TY - JOUR

T1 - Tree species richness attenuates the positive relationship between mutualistic ant-hemipteran interactions and leaf chewer herbivory

AU - Schuldt, Andreas

AU - Fornoff, Felix

AU - Bruelheide, Helge

AU - Klein, Alexandra Maria

AU - Staab, Michael

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/9/13

Y1 - 2017/9/13

N2 - Interactions across trophic levels influence plant diversity effects on ecosystem functions, but the complexity of these interactions remains poorly explored. For example, the interplay between different interactions (e.g. mutualism, predation) might be an important moderator of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships. We tested for relationships between trophobioses (facultative ant-hemipteran mutualism) and leaf chewer herbivory in a subtropical forest biodiversity experiment. We analysed trophobiosis and herbivory data of more than 10 000 trees along a tree species richness gradient. Against expectations, chewing damage was higher on trees with trophobioses. However, the net positive relationship between trophobioses and overall herbivory depended on tree species richness, being most pronounced at low richness. Our results point to indirect, positive effects of ant-tended sap suckers on leaf chewers, potentially by altering plant defences. Direct antagonistic relationships of trophobiotic ants and leaf-chewing herbivores-frequently reported to drive community-wide effects of trophobioses in other ecosystems- seemed less relevant. However, antagonistic interactions likely contributed to the attenuating effect of tree species richness, because trophobiotic ant and herbivore communities changed from monocultures to species-rich mixtures. Our findings, therefore, suggest that biodiversity loss might lead to complex changes in higher trophic level effects on ecosystem functions, mediated by both trophic and non-trophic interactions.

AB - Interactions across trophic levels influence plant diversity effects on ecosystem functions, but the complexity of these interactions remains poorly explored. For example, the interplay between different interactions (e.g. mutualism, predation) might be an important moderator of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships. We tested for relationships between trophobioses (facultative ant-hemipteran mutualism) and leaf chewer herbivory in a subtropical forest biodiversity experiment. We analysed trophobiosis and herbivory data of more than 10 000 trees along a tree species richness gradient. Against expectations, chewing damage was higher on trees with trophobioses. However, the net positive relationship between trophobioses and overall herbivory depended on tree species richness, being most pronounced at low richness. Our results point to indirect, positive effects of ant-tended sap suckers on leaf chewers, potentially by altering plant defences. Direct antagonistic relationships of trophobiotic ants and leaf-chewing herbivores-frequently reported to drive community-wide effects of trophobioses in other ecosystems- seemed less relevant. However, antagonistic interactions likely contributed to the attenuating effect of tree species richness, because trophobiotic ant and herbivore communities changed from monocultures to species-rich mixtures. Our findings, therefore, suggest that biodiversity loss might lead to complex changes in higher trophic level effects on ecosystem functions, mediated by both trophic and non-trophic interactions.

KW - Arthropods

KW - BEF-China

KW - Biodiversity and ecosystem function

KW - Forest

KW - Plant-insect interactions

KW - Trophobiosis

KW - Biology

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85029218651&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2017.1489

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2017.1489

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 28878067

AN - SCOPUS:85029218651

VL - 284

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

SN - 0962-8452

IS - 1862

M1 - 20171489

ER -