Ant-mediated ecosystem functions on a warmer planet: effects on soil movement, decomposition and nutrient cycling

The Journal of Animal Ecology
Israel Del ToroAaron M Ellison

Abstract

1. Direct and indirect consequences of global warming on ecosystem functions and processes mediated by invertebrates remain understudied but are likely to have major impacts on ecosystems in the future. Among animals, invertebrates are taxonomically diverse, responsive to temperature changes, and play major ecological roles which also respond to temperature changes. 2. We used a mesocosm experiment to evaluate impacts of two warming treatments (+3·5 and +5 °C, set-points) and the presence and absence of the ant Formica subsericea (a major mediator of processes in north temperate ecosystems) on decomposition rate, soil movement, soil respiration and nitrogen availability. 3, Replicate 19-L mesocosms were placed outdoors in lathe houses and continuously warmed for 30 days in 2011 and 85 days in 2012. Warming treatments mimicked expected temperature increases for future climates in eastern North America. 4. In both years, the amount of soil displaced and soil respiration increased in the warming and ant presence treatments (soil movement: 73-119%; soil respiration: 37-48% relative to the control treatments without ants). 5. Decomposition rate and nitrogen availability tended to decrease in the warmest treatments (decomposition rat...Continue Reading

References

Jul 16, 2010·Environmental Microbiology·Kristen M DeAngelisMary K Firestone
Aug 3, 2010·Journal of Insect Science·Walter R Tschinkel
Sep 29, 2011·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Georgina M MaceAlastair H Fitter
Jun 9, 2012·Nature·Bradley J CardinaleShahid Naeem
Dec 12, 2012·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Chelse M PratherA Joern
Apr 25, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jennie SirotaAaron M Ellison
Apr 30, 2013·Global Change Biology·Imke KuiperJan Willem van Groenigen
Jul 31, 2013·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Sarah E DiamondRobert R Dunn
Apr 2, 2014·PeerJ·Katharine L StubleNathan J Sanders

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Citations

Jun 26, 2018·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Gabriela B ArcoverdeSamantha A Setterfield
Jun 12, 2020·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Luciana ElizaldeGabriela I Pirk
Jan 5, 2021·Ecology and Evolution·Kelsey E PaoliniJoseph D Holbrook
Nov 11, 2021·PloS One·Laura L FigueroaShannon L Pelini

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