Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.05.005
Titel (primär) Resource dynamics in an early-successional plant community are influenced by insect exclusion
Autor Schädler, M.; Alphei, J.; Scheu, S.; Brandl, R.; Auge, H. ORCID logo
Quelle Soil Biology & Biochemistry
Erscheinungsjahr 2004
Department BZF
Band/Volume 36
Heft 11
Seite von 1817
Seite bis 1826
Sprache englisch
Keywords Insecticides; Insect herbivores; Nutrient cycling; Soil insects; Trophic interactions; Vegetation dynamics
Abstract

The exclusion of insects from terrestrial ecosystems may change productivity, diversity and composition of plant communities and thereby nutrient dynamics. In an early-successional plant community we reduced densities of above- and below-ground insects in a factorial design using insecticides. Beside measuring vegetation dynamics we investigated the effects of insect exclusion on above- and below-ground plant biomass, below-ground C and N storage by plants, litter quality, decomposition rate, soil water content, soil C:N ratio, nutrient availability and soil microbial activity and biomass.

The application of soil insecticide had only minor effects on above- and below-ground biomass of the plant community but increased carbon content in root biomass and total carbon and nitrogen storage in roots. In one of the three investigated plant species (Cirsium arvense), application of soil insecticide decreased nitrogen concentration of leaves (−12%). Since C. arvense responded positively to soil insecticide application, this effect may be due to drought stress caused by root herbivory. Decomposition rate was slightly increased by the application of above-ground insecticide, possibly due to an impact on epigeic predators. The application of soil insecticide caused a slightly increased availability of soil water and an increased availability of mineralised nitrogen (+30%) in the second season. We explain these effects by phenological differences between the plant communities, which developed on the experimental plots. Microbial biomass and activity were not influenced by insecticide application, but were correlated to above-ground plant biomass of the previous year. Overall, we conclude that the particular traits of the involved plant species, e.g. their phenology, are the key to understand the resource dynamics in the soil.

dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=4499
Schädler, M., Alphei, J., Scheu, S., Brandl, R., Auge, H. (2004):
Resource dynamics in an early-successional plant community are influenced by insect exclusion
Soil Biol. Biochem. 36 (11), 1817 - 1826 10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.05.005