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Multitrophic arthropod diversity mediates tree diversity effects on primary productivity
Yi Li1, Bernhard Schmid2, Andreas Schuldt3
1State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|April 27, 2023
Summary
Higher forest plant diversity boosts productivity by supporting diverse insect herbivores, predators, and parasitoids. Promoting diverse tree species and their associated higher trophic groups enhances forest carbon capture.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forestry
- Biodiversity research
Background:
- Forests harbor most terrestrial biodiversity and provide critical ecosystem services.
- Plant diversity is linked to primary productivity and higher trophic diversity.
- The mediating role of higher trophic diversity in plant diversity-productivity relationships is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of tree species richness on arthropod diversity across trophic levels.
- To determine if arthropod diversity mediates the relationship between tree diversity and tree productivity.
- To provide evidence for multidirectional interactions among tree diversity, higher trophic groups, and tree productivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 5 years of data from a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment in southeast China.
- Monitored aboveground herbivorous, predatory, and parasitoid arthropods.
- Collected tree growth data to assess productivity.
Main Results:
- Experimentally increased tree species richness positively impacted the richness and abundance of herbivores, predators, and parasitoids.
- The influence of tree richness on species richness and abundance diminished with increasing trophic levels.
- Multitrophic arthropod diversity significantly mediated the positive effects of plant diversity on tree productivity.
Conclusions:
- Multidirectional enhancements exist among tree diversity, higher trophic groups, and tree productivity.
- Forest management strategies should integrate promoting tree diversity with enhancing higher trophic group diversity for improved carbon capture.
- Conserving and promoting biodiversity across multiple trophic levels is crucial for ecosystem functioning and services.
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