Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
10:20
Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota
David A Wardle1, Richard D Bardgett, John N Klironomos
1Landcare Research, Post Office Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand. david.wardle@svek.slu.se
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 12, 2004
Summary
Aboveground and belowground ecosystems are intricately linked, with specific interactions between plants and soil organisms. Understanding these connections is crucial for ecosystem ecology and biodiversity research.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
Background:
- Terrestrial ecosystems comprise interacting aboveground and belowground components.
- These interactions influence community and ecosystem processes and properties.
- Previous understanding may have underestimated the specificity of plant-soil organism links.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the close interlinking of aboveground and belowground communities.
- To highlight the specificity of interactions between plants and soil organisms.
- To emphasize the role of a combined approach in ecosystem ecology.
Main Methods:
- Investigated community-level linkages between aboveground and belowground components.
- Assessed the degree of specificity in plant-soil organism interactions.
- Utilized a combined aboveground-belowground ecological approach.
Main Results:
- Aboveground and belowground communities are closely interconnected.
- Plant-soil organism specificity is greater than previously assumed.
- These communities act as mutual drivers with feedback loops.
Conclusions:
- A combined aboveground-belowground perspective is essential for understanding ecosystem regulation.
- This integrated approach enhances knowledge of biodiversity's functional significance.
- It improves our understanding of human-induced global change impacts on ecosystems.
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