Abstract
Many laboratory and field studies suggest that heavy grazing decreases plant productivity, whereas light grazing may promote increases in comparison with ungrazed controls. A theoretical and computer-simulation model shows how biomass and nutrient interactions can give rise to these grazing responses. The recycling rates of limiting nutrients can be regulated nonlinearly by the grazer. This provides a plausible mechanism for explaining changes in primary productivity that are consistent with empirical data.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 171-184 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Mathematical Biosciences |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1986 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Statistics and Probability
- Modeling and Simulation
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Immunology and Microbiology(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Applied Mathematics