Earthworms and legumes control litter decomposition in a plant diversity gradient

Ecology
Alexandru MilcuStefan Scheu

Abstract

The role of species and functional group diversity of primary producers for decomposers and decomposition processes is little understood. We made use of the "Jena Biodiversity Experiment" and tested the hypothesis that increasing plant species (1, 4, and 16 species) and functional group diversity (1, 2, 3, and 4 groups) beneficially affects decomposer density and activity and therefore the decomposition of plant litter material. Furthermore, by manipulating the densities of decomposers (earthworms and springtails) within the plant diversity gradient we investigated how the interactions between plant diversity and decomposer densities affect the decomposition of litter belonging to different plant functional groups (grasses, herbs, and legumes). Positive effects of increasing plant species or functional group diversity on earthworms (biomass and density) and microbial biomass were mainly due to the increased incidence of legumes with increasing diversity. Neither plant species diversity nor functional group diversity affected litter decomposition, However, litter decomposition varied with decomposer and plant functional group identity (of both living plants and plant litter). While springtail removal generally had little effect ...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Oct 23, 2008·PloS One·Nico EisenhauerStefan Scheu
Aug 23, 2011·PloS One·Jennie R McLaren, Roy Turkington
Sep 11, 2013·Ecology·Alexandru MilcuNico Eisenhauer
Oct 18, 2012·The Science of the Total Environment·Anna M StefanowiczRolf D Vogt
Apr 5, 2017·Scientific Reports·Nico EisenhauerLiesje Mommer
Aug 18, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Dimitar Z EpihovDavid J Beerling
Mar 17, 2015·Scientific Reports·Madhav Prakash Thakur, Nico Eisenhauer
Oct 19, 2019·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Xinli ChenZhiqun Huang
Feb 26, 2020·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Oksana Y BuzhdyganJana S Petermann

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