Plant diversity and density predict belowground diversity and function in an early successional alpine ecosystem

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  • Dorota L. Porazinska
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Emily C. Farrer
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana 70118 USA
  • Marko J. Spasojevic
    Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology University of California Riverside Riverside California 92521 USA
  • Clifton P. Bueno de Mesquita
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Sam A. Sartwell
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Jane G. Smith
    Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR) University of Colorado Boulder 450 UCB Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Caitlin T. White
    Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research (INSTAAR) University of Colorado Boulder 450 UCB Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Andrew J. King
    King Ecological Consulting Knoxville Tennessee 37909 USA
  • Katharine N. Suding
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
  • Steve K. Schmidt
    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado 80309 USA

説明

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Despite decades of interest, few studies have provided evidence supporting theoretical expectations for coupled relationships between aboveground and belowground diversity and ecosystem functioning in non‐manipulated natural ecosystems. We characterized plant species richness and density, soil bacterial, fungal and eukaryotic species richness and phylogenetic diversity (using 16S, <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ITS</jats:styled-content>, and 18S gene sequencing), and ecosystem function (levels of soil C and N, and rates of microbial enzyme activities) along a natural gradient in plant richness and density in high‐elevation, C‐deficient soils to examine the coupling between above‐ and belowground systems. Overall, we observed a strong positive relationship between aboveground (plant richness and density) and belowground (bacteria, fungi, and non‐fungal eukaryotes) richness. In addition to the correlations between plants and soil communities, C and N pools, and rates of enzyme activities increased as plant and soil communities became richer and more diverse. Our results suggest that the theoretically expected positive correlation between above‐ and belowground communities does exist in natural systems, but may be undetectable in late successional ecosystems due to the buildup of legacy organic matter that results in extremely complex belowground communities. In contrast, microbial communities in early successional systems, such as the system described here, are more directly dependent on contemporary inputs from plants and therefore are strongly correlated with plant diversity and density.</jats:p>

収録刊行物

  • Ecology

    Ecology 99 (9), 1942-1952, 2018-07-19

    Wiley

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