Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
09:23
JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
Published on: March 21, 2025
Decomposer diversity and identity influence plant diversity effects on ecosystem functioning
Nico Eisenhauer1, Peter B Reich, Forest Isbell
1Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. nico.eisenhauer@web.de
Ecology
|November 29, 2012
Summary
Decomposer animal diversity significantly impacts ecosystem functions and plant productivity. Key decomposers like earthworms and isopods enhance plant diversity effects on ecosystem processes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Soil Biology
- Ecosystem Science
Background:
- Plant diversity often enhances ecosystem functions and productivity.
- Multitrophic interactions, including those involving decomposers, are increasingly recognized as crucial in shaping these relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if plant diversity effects on ecosystem functioning are mediated or driven by decomposer animal diversity and identity.
- To explore the roles of specific decomposer species in mediating plant diversity-ecosystem functioning relationships.
Main Methods:
- A double-diversity microcosm experiment manipulating both plant and decomposer diversity.
- Measurement of ecosystem processes including herbaceous shoot biomass production, litter removal, and nitrogen (N) uptake.
- Utilizing a structural equation model to analyze direct and indirect effects.
Main Results:
- Ecosystem processes and multifunctionality were influenced by both plant and decomposer diversity, often peaking at intermediate to high diversity levels.
- Decomposers facilitated plant complementarity by enhancing nutrient availability and habitat space.
- Anecic earthworms and isopods were identified as key decomposers, with specific roles in mediating plant diversity effects.
Conclusions:
- Decomposer animals play a critical, yet often underappreciated, role in the plant diversity-ecosystem functioning relationship.
- Decomposer diversity and identity can significantly mediate the positive effects of plant diversity on ecosystem functions.
- Positive feedback loops between decomposer performance and plant performance contribute to the overall plant diversity-ecosystem functioning relationship.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Soil Microbial Ecology
Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...
02:22Introduction to Plant Diversity
From Water to Land
02:26Ecological Disturbance
An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.
01:19What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
01:15Diversity of Protists I
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
01:27Diversity of Protists II
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...