Journal
ECOLOGY
Volume 94, Issue 2, Pages 267-272Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1890/12-0917.1
Keywords
Betula pubescens; carbon allocation; Epirrita autumnata; Finnish Lapland; humus and soil chemistry; moth herbivory; mountain birch; Operophtera brumata; resource turnover; soil decomposers; subarctic ecosystems
Categories
Funding
- Societas pro Fauna et Flora Fennica
- Academy of Finland [138309, 127140, 122092, 123725, 252323]
- Nordic Centre of Excellence-Tundra
- Academy of Finland (AKA) [252323, 122092, 127140, 252323, 122092, 127140] Funding Source: Academy of Finland (AKA)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Massive moth outbreaks cause large-scale damage in subarctic mountain birch forests with a concomitant decrease in carbon flux to mycorrhizal fungi and an increased deposition of dissolved carbon and nutrients as moth frass into soil. We investigated impacts of moth herbivory along three replicated gradients with three levels of moth herbivory (undamaged, once damaged, repeatedly damaged) on soil nutrient levels and biological parameters. We found an increase in soil nutrients and in the biomass of enchytraeid worms, which are key faunal decomposers. Fungi : bacteria ratio and C:N ratio decreased in humus with increasing severity of herbivory. Our findings suggest enhanced resource turnover in mountain birch forests due to massive moth herbivory. This may provide a shortcut for carbon and nutrient input to subarctic soils, which largely bypasses the main routes of carbon from plants to soil via mycorrhizal and litter-decomposing fungi. Moreover, a temporal shift occurs in carbon allocation to soil, providing decomposers an opportunity to use an early-season peak in resource availability. Our results suggest a hitherto unappreciated role of massive insect herbivore attacks on resource dynamics in subarctic ecosystems.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available