Tree diversity increases robustness of multi-trophic interactions
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In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 286, No. 1898, 20182399, 13.03.2019.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Tree diversity increases robustness of multi-trophic interactions
AU - Fornoff, Felix
AU - Klein, Alexandra Maria
AU - Blüthgen, Nico
AU - Staab, Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society.
PY - 2019/3/13
Y1 - 2019/3/13
N2 - Multi-trophic interactions maintain critical ecosystem functions. Biodiversity is declining globally, while responses of trophic interactions to biodiversity change are largely unclear. Thus, studying responses of multi-trophic interaction robustness to biodiversity change is crucial for understanding ecosystem functioning and persistence. We investigate plant-Hemiptera (antagonism) and Hemiptera-ant (mutualism) interaction networks in response to experimental manipulation of tree diversity. We show increased diversity at both higher trophic levels (Hemiptera and ants) and increased robustness through redundancy of lower level species of multi-trophic interactions when tree diversity increased. Hemiptera and ant diversity increased with tree diversity through non-additive diversity effects. Network analyses identified that tree diversity also increased the number of tree and Hemiptera species used by Hemiptera and ant species, and decreased the specialization on lower trophic level species in both mutualistic and antagonist interactions. Our results demonstrate that bottom-up effects of tree diversity ascend through trophic levels regardless of interaction type. Thus, local tree diversity is a key driver of multi-trophic community diversity and interaction robustness in forests.
AB - Multi-trophic interactions maintain critical ecosystem functions. Biodiversity is declining globally, while responses of trophic interactions to biodiversity change are largely unclear. Thus, studying responses of multi-trophic interaction robustness to biodiversity change is crucial for understanding ecosystem functioning and persistence. We investigate plant-Hemiptera (antagonism) and Hemiptera-ant (mutualism) interaction networks in response to experimental manipulation of tree diversity. We show increased diversity at both higher trophic levels (Hemiptera and ants) and increased robustness through redundancy of lower level species of multi-trophic interactions when tree diversity increased. Hemiptera and ant diversity increased with tree diversity through non-additive diversity effects. Network analyses identified that tree diversity also increased the number of tree and Hemiptera species used by Hemiptera and ant species, and decreased the specialization on lower trophic level species in both mutualistic and antagonist interactions. Our results demonstrate that bottom-up effects of tree diversity ascend through trophic levels regardless of interaction type. Thus, local tree diversity is a key driver of multi-trophic community diversity and interaction robustness in forests.
KW - BEF-China
KW - bottom-up
KW - insect-plant interactions
KW - redundancy
KW - stability
KW - tri-trophic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062614549&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2018.2399
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2018.2399
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 30836869
AN - SCOPUS:85062614549
VL - 286
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
SN - 0962-8452
IS - 1898
M1 - 20182399
ER -