Fear of predation slows plant-litter decomposition.
Aboveground consumers are believed to affect ecosystem functioning by regulating the quantity and quality of plant litter entering the soil. We uncovered a pathway whereby terrestrial predators regulate ecosystem processes via indirect control over soil community function. Grasshopper herbivores stressed by spider predators have a higher body carbon-to-nitrogen ratio than do grasshoppers raised without spiders. This change in elemental content does not slow grasshopper decomposition but perturbs belowground community function, decelerating the subsequent decomposition of plant litter. This legacy effect of predation on soil community function appears to be regulated by the amount of herbivore protein entering the soil.
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 370 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. dror.hawlena@mail.huji.ac.il
Dror
D
Hawlena
Michael S
MS
Strickland
Mark A
MA
Bradford
Oswald J
OJ
Schmitz
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005239:Fear; D020387:Food Chain; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013112:Spiders / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
D019476:Insect Proteins; D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen