Decomposer - interaction webs and the effect of belowground biota for ecosystem processes

Applicants Professor Dr. Francois Buscot; Professor Dr. Stefan Scheu
Subject Area Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
Term from 2002 to 2011
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5468999
 

Project Description

The soil fauna affects soil structure, nutrient mineralization, decomposition processes, and the activity and composition of the microbial community in soil. These effects likely also modify plant performance, plant competition and the use of plant tissue by above-ground herbivores. The proposed project investigates effects of earthworms and soil insects on the above-ground system in grassland communities of different diversity. Earthworm and soil insect density is manipulated in experimental plots differing in plant diversity. The manipulations include the combined exclusion of below-ground insects and above-ground herbivores. It is expected that the response of the above-ground plant and animal community to manipulations of soil animal populations depends on plant species, plant diversity and plant functional group. The differential response is expected to propagate into the herbivore system thereby affecting the structure of the above-ground animal community.
DFG Programme Research Units
Subproject of FOR 456:  The Role of Biodiversity for Element Cycling and Trophic Interactions: An Experimental Approach in a Grassland Community