Wardle, D. A.; Barker, G. M.; Yeates, G. W.; Bonner, K. I.; Ghani, A. 2001. Introduced browsing mammals in natural New Zealand forests: aboveground and belowground consequences. Ecological Monographs 71: 587–614.
The effects of browsing mammals (deer and goats) on plant and soil microbial and invertebrate communities was assessed for each of 30 long term exclosure plots in forests located throughout New Zealand. While browse layer vegetation density and diver-sity was consistently adversely affected by herbivores, the soil biota showed varied responses, and only invertebrates with larger body sizes were consistently adversely affected. There were also several instances in which browsers affected decomposer diversity, key soil processes and soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration. Frequently below-ground effects of these mammals were more severe than we would predict based on the response of vegetation.
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