Publication Details
Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1111/nph.20434
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Plant species richness promotes the decoupling of leaf and root defence traits while species-specific responses in physical and chemical defences are rare
Author Bassi, L.; Hennecke, J.; Albracht, C.; Solbach, M.D.; Rai, A.; Alves de Souza, Y.P.; Fox, A.; Zeng, M.; Döll, S.; Doan, V.C.; Richter, R.; Kahl, A.; von Sivers, L.; Winkler, L.; Eisenhauer, N.; Meyer, S.T.; van Dam, N.M.; Weigelt, A.
Source Titel New Phytologist
Year 2025
Department BOOEK
Volume 246
Issue 2
Page From 729
Page To 746
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Data and Software links https://doi.org/10.25829/J0YV-2655
https://doi.org/10.25829/XVJH-HM95
https://doi.org/10.25829/4VMQ-V994
Supplements https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fnph.20434&file=nph20434-sup-0001-FigS1.html
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2Fnph.20434&file=nph20434-sup-0002-Supinfo.pdf
Keywords biodiversity; chemical defences; fine root; functional traits; leaf; physical defences; untargeted metabolome
Abstract
  • The increased positive impact of plant diversity on ecosystem functioning is often attributed to the accumulation of mutualists and dilution of antagonists in diverse plant communities. While increased plant diversity alters traits related to resource acquisition, it remains unclear whether it reduces defence allocation, whether this reduction differs between roots and leaves, or varies among species.
  • To answer these questions, we assessed the effect of plant species richness, plant species identity and their interaction on the expression of 23 physical and chemical leaf and fine root defence traits of 16 plant species in a 19-yr-old biodiversity experiment.
  • Only leaf mass per area, leaf and root dry matter content and root nitrogen, traits associated with both, resource acquisition and defence, responded consistently to species richness. However, species richness promoted a decoupling of these defences in leaves and fine roots, possibly in response to resource limitations in diverse communities. Species-specific responses were rare and related to chemical defence and mutualist collaboration, likely responding to species-specific antagonists' dilution and mutualists' accumulation.
  • Overall, our study suggests that resource limitation in diverse communities might mediate the relationship between plant defence traits and antagonist dilution.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30559
Bassi, L., Hennecke, J., Albracht, C., Solbach, M.D., Rai, A., Alves de Souza, Y.P., Fox, A., Zeng, M., Döll, S., Doan, V.C., Richter, R., Kahl, A., von Sivers, L., Winkler, L., Eisenhauer, N., Meyer, S.T., van Dam, N.M., Weigelt, A. (2025):
Plant species richness promotes the decoupling of leaf and root defence traits while species-specific responses in physical and chemical defences are rare
New Phytol. 246 (2), 729 - 746 10.1111/nph.20434