Macrofauna assemblage composition and soil moisture interact to affect soil ecosystem functions

Collison, E. J. and Riutta, T. and Slade, Eleanor M. (2013) Macrofauna assemblage composition and soil moisture interact to affect soil ecosystem functions. Acta Oecologica, 47. pp. 30-36. ISSN 1146-609X

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Changing climatic conditions and habitat fragmentation are predicted to alter the soil moisture conditions of temperate forests. It is not well understood how the soil macrofauna community will respond to changes in soil moisture, and how changes to species diversity and community composition may affect ecosystem functions, such as litter decomposition and soil fluxes. Moreover, few studies have considered the interactions between the abiotic and biotic factors that regulate soil processes. Here we attempt to disentangle the interactive effects of two of the main factors that regulate soil processes at small scales - moisture and macrofauna assemblage composition. The response of assemblages of three common temperate soil invertebrates (Glomeris marginata Villers, Porcellio scaber Latreille and Philoscia muscorum Scopoli) to two contrasting soil moisture levels was examined in a series of laboratory mesocosm experiments. The contribution of the invertebrates to the leaf litter mass loss of two common temperate tree species of contrasting litter quality (easily decomposing Fraxinus excelsior L. and recalcitrant Quercus robur L.) and to soil CO2 fluxes were measured. Both moisture conditions and litter type influenced the functioning of the invertebrate assemblages, which was greater in high moisture conditions compared with low moisture conditions and on good quality vs. recalcitrant litter. In high moisture conditions, all macrofauna assemblages functioned at equal rates, whereas in low moisture conditions there were pronounced differences in litter mass loss among the assemblages. This indicates that species identity and assemblage composition are more important when moisture is limited. We suggest that complementarity between macrofauna species may mitigate the reduced functioning of some species, highlighting the importance of maintaining macrofauna species richness.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Acta Oecologica
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2309
Subjects:
?? DECOMPOSITIONCOMPLEMENTARITYDIVERSITY EFFECTSSOIL RESPIRATIONMESOCOSM BIODIVERSITY-ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION (BEF)ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, BEHAVIOR AND SYSTEMATICSNATURE AND LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION ??
ID Code:
69208
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
14 Apr 2014 10:30
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
19 Sep 2023 01:14