Tree diversity promotes predator but not omnivore ants in a subtropical <scp>C</scp>hinese forest

Staab, Michael; Schuldt, Andreas; Aßmann, Thorsten; Klein, Alexandra‐Maria

doi:10.1111/een.12143

Cited by 36 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…It has been postulated (‘enemies hypothesis’, [51]) and shown (e.g. [56,57]; but see [58]) that higher plant diversity increases the diversity and abundance of natural enemies feeding on herbivores. From a theoretical perspective such top-down effects could offset associational susceptibility by reducing herbivore loads.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree Species Richness Promotes Invertebrate Herbivory on Congeneric Native and Exotic Tree Saplings in a Young Diversity Experiment

et al. 2016

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Tree diversity in forests is an important driver of ecological processes including herbivory. Empirical evidence suggests both negative and positive effects of tree diversity on herbivory, which can be, respectively, attributed to associational resistance or associational susceptibility. Tree diversity experiments allow testing for associational effects, but evidence regarding which pattern predominates is mixed. Furthermore, it is unknown if herbivory on tree species of native vs. exotic origin is influenced by changing tree diversity in a similar way, or if exotic tree species escape natural enemies, resulting in lower damage that is unrelated to tree diversity. To address these questions, we established a young tree diversity experiment in temperate southwestern Germany that uses high planting density (49 trees per plot; plot size 13 m2). The species pool consists of six congeneric species pairs of European and North American origin (12 species in total) planted in monocultures and mixtures (1, 2, 4, 6 species). We assessed leaf damage by leaf-chewing insects on more than 5,000 saplings of six broadleaved tree species. Plot-level tree species richness increased leaf damage, which more than doubled from monocultures to six-species mixtures, strongly supporting associational susceptibility. However, leaf damage among congeneric native and exotic species pairs was similar. There were marked differences in patterns of leaf damage across tree genera, and only the genera likely having a predominately generalist herbivore community showed associational susceptibility, irrespective of the geographical origin of a tree species. In conclusion, an increase in tree species richness in young temperate forests may result in associational susceptibility to feeding by generalist herbivores.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree Species Richness Promotes Invertebrate Herbivory on Congeneric Native and Exotic Tree Saplings in a Young Diversity Experiment

et al. 2016

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“…The diameter at breast height (DBH) of the target tree was recorded as a measure of tree size. Ant specimens were identified to species or morphospecies (referred to as species) with taxonomic literature and comparison with reference material (Staab, Blüthgen, & Klein, ; Staab, Hita Garcia, Liu, Xu, & Economo, ; Staab et al, ). As ant abundance, we use the sum of individuals per samples.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A tale of scale: Plot but not neighbourhood tree diversity increases leaf litter ant diversity

Skarbek

Noack

Bruelheide

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Diversity of producers (e.g. plants) usually increases the diversity of associated organisms, but the scale (i.e. the spatial area of plant diversity considered) at which plant diversity acts on other taxa has rarely been studied. Most evidence for cross‐taxon diversity relations come from above‐ground consumers that directly interact with plants. Experimental tests of plant diversity effects on elusive organisms inhabiting the leaf litter layer, which are important for nutrient cycling and decomposition, are rare. Using a large tree diversity experiment, we tested whether tree diversity at the larger plot (i.e. community) or the smaller neighbourhood scale relates to the abundance, species richness, functional and phylogenetic diversity of leaf litter ants, which are dominant organisms in brown food webs. Contrary to our expectations of scale‐independent positive tree diversity effects, ant diversity increased only with plot but not neighbourhood tree diversity. While the exact causal mechanisms are unclear, nest relocation or small‐scale competition among ants may explain the stronger tree diversity effects at the plot scale. Our results indicate that even for small and less mobile organisms in the leaf litter, effects of tree diversity are stronger at relatively larger scales. The finding emphasizes the importance of diverse forest stands, in which mixing of tree species is not restricted to small patches, for supporting arthropod diversity in the leaf litter.

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“…This states that more diverse forests can provide more diverse and abundant feeding and nesting resources for insect predators and parasitoids, thus increasing their capacity to control populations of prey (i.e., insect herbivores). Although an increasing body of evidence supports a positive correlation between tree diversity and natural enemy diversity (Castagneyrol and Jactel 2012;Staab et al 2014), the actual contribution of predators to the top-down control of pest insects in mixed forests remains difficult to demonstrate (Jactel et al 2006;Muiruri et al 2016).…”

Section: Effects Of Forest Tree Diversity On Pest Regulation Of Nativmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services

et al. 2017

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Forests are critical habitats for biodiversity and they are also essential for the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services that are important to human well-being. There is increasing evidence that biodiversity contributes to forest ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. Here we provide a review of forest ecosystem services including biomass production, habitat provisioning services, pollination, seed dispersal, resistance to wind storms, fire regulation and mitigation, pest regulation of native and invading insects, carbon sequestration, and cultural ecosystem services, in relation to forest type, structure and diversity. We also consider relationships between forest biodiversity and multifunctionality, and trade-offs among ecosystem services. We compare the concepts of ecosystem processes, functions and services to clarify their definitions. Our review of published studies indicates a lack of empirical studies that establish quantitative and causal relationships between forest biodiversity and many important ecosystem services. The literature is highly skewed; studies on provisioning of nutrition and energy, and on cultural services, delivered by mixed-species forests are under-represented. Planted forests offer ample opportunity for optimising their composition and diversity because replanting after harvesting is a recurring process. Planting mixed-species forests should be given more consideration as they are likely to provide a wider range of ecosystem services within the forest and for adjacent land uses. This review also serves as the introduction to this special issue of Biodiversity and Conservation on various aspects of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services.

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Tree diversity promotes predator but not omnivore ants in a subtropical Chinese forest

Cited by 36 publications

References 74 publications

Tree Species Richness Promotes Invertebrate Herbivory on Congeneric Native and Exotic Tree Saplings in a Young Diversity Experiment

Tree Species Richness Promotes Invertebrate Herbivory on Congeneric Native and Exotic Tree Saplings in a Young Diversity Experiment

A tale of scale: Plot but not neighbourhood tree diversity increases leaf litter ant diversity

Forest biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services

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