Ecosystems world-wide experience changes in species composition in response to natural
and anthropogenic changes in environmental conditions. Research to date has
greatly improved our understanding of how species affect focal ecosystem functions.
However, because measurements of multiple ecosystem functions have not been consistently
justified for any given trophic group, it is unclear whether interpretations of
research syntheses adequately reflect the contributions of consumers to ecosystems.
Using model communities assembled in experimental microcosms, we examined the
relationship between four numerically dominant detritivore species and six ecosystem
functions that underpin fundamental aspects of carbon and nitrogen cycling aboveand
below-ground. We tested whether ecosystem responses to changes in detritivore
identity depended upon species trait dissimilarity, food web compartment (aboveground,
belowground, mixed) or number of responses considered (one to six). We
found little influence of detritivore species identity on brown (i.e. soil-based) processes.
Only one of four detritivore species uniquely influenced decomposition, and
detritivore species did not vary in their influence on soil nitrogen pools (NO3
− and
NH4
+), or root biomass. However, changes in detritivore identity influenced multiple
aboveground ecosystem functions. That is, by serving as prey, ecosystem engineers and
occasionally also as herbivores as well as detritivores, these species altered the strength
of aboveground predator–herbivore interactions and plant–shoot biomass. Yet, dissimilarity
of detritivore functional traits was not associated with dissimilarity of ecosystem
functioning. These results serve as an important reminder that consumers influence
ecosystem processes via multiple energy channels and that food web interactions set
important context for consumer-mediated effects on multiple ecosystem functions.
Given that species are being lost, gained and redistributed at unprecedented rates, we
can anticipate that changes in species identity will have additional ecosystem consequences
beyond those predicted by species’ primary functional role.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84587 |
| Date | 05 April 2023 |
| Creators | Hines, Jes, Eisenhauer, Nico |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 1600-0706 |
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