Is litter decomposition enhanced in species mixtures? A meta-analysis

Porre, Rima J.; Werf, Wopke Van der; Deyn, Gerlinde B. De; Stomph, T.J.; Hoffland, Ellis

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107791

Cited by 70 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Second, it is likely that the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships change with time and differ between systems 25 , 54 , 55 , as also found in the present dataset (Supplementary Fig. 4 ) and elsewhere 12 , emphasizing the context-dependency of the after-life effects of diversity. Especially, our results might be seemingly different from a recent synthesis 12 , which concluded that litter species-mixing effects on decomposition were negligible; however, the study, in fact, found a significant positive effect when analyzed based on sample sizes and sampling variances of the effect sizes (as conducted in our study).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

“…4 ) and elsewhere 12 , emphasizing the context-dependency of the after-life effects of diversity. Especially, our results might be seemingly different from a recent synthesis 12 , which concluded that litter species-mixing effects on decomposition were negligible; however, the study, in fact, found a significant positive effect when analyzed based on sample sizes and sampling variances of the effect sizes (as conducted in our study). Thereby the two syntheses are not necessarily contradictory.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hundreds of previous studies have considered how the diversity of living primary producers affects productivity and decomposition 10 , 11 . However, there remains a lack of synthesis of the studies on how and how much litter decomposition depends on plant diversity (but see 12 ). Consequently, there is less confidence in how the after-life effects of plant diversity 13 , 14 determine biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks on Earth, emphasizing the need to have a comprehensive synthesis by gathering broad information from ecosystems in different biomes and climates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Possible mechanisms underlying such biodiversity effects include nutrient transfer between different litter species with different decomposability 14 , altered decomposer activity by specific litter traits 18 , and positive feedback of decomposers resulting from the divergence in resource use and habitat availability 19 . While individual studies have carefully disentangled possible mechanisms within sites, there is limited synthesis of directions and effect sizes of decomposition response to diversity available to date (but see 12 ). Advancing our understanding on these responses is important, because of the ongoing anthropogenic pressures on the biosphere; for instance, habitat simplification and degradation 20 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A meta-analysis on decomposition quantifies afterlife effects of plant diversity as a global change driver

et al. 2020

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Biodiversity loss can alter ecosystem functioning; however, it remains unclear how it alters decomposition—a critical component of biogeochemical cycles in the biosphere. Here, we provide a global-scale meta-analysis to quantify how changes in the diversity of organic matter derived from plants (i.e. litter) affect rates of decomposition. We find that the after-life effects of diversity were significant, and of substantial magnitude, in forests, grasslands, and wetlands. Changes in plant diversity could alter decomposition rates by as much as climate change is projected to alter them. Specifically, diversifying plant litter from mono- to mixed-species increases decomposition rate by 34.7% in forests worldwide, which is comparable in magnitude to the 13.6–26.4% increase in decomposition rates that is projected to occur over the next 50 years in response to climate warming. Thus, biodiversity changes cannot be solely viewed as a response to human influence, such as climate change, but could also be a non-negligible driver of future changes in biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks on Earth.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A meta-analysis on decomposition quantifies afterlife effects of plant diversity as a global change driver

et al. 2020

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“…We reasoned that conducting an unweighted analysis for a large set of data would give more reliable results than conducting a weighted analysis for a smaller set of data (Cf. Li et al 2018;Porre et al 2020). Furthermore, agronomic experiments, unlike medical trials, have to a large extent similar population sizes, e.g.…”

Section: Meta-analysis-data Sources Extraction and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Intercropping legumes and cereals increases phosphorus use efficiency; a meta-analysis

Tang

Zhang

et al. 2020

Plant Soil

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Aims Intercropping cereals with legumes may achieve high crop yields at reduced input levels. Several studies have indicated that intercropping increases phosphorus use efficiency but no overarching analysis exists on the role of species traits and input levels. Here we synthesize the available information on P use efficiency in cereal/legume intercropping. Methods Global data on yields, P uptake and nutrient input in cereal/legume mixtures were extracted from the literature and statistically analyzed. Co-variables explaining P uptake efficiency and yield were considered. Results P uptake was substantially increased with an average value of LERP, the land equivalent ratio for P uptake, of 1.24, and an average NEP (observed P uptake minus expected P uptake) of 3.67 kg P ha−1. The conversion efficiency of P uptake to biomass decreased with P uptake and was lower in intercrops than in sole crops but the conversion efficiency to yield was not affected by intercropping. The P fertilizer requirement was 21% lower in intercrops than in sole crops for the same yields. Conclusions Substantial improvements in land use efficiency and P uptake are obtained by cereal/legume intercropping. Cereal/legume intercropping has therefore potential to increase P fertilizer use efficiency in agriculture.

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Effects of short‐ and long‐term plant functional group loss on alpine meadow community structure and soil nutrients

Wei,

Zhou,

Shao

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The rapid loss of global biodiversity can greatly affect the normal functioning of ecosystems. However, how biodiversity losses affect plant community structure and soil nutrients is unclear. We conducted a field experiment to examine the short‐ and long‐term effects of removing plant functional groups (Gramineae, Cyperaceae, legumes, and forbs) on the interrelationships among the species diversity, productivity, community structure, and soil nutrients in an alpine meadow ecosystem at Menyuan County, Qinghai Province. The variations in the species richness, above‐ and belowground biomass of the community gradually decreased over time. Species richness and productivity were positively correlated, and this correlation tended to be increasingly significant over time. Removal of the Cyperaceae, legumes, and other forbs resulted in fewer Gramineae species in the community. Soil total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and moisture contents increased significantly in the legume removal treatment. The removal of other forbs led to the lowest negative cohesion values, suggesting that this community may have difficulty recovering its previous equilibrium state within a short time. The effects of species removal on the ecosystem were likely influenced by the species structure and composition within the community. Changes in the number of Gramineae species indicated that they were more sensitive and less resistant to plant functional group removal. Legume removal may also indirectly cause distinct community responses through starvation and compensation effects. In summary, species loss at the community level led to extensive species niche shifts, which caused community resource redistribution and significant changes in community structure.

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Is litter decomposition enhanced in species mixtures? A meta-analysis

Cited by 70 publications

References 43 publications

A meta-analysis on decomposition quantifies afterlife effects of plant diversity as a global change driver

A meta-analysis on decomposition quantifies afterlife effects of plant diversity as a global change driver

Intercropping legumes and cereals increases phosphorus use efficiency; a meta-analysis

Effects of short‐ and long‐term plant functional group loss on alpine meadow community structure and soil nutrients

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