The smallest herbivores create the biggest impact for grassland forage
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 11-Nov-2025 17:11 ET (11-Nov-2025 22:11 GMT/UTC)
Soil nutrients support plants, and the animals who consume plants return these nutrients to the soil, creating a nutrient cycle. In a new study published in Ecology, scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) found that in prairie grasslands, the smallest herbivores—namely prairie dogs and grasshoppers—increase rates of nutrient cycling to a greater degree than larger herbivores such as bison and cattle.