Grasslands support ecosystem services, promote diversity, and assist in carbon sequestration. However, grasslands worldwide are diminishing in area, and understanding the drivers shaping the remaining grasslands is critical for their maintenance. The North American tallgrass prairie covers approximately 13% of its historical range and is shaped by fire and herbivory. Fire frequency negatively correlates with plant species richness, while bison (Bos bison) — the historical grazers — offset this effect. However, bison populations have declined, and large browsers are increasing in density. Few studies though have examined the role of large browsers — particularly white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) — and their interaction with fire frequency in tallgrass prairies. Here, we addressed two questions: (a) What are the impacts of deer on plant diversity, species identities, and relative abundances; and (b) is there an interactive effect between the pressures exerted by deer and the well‐documented effects of fire in driving plant community responses?

中文翻译：

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白尾鹿排泄对高地草丛草原生态系统植物群落组成的影响

草原支持生态系统服务，促进多样性并协助固碳。但是，全世界的草原面积正在减少，因此了解形成其余草原的驾驶员对其维护至关重要。北美的高草草原覆盖了其历史范围的约13％，由火和草食形成。火灾频率与植物物种丰富度负相关，而野牛（Bos bison）-历史上的放牧者-抵消了这种影响。但是，野牛数量有所减少，大型浏览器的密度正在增加。但是，很少有研究检查大型浏览器的作用，尤其是白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）以及它们与高草草原大火频率的相互作用。在这里，我们讨论了两个问题：（a）鹿对植物多样性，物种身份和相对丰度有什么影响；（b）鹿所施加的压力与有据可查的火势在驱动植物群落反应方面是否存在交互作用？