TY - JOUR

T1 - Interactions between above- and belowground organisms modified in climate change experiments

A1 - Stevnsbak,Karen

A1 - Scherber,Christoph

A1 - Gladbach,David

A1 - Beier,Claus

A1 - Mikkelsen,Teis Nørgaard

A1 - Christensen,Søren

AU - Stevnsbak,Karen

AU - Scherber,Christoph

AU - Gladbach,David

AU - Beier,Claus

AU - Mikkelsen,Teis Nørgaard

AU - Christensen,Søren

PB - Nature Publishing Group

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Climate change has been shown to affect ecosystem process rates and community composition, with direct and indirect effects on belowground food webs. In particular, altered rates of herbivory under future climate4 can be expected to influence above–belowground interactions. Here, we use a multifactor, field-scale climate change experiment and independently manipulate atmospheric CO2 concentration, air and soil temperature and drought in all combinations since 2005. We show that changes in these factors modify the interaction between above- and belowground organisms.We use an insect herbivore to experimentally increase aboveground herbivory in grass phytometers exposed to all eight combinations of climate change factors for three years. Aboveground herbivory increased the abundance of belowground protozoans, microbial growth and microbial nitrogen availability. Increased CO2 modified these links through a reduction in herbivory and cascading effects through the soil food web. Interactions between CO2, drought and warming can affect belowground protozoan abundance. Our findings imply that climate change affects aboveground–belowground interactions through changes in nutrient availability.

AB - Climate change has been shown to affect ecosystem process rates and community composition, with direct and indirect effects on belowground food webs. In particular, altered rates of herbivory under future climate4 can be expected to influence above–belowground interactions. Here, we use a multifactor, field-scale climate change experiment and independently manipulate atmospheric CO2 concentration, air and soil temperature and drought in all combinations since 2005. We show that changes in these factors modify the interaction between above- and belowground organisms.We use an insect herbivore to experimentally increase aboveground herbivory in grass phytometers exposed to all eight combinations of climate change factors for three years. Aboveground herbivory increased the abundance of belowground protozoans, microbial growth and microbial nitrogen availability. Increased CO2 modified these links through a reduction in herbivory and cascading effects through the soil food web. Interactions between CO2, drought and warming can affect belowground protozoan abundance. Our findings imply that climate change affects aboveground–belowground interactions through changes in nutrient availability.

KW - Biodiversity and ecosystems

KW - Biogeochemistry and geochemistry

KW - Biological sciences

KW - Biology

KW - Ecology

U2 - 10.1038/NCLIMATE1544

DO - 10.1038/NCLIMATE1544

JO - Nature Climate Change

JF - Nature Climate Change

SN - 1758-678X

VL - 2

SP - 805

EP - 808

ER -