Woody encroachment slows decomposition and termite activity in an African savanna

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Global change biology. - 1999. - 24(2018), 6 vom: 16. Juni, Seite 2597-2606
1. Verfasser: Leitner, Monica (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Davies, Andrew B, Parr, Catherine L, Eggleton, Paul, Robertson, Mark P
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2018
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Global change biology
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Dichrostachys cinerea Macrotermitinae Termitoidae bush encroachment global change litterbags naphthalene nutrient cycle mehr... soil fauna woody thickening Soil
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520 |a Woody encroachment can lead to a complete switch from open habitats to dense thickets, and has the potential to greatly alter the biodiversity and ecological functioning of grassy ecosystems across the globe. Plant litter decomposition is a critical ecosystem process fundamental to nutrient cycling and global carbon dynamics, yet little is known about how woody encroachment might alter this process. We compared grass decay rates of heavily encroached areas with adjacent nonencroached open areas in a semi-arid South African savanna using litterbags that allowed or excluded invertebrates. We also assessed the effect of woody encroachment on the activity of termites- dominant decomposer organisms in savanna systems. We found a significant reduction in decomposition rates within encroached areas, with litter taking twice as long to decay compared with open savanna areas. Moreover, invertebrates were more influential on grass decomposition in open areas and termite activity was substantially lower in encroached areas, particularly during the dry season when activity levels were reduced to almost zero. Our results suggest that woody encroachment created an unfavourable environment for invertebrates, and termites in particular, leading to decreased decomposition rates in these areas. We provide the first quantification of woody encroachment altering the functioning of African savanna ecosystems through the slowing of aboveground plant decomposition. Woody encroachment is intensifying across the globe, and our results suggest that substantial changes to the carbon balance and biodiversity of grassy biomes could occur 
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650 4 |a Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 
650 4 |a Dichrostachys cinerea 
650 4 |a Macrotermitinae 
650 4 |a Termitoidae 
650 4 |a bush encroachment 
650 4 |a global change 
650 4 |a litterbags 
650 4 |a naphthalene 
650 4 |a nutrient cycle 
650 4 |a soil fauna 
650 4 |a woody thickening 
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700 1 |a Davies, Andrew B  |e verfasserin  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Parr, Catherine L  |e verfasserin  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Eggleton, Paul  |e verfasserin  |4 aut 
700 1 |a Robertson, Mark P  |e verfasserin  |4 aut 
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773 1 8 |g volume:24  |g year:2018  |g number:6  |g day:16  |g month:06  |g pages:2597-2606 
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