Mechanisms of biodiversity loss under nitrogen enrichment: unveiling a shift from light competition to cation toxicity

Abstract

Summary The primary mechanisms contributing to nitrogen (N) addition induced grassland biodiversity loss, namely light competition and soil cation toxicity, are often examined separately in various studies. However, their relative significance in governing biodiversity loss along N addition gradient remains unclear. We conducted a 4‐yr field experiment with five N addition rates (0, 2, 10, 20, and 50 g N m−2 yr−1) and performed a meta‐analysis using global data from 239 observations in N‐fertilized grassland ecosystems. Results from our field experiment and meta‐analysis indicate that both light competition and soil cation (e.g. Mn2+ and Al3+) toxicity contribute to plant diversity loss under N enrichment. The relative importance of these mechanisms varied with N enrichment intensity. Light competition played a more significant role in influencing species richness under low N addition (≤ 10 g m−2 yr−1), while cation toxicity became increasingly dominant in reducing biodiversity under high N addition (>10 g m−2 yr−1). Therefore, a transition from light competition to cation toxicity occurs with increasing N availability. These findings imply that the biodiversity loss along the N gradient is regulated by distinct mechanisms, necessitating the adoption of differential management strategies to mitigate diversity loss under varying intensities of N enrichment.