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Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
Plant litter strengthens positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships over time
Wei-Ping Zhang1, Dario Fornara2, Hao Yang1
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Abstract:
Plant biodiversity-productivity relationships become stronger over time in grasslands, forests, and agroecosystems. Plant shoot and root litter is important in mediating these positive relationships, yet the functional role of plant litter remains overlooked in long-term experiments. We propose that plant litter strengthens biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships over time in four ways by providing decomposing detritus that releases nitrogen (N) over time for uptake by existing and succeeding plants, enhancing overall soil fertility, changing soil community composition, and reducing the impact of residue-borne pathogens and pests. We bring new insights into how diversity-productivity relationships may change over time and suggest that the diversification of crop residue retention through increased residue diversity from plant mixtures will improve the sustainability of food production systems.
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