics, erosion, effects on other organisms). In order to understand and predict the ecosystem consequences of vegetation change, it is vital to consider the multiple, simultaneous roles that species play in ecosystems. These functions are often distributed independently among species.

More on this study
More on Dr. Eviner's work