Responses of soil respiration, soil nutrients, and litter decomposition to inputs from canopy herbivores

Reynolds, Barbara C.; Hunter, Mark D.

doi:10.1016/s0038-0717(01)00085-2

Cited by 67 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In kind and similar to insect frass additions in temperate forests (Lovett and Ruesink 1995, Reynolds and Hunter 2001, Kagata and Ohgushi 2012, our common garden experiment confirmed the stimulatory effects of A. trigona refuse on artificial and natural substrate decomposition (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Consumer byproducts such as excreta are another important linkage between above-and below-ground systems (Lovett and Ruesink 1995, McNaughton et al 1997, Reynolds and Hunter 2001, Steinauer and Collins 2001, Mikola et al 2009, Kagata and Ohgushi 2012 and are a concentrated source of bioavailable nutrients (Ruess andMcNaughton 1984, Sørensen et al 2003). Herbivore byproducts (excreta and cadavers) fall in quantity to the forest floor (Schowalter 2000, Hunter 2001, Frost and Hunter 2004 and can accelerate decomposition (Wardle 2002, Frost andHunter 2004), increase plant growth (Haines 1978, Feeley 2005) and create persistent landscape heterogeneity (Whitford 2000, Fox-Dobbs et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Manna from heaven: Refuse from an arboreal ant links aboveground and belowground processes in a lowland tropical forest

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Aboveground consumers can shape belowground processes by serving as conduits for resources. Social insects dominate in terms of biomass in tropical forests, but compared to studies on large mammals, or aggregate solitary insects, we know relatively little about the role of social insects as nutrient conduits particularly in complex environments like tropical forests. Social insects like ants in the tropical forest canopy can connect aboveground and belowground food webs by producing a nutrient stream (excreta) from large, long-lived and stationary nests. The excreta, in turn, would create enduring spatial heterogeneity in the forest floor. Here we evaluate this scenario in a lowland Neotropical forest using Azteca trigona, a dominant canopy ant that feeds on honeydew and insects and rains refuse out of its hanging nests onto the leaf litter below. We investigate decomposition rates and detrital communities associated with areas near nests versus 10 m away. Further, we directly test refuse's impact on decomposition and detrital communities in a common garden experiment. Relative to leaf litter, refuse is enriched 7-fold in P, 23-fold in K, and 3-fold in N, all elements shown to limit decomposition in this forest. Accordingly, both artificial substrates and natural leaf litter substrates decomposed over 1.5-and 1.2-fold faster respectively below A. trigona nests and areas under nests supported more invertebrate detritivores and predators compared to controls 10 m away. These decomposition results were replicated in a 6-wk common garden experiment, but the changes in detrital invertebrate composition were not. Canopy ants like A. trigona act as dependable nutritional conduits to patches of the forest floor, transferring significant quantities of aboveground exudates and necromass. The general capacity for such social insect colonies to generate ecosystem heterogeneity remains an open question.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manna from heaven: Refuse from an arboreal ant links aboveground and belowground processes in a lowland tropical forest

et al. 2013

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“…Many studies on herbivore-driven nutrient recycling in terrestrial ecosystems have focused on N, both for invertebrates (e.g., Seastedt and Crossley, 1984;Lovett and Ruesink, 1995;Belovsky and Slade, 2000;Reynolds and Hunter, 2001;Hunter et al, 2003;Metcalfe et al, 2014) and vertebrates (e.g., Pastor et al, 1988Pastor et al, , 1993Pastor et al, , 2006McNaughton et al, 1988;Hobbs et al, 1991;Frank and McNaughton, 1993;Frank and Evans, 1997;McNaughton et al, 1997;Ritchie et al, 1998;Sirotnak and Huntly, 2000;Olofsson et al, 2001;Stark et al, 2003;Fornara and Du Toit, 2008). For invertebrate herbivores, the general view is that they speed up nutrient cycling in terrestrial systems by changing litter quantity and quality, modifying the nutrient content of throughfall, and releasing easily-available nutrients in frass and cadavers (Hunter, 2001).…”

Section: Applying Rule 2 To Terrestrial Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Stoichiometry of Nutrient Release by Terrestrial Herbivores and Its Ecosystem Consequences

et al. 2017

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It is widely recognized that the release of nutrients by herbivores via their waste products strongly impacts nutrient availability for autotrophs. The ratios of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) recycled through herbivore release (i.e., waste N:P) are mainly determined by the stoichiometric composition of the herbivore's food (food N:P) and its body nutrient content (body N:P). Waste N:P can in turn impact autotroph nutrient limitation and productivity. Herbivore-driven nutrient recycling based on stoichiometric principles is dominated by theoretical and experimental research in freshwater systems, in particular interactions between algae and invertebrate herbivores. In terrestrial ecosystems, the impact of herbivores on nutrient cycling and availability is often limited to studying carbon (C):N and C:P ratios, while the role of terrestrial herbivores in mediating N:P ratios is also likely to influence herbivore-driven nutrient recycling. In this review, we use rules and predictions on the stoichiometry of nutrient release originating from algal-based aquatic systems to identify the factors that determine the stoichiometry of nutrient release by herbivores. We then explore how these rules can be used to understand the stoichiometry of nutrient release by terrestrial herbivores, ranging from invertebrates to mammals, and its impact on plant nutrient limitation and productivity. Future studies should focus on measuring both N and P when investigating herbivore-driven nutrient recycling in terrestrial ecosystems, while also taking the form of waste product (urine or feces) and other pathways by which herbivores change nutrients into account, to be able to quantify the impact of waste stoichiometry on plant communities.

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“…This results in high amounts of labile C and extractable N [4][5][6], which can increase mineralization rates [7,8]. Because soil microorganisms can respond quickly to natural disturbances [9], increased soil microbial respiration rates are commonly observed following the input of organic material during forest pest outbreaks [4,10]. Despite this phenomenon, little is known about the changes in the abundance of decomposer microbes during such biotic disturbances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Abundance of Fungi, Bacteria and Denitrification Genes during Insect Outbreaks in Scots Pine Forests

Grüning

Beule

Meyer

et al. 2018

Forests

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Abstract:Outbreaks of defoliating insects may affect microbial populations in forests and thereby mass balances and ecosystem functioning. Here, we investigated the microbial dynamics in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests during outbreaks of the nun moth (Lymantria monacha L.) and the pine-tree lappet (Dendrolimus pini L.). We used real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to quantify genes that characterize bacterial and fungal abundance and the denitrification processes (nirK, nirS, nosZ clades I and II) in different forest compartments and we analyzed the C and N content of pine needles, insect feces, larvae, vegetation layers, organic layers, and mineral soil horizons. The infestation of the nun moth increased the bacterial abundance on pine needles, in the vegetation layer, and in the upper organic layer, while fungal populations were increased in the vegetation layer and upper organic layer during both outbreaks. In soil, the abundance of nirK increased after insect defoliation, while the C/N ratios decreased. nosZ clades I and II showed variable responses in different soil layers and to different defoliating insects. Our results illustrate changes in the microbial populations in pine forests that were infested by defoliating insects and changes in the chemical soil properties that foster these populations, indicating a genetic potential for increased soil N 2 O emissions during the defoliation peak of insect outbreak events.

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Responses of soil respiration, soil nutrients, and litter decomposition to inputs from canopy herbivores

Cited by 67 publications

References 31 publications

Manna from heaven: Refuse from an arboreal ant links aboveground and belowground processes in a lowland tropical forest

Manna from heaven: Refuse from an arboreal ant links aboveground and belowground processes in a lowland tropical forest

The Stoichiometry of Nutrient Release by Terrestrial Herbivores and Its Ecosystem Consequences

The Abundance of Fungi, Bacteria and Denitrification Genes during Insect Outbreaks in Scots Pine Forests

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