Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/26617
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Tree identity rather than tree diversity drives earthworm communities in European forests
Author(s): De Wandeler, Hans
Bruelheide, Helge
Dawud, Seid Muhie
Danila, Gabriel
Domisch, Timo
Finer, Leena
Hermy, Martin
Jaroszewicz, Bogdan
Joly, Francois-Xavier
Muller, Sandra
Ratcliffe, Sophia
Raulund-Rasmussen, Karsten
Rota, Emilia
Van Meerbeek, Koenraad
Vesterdal, Lars
Muys, Bart
Contact Email: francois-xavier.joly1@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: FunDivEUROPE
litter functional traits
litter quality
soil fauna
species richness
tree functional diversity
Issue Date: Mar-2018
Date Deposited: 2-Feb-2018
Citation: De Wandeler H, Bruelheide H, Dawud SM, Danila G, Domisch T, Finer L, Hermy M, Jaroszewicz B, Joly F, Muller S, Ratcliffe S, Raulund-Rasmussen K, Rota E, Van Meerbeek K, Vesterdal L & Muys B (2018) Tree identity rather than tree diversity drives earthworm communities in European forests. Pedobiologia, 67, pp. 16-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2018.01.003
Abstract: Given the key role of belowground biota on forest ecosystem functioning, it is important to identify the factors that influence their abundance and composition. However, the understanding of the ecological linkage between tree diversity and belowground biota is still insufficient. Here we investigated the influence of tree diversity (richness, True Shannon diversity index, functional diversity) and identity (proportion of evergreen leaf litter and leaf litter quality) on earthworm species richness and biomass at a continental and regional scale, using data from a Europe-wide forest research platform (FunDivEUROPE) spanning six major forest types. We found a marked tree identity effect at the continental scale, with proportion of evergreen leaf litter negatively affecting total earthworm biomass and species richness, as well as their biomass per functional group. Furthermore, there were clear litter quality effects with a latitudinal variation in trait-specific responses. In north and central Europe, earthworm biomass and species richness clearly increased with increasing litter nutrient concentrations (decreasing C:N ratio and increasing calcium concentration), whereas this influence of litter nutrients was absent or even reversed in southern Europe. In addition, although earthworms were unaffected by the number of tree species, tree diversity positively affected earthworm biomass at the continental scale through functional diversity of the leaf litter. By focusing on tree leaf litter traits, this study advanced our understanding of the mechanisms driving tree identity effects and supported previous findings that litter quality, as a proxy of tree identity, was a stronger driver of earthworm species richness and biomass than tree diversity
DOI Link: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2018.01.003
Rights: This item has been embargoed for a period. During the embargo please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. Accepted refereed manuscript of: De Wandeler H, Bruelheide H, Dawud SM, Danila G, Domisch T, Finer L, Hermy M, Jaroszewicz B, Joly F, Muller S, Ratcliffe S, Raulund-Rasmussen K, Rota E, Van Meerbeek K, Vesterdal L & Muys B (2018) Tree identity rather than tree diversity drives earthworm communities in European forests, Pedobiologia, 67, pp. 16-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2018.01.003 © 2018, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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