Habitat Complexity Enhances Comminution and Decomposition Processes in Urban Ecosystems

Ossola, Alessandro; Hahs, Amy K.; Nash, M.; Livesley, Stephen J.

doi:10.1007/s10021-016-9976-z

Cited by 39 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 67 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The main factors thought to control rates of litter decomposition include atmospheric relative humidity (Aerts 1997), the herbaceous plant layer , Ossola et al 2016, Zirbel et al 2017, and soil temperature and moisture (Vitousek et al 1994, Pouyat et al 1997, Cortez 1998, Sun and Zhao 2016. These factors can be indirectly controlled by forest canopy openness, landscape topography, and soil texture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Forest restoration has potential to recover degraded ecosystem functions in disturbed environments. Decomposition and denitrification are two critical functions involved in forest nutrient cycling that are often compromised in degraded ecosystems. As forest canopy structure develops following initial plantings, it may indirectly impact ecosystem functions by altering abiotic conditions. It is likely, however, that there are other abiotic factors that affect decomposition and denitrification that are unrelated to forest canopy structure. Here, we aimed to determine whether forest canopy openness, topography, and soil sand content would affect litter decomposition and denitrification by regulating the microclimate, the herbaceous plant layer, soil chemistry, and soil moisture. Research occurred in restored native temperate rainforest patches in two New Zealand cities. Urban forests are an excellent context for measuring impact of canopy restoration on ecosystem properties such as microclimate due to the extreme swings in city conditions (e.g., urban heat island). Decomposition rates were determined using leaf litter bags and denitrification rates through denitrification enzyme activity assays. We used structural equation modeling to quantify the direct and indirect drivers of these ecosystem functions. Results indicated that decomposition rates were positively related to soil moisture, relative humidity, and herbaceous plant cover. Interestingly, forest canopy openness indirectly affected decomposition through counteracting forces, meaning greater canopy openness in young forests permitted dense herbaceous plant growth which enhanced decomposition, while less canopy openness in older forests enhanced humidity levels which increased decomposition. Denitrification was negatively related to soil pH and positively related to soil moisture, but these abiotic factors were unrelated to the forest canopy. Discovering drivers of ecosystem functions can improve approaches to the restoration of degraded ecosystems, especially in disturbed urban areas. Identifying counteracting effects on ecosystem functions could improve management by focusing restoration actions on specific drivers to elicit desired changes. Some ecosystem processes, like denitrification, are not affected by forest canopy restoration or management, but are instead driven by edaphic and landscape factors.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In urban landscapes, vegetation has been found to be the major habitat for most species of vertebrates and invertebrates living aboveground, while simultaneously influencing the belowground habitat for fungi, microorganisms, and burrowing organisms (Byrne, 2007). The complexity of urban vegetation has also been recently found to be a significant predictor for the diversity of numerous organisms involved in key biogeochemical and hydrological processes (Ossola et al, 2015b(Ossola et al, , 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Green space vegetation and soil are also the components most easily manipulated by humans through disturbance and direct management actions (Byrne, 2007;Faeth et al, 2012;Ossola et al, 2016). Networks of green space in cities all over the world are increasingly recognized as fundamental to the health and wellbeing of urban residents and important in creating a sense of place and a connection to the natural world (Fuller et al, 2007;Tzoulas et al, 2007;Dinnie et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in Vegetation Structure and Composition across Urban Green Space Types

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

HIGHLIGHTS• Vegetation structure and composition were measured in four major green space types • Remnants and golf courses supported highest native plant richness • Residential neighborhoods and urban parks supported highest exotic plant richness • Residential neighborhoods lacked key habitat structures including old trees • Green spaces can achieve complex vegetation with both native and exotic vegetationThe ecological sustainability and function of urban landscapes is strongly influenced by the composition and structure of the local plant community. Taxonomic composition generally refers to the identity of the species comprising the community, while we define structure as the presence of multiple canopy layers, as well as stems of varying diameter and age. These aspects of urban vegetation significantly influence the ecology of cities, yet they are generally poorly quantified across the range of natural and constructed plant communities present in urban landscapes. We quantified vegetation composition and structure to (i) simultaneously assess their variation across four green spaces types (golf courses, public parks, residential neighborhoods, and patches of remnant vegetation) in Melbourne, Australia, and (ii) investigate the relationship between vegetation composition and structure within these green spaces. The four green space types supported distinctly different plant communities. Vegetation composition in the residential neighborhoods differed significantly from the others (p < 0.05), largely due to the increased richness of shrubs and cultivated plants, and the reduced presence of large trees. Residential neighborhoods had the highest plant species richness, although a large proportion of these species occurred infrequently. The structural complexity of understorey vegetation (calculated as % volume occupied) below 0.5 m was highest in remnant patches followed by golf courses, public parks, and residential neighborhoods. The structural complexity of understorey vegetation in remnant vegetation patches was very similar to that of golf courses even though some of the latter were dominated by exotic plant species. Variation in the composition and structure of urban vegetation might have great implications for Threlfall et al.Vegetation across Urban Green Spaces the retention of faunal diversity within cities because different taxa have specific habitat requirements. Hence, further understanding of variations in the composition and structure of both natural and constructed plant communities in cities will greatly improve our ability to create urban landscapes that enhance both plant and animal biodiversity.

show abstract

“…Considering the introduction of tilapia and its predators, a future of non-native species driving ecosystems is imminent in aquatic environments (Ossola et al 2016) where the incoming economic problems are conspicuous. Mechanisms behind the trophic homogenization can be referred to lentic systems under intense pressure for introductions and that sample most of their components locally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthification, biotic homogenization behind the trophic downgrading in altered ecosystems

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Several dozen fish species have been introduced into Neotropical waters, causing significant biotic changes that include deterministic predation interactions with ecosystem effects. In general, reservoirs are preferred over lakes as places for stocking policies, due to their artificial aspect, consequently promoting fish introductions. In a meta-analytic approach, we compared the biomass of plankton-feeding (and top predators) with bottom-feeding fish species between reservoirs and lakes, considering the influence of invaders and trophic levels. Among the 26 ecosystems (12 reservoirs and 14 lakes), there is a dominance of non-native bottom-feeding species in artificial environments. We revealed a mechanism behind this dominance in a study case, a tendency for trophic downgrading and biotic homogenization based on interactions between an expatriate invasive centrarchid (sunfish family) predator from North America (the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) and two omnivorous cichlids from Africa in novel environmental contexts in Brazil (the benthification process). Both juvenile and adult largemouth bass are keystone predators in aquatic food webs in both their native and introduced ranges. The omnivore-detritivore tilapiines Oreochromis spp. and the phytophagous-omnivorous Coptodon spp. are species that exhibits strong generalist tendencies. Such species feed on the omnivore and detritivore compartments, enhancing detritus cycling among a large variety of d 13 C sources. Since their consumption is disproportionate, facilitation of other species occurs with multiplicative effects in the environment. Interactions between invasive species, that is, when an invasive predator (bird, fish, or invertebrate) eats an invasive prey (mainly fish and invertebrates), can serve to highlight biotic homogenization on fresh waters.

show abstract

Habitat Complexity Enhances Comminution and Decomposition Processes in Urban Ecosystems

Cited by 39 publications

References 67 publications

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

Variation in Vegetation Structure and Composition across Urban Green Space Types

Benthification, biotic homogenization behind the trophic downgrading in altered ecosystems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About