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Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers

Chuan Zhao, John Griffin Orcid Logo, Wu Xinwei, Shucun Sun, Jason Tylianakis

Journal of Animal Ecology, Volume: 82, Issue: 4, Pages: 749 - 758

Swansea University Author: John Griffin Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1111/1365-2656.12058

Abstract

Theory suggests that predators of soil-improving, plant-facilitating detritivores (e.g. earthworms) should suppress plant growth via a negative tri-trophic cascade, but the empirical evidence is still largely lacking. We tested this prediction in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau by manipulati...

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Published in: Journal of Animal Ecology
ISSN: 0021-8790
Published: 2013
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa14743
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first_indexed 2013-07-23T12:12:52Z
last_indexed 2018-02-09T04:46:19Z
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spelling 2014-01-23T17:06:54.2756655 v2 14743 2013-04-26 Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f 0000-0003-3295-6480 John Griffin John Griffin true false 2013-04-26 SBI Theory suggests that predators of soil-improving, plant-facilitating detritivores (e.g. earthworms) should suppress plant growth via a negative tri-trophic cascade, but the empirical evidence is still largely lacking. We tested this prediction in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau by manipulating predatory beetles (presence/absence) and quantifying (i) direct effects on the density andbehaviour of earthworms; and (ii) indirect effects on soil properties and above-ground plant biomass. In the absence of predators, earthworms improved soil properties, but did not significantly affect plant biomass. Surprisingly, the presence of predators strengthened the positive effect of earthworms on soil properties leading to the emergence of a positive indirect effect of predators on plant biomass. We attribute this counter-intuitive result to: (i) the inability of predators to suppress overall earthworm density; and (ii) the predator-induced earthworm habitat shift from the upper to lower soil layer that enhanced their soil-modifying, plant-facilitating, effects. Our results reveal that plant-level consequences of predators as transmitted through detritivores can hinge on behaviour-mediated indirect interactions that have the potential to overturn predictions based solely on trophic interactions. This work calls for a closer examination of the effects of predators in detritus food webs and the development of spatially explicit theory capable of predicting the occurrence and consequences of predator-induced detritivore behavioural shifts. Journal Article Journal of Animal Ecology 82 4 749 758 0021-8790 alpine meadow, beetle, behaviour-mediated indirect interaction, detritus, earthworm, food chain, trophic cascade 31 12 2013 2013-12-31 10.1111/1365-2656.12058 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12058/pdf COLLEGE NANME Biosciences COLLEGE CODE SBI Swansea University 2014-01-23T17:06:54.2756655 2013-04-26T16:30:46.0916655 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Chuan Zhao 1 John Griffin 0000-0003-3295-6480 2 Wu Xinwei 3 Shucun Sun 4 Jason Tylianakis 5
title Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
spellingShingle Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
John Griffin
title_short Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
title_full Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
title_fullStr Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
title_full_unstemmed Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
title_sort Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
author_id_str_mv 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f
author_id_fullname_str_mv 9814fbffa76dd9c9a207166354cd0b2f_***_John Griffin
author John Griffin
author2 Chuan Zhao
John Griffin
Wu Xinwei
Shucun Sun
Jason Tylianakis
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Animal Ecology
container_volume 82
container_issue 4
container_start_page 749
publishDate 2013
institution Swansea University
issn 0021-8790
doi_str_mv 10.1111/1365-2656.12058
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
url http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12058/pdf
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description Theory suggests that predators of soil-improving, plant-facilitating detritivores (e.g. earthworms) should suppress plant growth via a negative tri-trophic cascade, but the empirical evidence is still largely lacking. We tested this prediction in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau by manipulating predatory beetles (presence/absence) and quantifying (i) direct effects on the density andbehaviour of earthworms; and (ii) indirect effects on soil properties and above-ground plant biomass. In the absence of predators, earthworms improved soil properties, but did not significantly affect plant biomass. Surprisingly, the presence of predators strengthened the positive effect of earthworms on soil properties leading to the emergence of a positive indirect effect of predators on plant biomass. We attribute this counter-intuitive result to: (i) the inability of predators to suppress overall earthworm density; and (ii) the predator-induced earthworm habitat shift from the upper to lower soil layer that enhanced their soil-modifying, plant-facilitating, effects. Our results reveal that plant-level consequences of predators as transmitted through detritivores can hinge on behaviour-mediated indirect interactions that have the potential to overturn predictions based solely on trophic interactions. This work calls for a closer examination of the effects of predators in detritus food webs and the development of spatially explicit theory capable of predicting the occurrence and consequences of predator-induced detritivore behavioural shifts.
published_date 2013-12-31T03:16:53Z
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score 10.997593

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