Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system
Abstract As a cause of ecosystem disturbances, phytophagous insects are known to directly influence the element and organic matter (OM) cycling in ecosystems by their defoliation and excretion activity. This study focuses on the interplay between short‐term, insect herbivory, plant responses to feed...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3449 |
| _version_ | 1818447043454042112 |
|---|---|
| author | Karin Potthast Stefanie Meyer Alexander Tischer Gerd Gleixner Anne Sieburg Torsten Frosch Beate Michalzik |
| author_facet | Karin Potthast Stefanie Meyer Alexander Tischer Gerd Gleixner Anne Sieburg Torsten Frosch Beate Michalzik |
| author_sort | Karin Potthast |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract As a cause of ecosystem disturbances, phytophagous insects are known to directly influence the element and organic matter (OM) cycling in ecosystems by their defoliation and excretion activity. This study focuses on the interplay between short‐term, insect herbivory, plant responses to feeding activity, rhizosphere processes, and belowground nutrient availability under nutrient‐poor soil conditions. To test the effects of insect herbivory on OM and nutrient cycling in an N‐limited pasture system, mesocosm laboratory experiments were conducted using Dactylis glomerata as common grass species and Chorthippus dorsatus, a widespread grasshopper species, to induce strong defoliating herbivory. 13CO2 pulse labeling was used together with labeled 15N feces to trace the fate of C in soil respiration at the beginning of herbivory, and of C and N in above‐ and belowground plant biomass, grasshopper, feces, bulk soil, soil microbial biomass, throughfall solutions, and soil solutions. Within five days, herbivory caused a reduction in aboveground grass biomass by about 34%. A linear mixed‐effects model revealed that herbivory significantly increased total dissolved C and N amounts in throughfall solutions by a factor of 4–10 (P < 0.05) compared with the control. In total, 27.6% of the initially applied feces 15N were translocated from the aboveground to the belowground system. A significant enrichment of 15N in roots led to the assumption that feces‐derived 15N was rapidly taken up to compensate for the frass‐related foliar N losses in light of N shortage. Soil microorganisms incorporated newly available 13C; however, the total amount of soil microbial biomass remained unaffected, while the exploitative grass species rapidly sequestered resources to facilitate its regrowth after herbivory attack. Heavy herbivory by insects infesting D. glomerata‐dominated, N‐deficient grasslands remarkably impacted belowground nutrient cycling by an instant amplification of available nutrients, which led to an intensified nutrient competition between plants and soil microorganisms. Consequently, these competitive plant–soil microbe interactions accelerated N cycling and effectively retained herbivory‐mediated C and N surplus release resulting in diminished N losses from the system. The study highlighted the overarching role of plant adaptations to in situ soil fertility in short‐term ecosystem disturbances. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:57:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9eb8b3765699435588af45403dd7932c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:57:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-9eb8b3765699435588af45403dd7932c2022-12-21T22:49:16ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252021-03-01123n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.3449Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland systemKarin Potthast0Stefanie Meyer1Alexander Tischer2Gerd Gleixner3Anne Sieburg4Torsten Frosch5Beate Michalzik6Institute of Geography/Chair of Soil Science Friedrich Schiller University Jena Löbdergraben 32 Jena07743GermanyMedical Center LMU Munich Ziemssenstraße 1 Munchen80336GermanyInstitute of Geography/Chair of Soil Science Friedrich Schiller University Jena Löbdergraben 32 Jena07743GermanyResearch Group of Molecular Biogeochemistry MPI for Biogeochemistry Hans‐Knöll‐Straße 10 Jena07745GermanyLeibniz Institute of Photonic Technology Jena07745GermanyLeibniz Institute of Photonic Technology Jena07745GermanyInstitute of Geography/Chair of Soil Science Friedrich Schiller University Jena Löbdergraben 32 Jena07743GermanyAbstract As a cause of ecosystem disturbances, phytophagous insects are known to directly influence the element and organic matter (OM) cycling in ecosystems by their defoliation and excretion activity. This study focuses on the interplay between short‐term, insect herbivory, plant responses to feeding activity, rhizosphere processes, and belowground nutrient availability under nutrient‐poor soil conditions. To test the effects of insect herbivory on OM and nutrient cycling in an N‐limited pasture system, mesocosm laboratory experiments were conducted using Dactylis glomerata as common grass species and Chorthippus dorsatus, a widespread grasshopper species, to induce strong defoliating herbivory. 13CO2 pulse labeling was used together with labeled 15N feces to trace the fate of C in soil respiration at the beginning of herbivory, and of C and N in above‐ and belowground plant biomass, grasshopper, feces, bulk soil, soil microbial biomass, throughfall solutions, and soil solutions. Within five days, herbivory caused a reduction in aboveground grass biomass by about 34%. A linear mixed‐effects model revealed that herbivory significantly increased total dissolved C and N amounts in throughfall solutions by a factor of 4–10 (P < 0.05) compared with the control. In total, 27.6% of the initially applied feces 15N were translocated from the aboveground to the belowground system. A significant enrichment of 15N in roots led to the assumption that feces‐derived 15N was rapidly taken up to compensate for the frass‐related foliar N losses in light of N shortage. Soil microorganisms incorporated newly available 13C; however, the total amount of soil microbial biomass remained unaffected, while the exploitative grass species rapidly sequestered resources to facilitate its regrowth after herbivory attack. Heavy herbivory by insects infesting D. glomerata‐dominated, N‐deficient grasslands remarkably impacted belowground nutrient cycling by an instant amplification of available nutrients, which led to an intensified nutrient competition between plants and soil microorganisms. Consequently, these competitive plant–soil microbe interactions accelerated N cycling and effectively retained herbivory‐mediated C and N surplus release resulting in diminished N losses from the system. The study highlighted the overarching role of plant adaptations to in situ soil fertility in short‐term ecosystem disturbances.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3449carbon allocationChorthippus dorsatusDactylis glomerata15Nfeces depositionHainich |
| spellingShingle | Karin Potthast Stefanie Meyer Alexander Tischer Gerd Gleixner Anne Sieburg Torsten Frosch Beate Michalzik Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system Ecosphere carbon allocation Chorthippus dorsatus Dactylis glomerata 15N feces deposition Hainich |
| title | Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system |
| title_full | Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system |
| title_fullStr | Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system |
| title_short | Grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an N‐limited grassland system |
| title_sort | grasshopper herbivory immediately affects element cycling but not export rates in an n limited grassland system |
| topic | carbon allocation Chorthippus dorsatus Dactylis glomerata 15N feces deposition Hainich |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3449 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karinpotthast grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT stefaniemeyer grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT alexandertischer grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT gerdgleixner grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT annesieburg grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT torstenfrosch grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem AT beatemichalzik grasshopperherbivoryimmediatelyaffectselementcyclingbutnotexportratesinannlimitedgrasslandsystem |