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Citation. Wedin, D. A. 1995. Species, nitrogen and grassland dynamics: the constraints of stuff. Pages 253-262 in C. Jones and J. H. Lawton, eds. Linking Species and Ecosystems. Chapman and Hall, New York. [1206 E133 LTER]
Summary. Herbivores, decomposers, and fire are three alternative consumers of primary production in grasslands, each with different requirements for and effects on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Differences between plant species in their tissue C and N chemistry can determine which of these three consumer pathways the bulk of primary production will follow in a particular system. This stoichiometric approach is applied to native humid grasslands and their dominant tallgrass species.