Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Book chapters
DOI 10.1016/bs.aecr.2019.06.006
Title (Primary) A new experimental approach to test why biodiversity effects strengthen as ecosystems age
Title (Secondary) Mechanisms underlying the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function
Author Vogel, A.; Ebeling, A.; Gleixner, G.; Roscher, C.; Scheu, S.; Ciobanu, M.; Koller-France, E.; Lange, M.; Lochner, A.; Meyer, S.T.; Oelmann, Y.; Wilcke, W.; Schmid, B.; Eisenhauer, N.
Publisher Eisenhauer, N.; Bohan, D.A.; Dumbrell, A.J.
Source Titel Advances in Ecological Research
Year 2019
Department iDiv; PHYDIV
Volume 61
Page From 221
Page To 264
Language englisch
Keywords Biodiversity; Ecosystem function; Experiment; Grassland; Community age; Soil history; Plant history; Nematodes
UFZ inventory Magdeburg, Bibliothek, 00533119, 19-0459 MA
Abstract Previous experimental studies found strengthening relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) over time. Simultaneous temporal changes of abiotic and biotic conditions, such as in the composition of soil communities, soil carbon and nutrient concentrations, plant community assembly or selection processes, are currently discussed as potential drivers for strengthening BEF relationships. Despite the popularity of these explanations, experimental tests of underlying mechanisms of strengthening BEF relationships over time are scarce, and confounding influences of calendar year cannot be ruled out unless ecosystems of different age are compared in the same calendar years. To address this critical gap of knowledge, we reestablished the plant communities of a long-term biodiversity experiment that had started in 2002 (the Jena Experiment) with new seeds and old or new soil again in 2016. Comparing these treatments with the original communities set up in 2002, we tested whether old communities had stronger plant diversity effects on plant productivity than young ones and if this depended on soil- or plant-related processes. Our first results show that in old communities, the effect of plant diversity on productivity was indeed stronger than in young communities and that this could not be explained by the age of the soil only. However, we found significant effects of soil on the composition of soil organisms, which might be relevant for other ecosystem functions and may have stronger effects over time. Our new experimental approach enables us to test which mechanisms cause strengthening BEF relationships for many different ecosystem functions independent of the study year.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=22039
Vogel, A., Ebeling, A., Gleixner, G., Roscher, C., Scheu, S., Ciobanu, M., Koller-France, E., Lange, M., Lochner, A., Meyer, S.T., Oelmann, Y., Wilcke, W., Schmid, B., Eisenhauer, N. (2019):
A new experimental approach to test why biodiversity effects strengthen as ecosystems age
In: Eisenhauer, N., Bohan, D.A., Dumbrell, A.J. (eds.)
Mechanisms underlying the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function
Advances in Ecological Research 61
Academic Press / Elsevier, London, p. 221 - 264 10.1016/bs.aecr.2019.06.006