Reduced predation and energy flux in soil food webs by introduced tree species: Bottom-up control of multitrophic biodiversity across size compartments

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Jing Zhong Lu - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Ronja Wenglein - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Christian Bluhm - , Forest Research Institute Baden-Württemberg (Author)
  • Thalea Stuckenberg - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Anton M. Potapov - , Chair of Functional Soil Biodiversity Research (gB/SMNG), University of Göttingen, Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz (Author)
  • Christian Ammer - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Stefan Scheu - , University of Göttingen (Author)

Abstract

The introduction of non-native tree species has become a global concern and may disrupt native communities and related ecosystem functions. Soil food webs regulate organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in forests with their feeding activities, but evaluating consequences of the introduction of tree species on soil invertebrates is challenging due to the complex trophic structure and wide range in body size of soil invertebrates. Here, we employed an energetic food web approach and estimated the energy flux in soil food webs using a four-node model including soil meso- and macrofauna decomposers and predators. We examined pure and mixed stands of native European beech (Fagus sylvatica), introduced Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and native range-expanding Norway spruce (Picea abies) across site conditions. Compared to native forests, introduced tree species reduced total fresh mass of macrofauna predators by 92% at sandy sites but not that of decomposers, suggesting trophic downgrading in soil food webs by Douglas fir. The energy flux in mixed forests was intermediate between respective monocultures, suggesting that tree mixtures mitigate potential negative impacts of introduced tree species on food web functioning. Across size classes, soil macrofauna responded more sensitively to changes in environmental conditions than soil mesofauna. Additionally, total energy flux positively correlated with species richness, pointing to the significance of soil biodiversity for trophic functionality. The energy flux through mesofauna outweighed that through macrofauna when considering energy loss to predators, highlighting the importance of mesofauna for decomposition processes in forest soil food webs. Overall, the study emphasizes the critical role of tree species composition, site conditions and soil biodiversity in driving energy flux through soil food webs and maintaining forest ecosystem functions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)64-76
Number of pages13
JournalFunctional ecology
Volume39
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • BEF, biodiversity, Douglas fir, ecosystem function, macrofauna, mesofauna, non-native species, size spectrum