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Changes in belowground biodiversity during ecosystem development.

Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo1,2, Richard D Bardgett3, Peter M Vitousek4

  • 1Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309; m.delgadobaquerizo@gmail.com.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 17, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Belowground biodiversity changes predictably with soil development, driven by plant cover in low-productivity areas and soil acidification in high-productivity zones. These belowground shifts are not mirrored by aboveground plant diversity changes.

Keywords:
acidificationecosystem developmentglobal scalesoil biodiversitysoil chronosequences

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Area of Science:

  • Soil ecology
  • Biodiversity science
  • Ecosystem dynamics

Background:

  • Belowground organisms are vital for ecosystem functions like nutrient cycling.
  • Understanding belowground biodiversity changes during soil development (pedogenesis) is limited.
  • It's unknown if belowground biodiversity patterns mirror aboveground plant diversity during pedogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate drivers of belowground biodiversity across soil chronosequences.
  • To compare belowground biodiversity changes with aboveground plant diversity during soil development.
  • To assess the predictability of belowground biodiversity patterns globally.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed 16 soil chronosequences (centuries to millennia) globally.
  • Evaluated resource availability, nutrient stoichiometry, and soil abiotic factors.
  • Assessed changes in bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrate diversity.

Main Results:

  • Belowground biodiversity increased with plant cover in low-productivity ecosystems (drier, colder).
  • Belowground biodiversity decreased with soil acidification in high-productivity ecosystems (wetter, warmer).
  • Belowground organismal group diversity changes were correlated, unlike aboveground plant diversity.

Conclusions:

  • Belowground biodiversity patterns are predictable across diverse ecosystems during pedogenesis.
  • Plant cover and soil acidification are key drivers of belowground biodiversity shifts.
  • Belowground biodiversity does not necessarily track aboveground plant diversity changes over time.