Primary production underpins much of ecosystem functioning and is often limited by nutrient and water availability. Ongoing global increases in nutrient inputs and interannual precipitation variability are thus likely to impact primary production, with unclear consequences for interannual variability in plant biomass. We used data from 35 grasslands in the Nutrient Network coordinated fertilization experiment to test if nutrie...

Background and aims Since climate change increases drought frequency and intensity, an understanding of grassland responses to a combination of fire and drought may aid in predicting future changes in plant communities. The study evaluated the response of a mesic grassland plant community, under different long-term prescribed burning regimes, to a drought event. Methods The study was conducted at Ukulinga Research Farm, Pieter...

Background and aims The amount of nitrogen (N) derived from symbiotic N 2 fixation by legumes in grasslands might be affected by anthropogenic N and phosphorus (P) inputs, but the underlying mechanisms are not known. Methods We evaluated symbiotic N 2 fixation in 17 natural and semi-natural grasslands on four continents that are subjected to the same full-factorial N and P addition experiment, using the 15 N natural abundance...