Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1111/1462-2920.70051
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Invertebrate decline has minimal effects on oak-associated microbiomes
Author Albracht, C.; Buscot, F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Gebler, A. ORCID logo ; Herrmann, S.; Schmidt, A. ORCID logo ; Tarkka, M.; Goldmann, K. ORCID logo
Source Titel Environmental Microbiology
Year 2025
Department NSF; BOOEK; iDiv; BOSYS
Volume 27
Issue 2
Page From e70051
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2F1462-2920.70051&file=emi70051-sup-0001-supinfo.docx
Keywords bacteria; ecosystem functioning; fungi; iDiv Ecotron; insect decline; plant microbiome; Quercus robur
Abstract Recently, biomass of invertebrates has declined substantially at many locations with the implications of this biodiversity loss for ecosystems yet unknown. Through multitrophic interactions, plant- and soil-associated microbiomes might be altered, causing a cascade of changes on diverse ecosystem processes. We simulated aboveground invertebrate decline in grassland ecosystems with two levels of invertebrate biomass (36% and 100% of current ambient conditions), plus a control with no invertebrates present. Each standardised grassland mesocosm additionally contained one clonal Quercus robur L. sapling to investigate the extent of invertebrate decline effects exceeding grasslands. We investigated oak biomass partitioning and mycorrhiza formation, oak leaf transcriptome and microbiome composition of leaves, roots and rhizosphere. While invertebrate decline did not significantly affect oak performance and herbivory-related gene expression, fungal communities presented an increase of saprotrophs and pathogens, especially in leaves. Among leaf-inhabiting bacteria, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased under invertebrate decline. The belowground microbiome was only little affected. But, invertebrate decline came along with a reduced influence on predators leading to an elevated aphids infestation that proofed able to alter microbiota. Our findings establish a strong difference between above- and belowground, with the impacts of invertebrate decline being more pronounced in the leaf microbiome.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30365
Albracht, C., Buscot, F., Eisenhauer, N., Gebler, A., Herrmann, S., Schmidt, A., Tarkka, M., Goldmann, K. (2025):
Invertebrate decline has minimal effects on oak-associated microbiomes
Environ. Microbiol. 27 (2), e70051 10.1111/1462-2920.70051