Seasonally Changing Interactions of Species Traits of Termites and Trees Promote Complementarity in Coarse Wood Decomposition

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Chao Guo - , Forest Zoology, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany. (Autor:in)
  • Bin Tuo - , Department of Ecological Science, A-Life, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU University), HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Autor:in)
  • Sebastian Seibold - , Professur für Forstzoologie (Autor:in)
  • Hang Ci - , Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China. (Autor:in)
  • Bi-Le Sai - , Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China. (Autor:in)
  • Han-Tang Qin - , Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China. (Autor:in)
  • En-Rong Yan - , Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, China. (Autor:in)
  • Johannes H C Cornelissen - , Department of Ecological Science, A-Life, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU University), HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. (Autor:in)

Abstract

Complementary resource use by functionally different species may accelerate ecosystem processes. However, how co-variation in plant traits and animal traits promotes complementarity through temporal plant-animal interactions is poorly understood, even less so in detrital systems, thereby hampering our fundamental understanding of decomposition and carbon turnover. We hypothesised that, in seasonal subtropical forests where termites are major deadwood decomposers, trait complementarity of both termite species and tree species should promote overall deadwood decomposition through different seasons and years. Findings from a four-year coarse wood decomposition experiment involving 27 tree and 5 termite species support this hypothesis. Phenological and mandibular traits of the two most abundant termite species controlled wood decomposition of tree species differing in wood traits, through the seasons over 4 years, thereby promoting overall deadwood decomposition rates. Our findings indicate that complementarity in functional trait co-variation in plants and animals plays an important role in carbon cycling.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)e70002
FachzeitschriftEcology letters
Jahrgang27
Ausgabenummer10
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Okt. 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Animals, Isoptera/physiology, Wood, Seasons, Trees, Forests