Species identity and the functioning of ecosystems: the role of detritivore traits and trophic interactions in connecting of multiple ecosystem responses
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Titel:
Species identity and the functioning of ecosystems: the role of detritivore traits and trophic interactions in connecting of multiple ecosystem responses
Beschreibung:
Ecosystems world-wide experience changes in species composition in response to naturaland anthropogenic changes in environmental conditions. Research to date hasgreatly improved our understanding of how species affect focal ecosystem functions.However, because measurements of multiple ecosystem functions have not been consistentlyjustified for any given trophic group, it is unclear whether interpretations ofresearch syntheses adequately reflect the contributions of consumers to ecosystems.Using model communities assembled in experimental microcosms, we examined therelationship between four numerically dominant detritivore species and six ecosystemfunctions that underpin fundamental aspects of carbon and nitrogen cycling aboveandbelow-ground. We tested whether ecosystem responses to changes in detritivoreidentity depended upon species trait dissimilarity, food web compartment (aboveground,belowground, mixed) or number of responses considered (one to six). Wefound little influence of detritivore species identity on brown (i.e. soil-based) processes.Only one of four detritivore species uniquely influenced decomposition, anddetritivore species did not vary in their influence on soil nitrogen pools (NO3− andNH4+), or root biomass. However, changes in detritivore identity influenced multipleaboveground ecosystem functions. That is, by serving as prey, ecosystem engineers andoccasionally also as herbivores as well as detritivores, these species altered the strengthof aboveground predator–herbivore interactions and plant–shoot biomass. Yet, dissimilarityof detritivore functional traits was not associated with dissimilarity of ecosystemfunctioning. These results serve as an important reminder that consumers influenceecosystem processes via multiple energy channels and that food web interactions setimportant context for consumer-mediated effects on multiple ecosystem functions.Given that species are being lost, gained and redistributed at unprecedented rates, wecan anticipate that changes in species identity will have additional ecosystem consequencesbeyond those predicted by species’ primary functional role.