Abstract
The arthropod assemblages of the litter and soil play significant roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling. At the FACE (Free-Air CO2 Enrichment) site at the Duke Forest, we assessed the responses of the litter microarthropod assemblage to elevated CO2 (200 ppm above ambient) in a loblolly pine plantation. Following the initiation of the elevated CO2 treatment, a trend toward lower microarthropod abundance under elevated CO2 emerged. After 18 months, the mean microarthropod abundance was 33% lower in the elevated treatment (P=0.04). The decline was evident in all microarthropod groups, but was significant only in the oribatid mites (P=0.04). Because these responses precede any changes in litter quality resulting from the CO2 treatment, they may reflect plant-derived changes in the soil that are being conveyed into the litter layer.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen A S, Andrews J A, Finzi A C, Matamala R, Richter D D and Schlesinger W H 2000 Effects of free-air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) on belowground processes in a Pinus taeda forest. Ecol. Appl. 10, 43–448.
Ball A S 1997 Microbial decomposition at elevated CO2 levels: Effect of litter quality.Global Change Biol. 3, 379–386.
Bending G D and Read D J 1995 The structure and function of the vegetative mycelium of ectomycorrhizal plants V. Foraging behaviour and translocation of nutrients from exploited litter. New Phytol. 130, 401–409.
Berntson G M, Wayne P M and Bazzaz F A 1997 Below-ground architectural and mycorrhizal responses to elevated CO2 in Betula alleghaniensis populations.Funct. Ecol.11,684–695.
Berntson G M and Bazzaz F A 1998 Regenerating temperate forest mesocosms in elevated CO2: Belowground growth and nitrogen cycling.Oecologia 113,15–125.
Boddy L 1999 Saprotrophic cord-forming fungi: meeting the challenge of heterogeneous environments.Mycologia91,13–32.
Chen B, Snider R J and Snider R M 1995 Food preference and effects of food type on the life history of some soil Collembola. Pedobiologia 39, 496–505.
Cotrufo M F, Ineson P and Rowland A P 1994 Decomposition of tree leaf litters grown under elevated CO2: Effect of litter quality. Plant Soil163, 121–130.
Cotrufo M F and Ineson P 1996 Elevated CO2 reduces field decomposition rates of Betula pendula (Roth.) leaf litter.Oecologia 106, 525–530.
Cotrufo M F, Briones M J I and Ineson P 1998 Elevated CO2 affects field decomposition rate and palatability of tree leaf litter: Importance of changes in substrate quality. Soil Biol. Biochem. 30, 1565–1571.
Couteaux M M, Mousseau M, Celerier M L and Bottner P 1991 Atmospheric CO2 increase and litter quality: Decomposition of sweet chestnut leaf litter under different animal food web complexity. Oikos61,54–64.
DeLucia E H, Hamilton J G, Naidu S L, Thomas R,B, Andrews J A, Finzi A, Lavine M, Matamala R, Mohan J E, Hendrey G and R Schlesinger W H 1999 Net primary production of a forest ecosystem with experimental CO2 enrichment. Science 284, 1177–1179.
Field C B, Jackson R B and Mooney H A 1995 Stomatal responses to increased CO2: Implications from the plant to the global scale. Plant Cell Environ. 18, 1214–1225.
Finzi A C, Allen A S, DeLucia E H, Ellsworth D S and Schlessinger W H 2001 Forest litter production, chemistry and decomposition following two years of free-air CO2 enrichment.Ecology82, 475–484.
Godbold D L and Berntson GM 1997 Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration changes ectomycorrhizal morphotype assemblages in Betula papyrifera.Tree Physiol. 17, 347–350.
Goering H K and VanSoest P J 1970 Forage fiber analyses. In: Agricultural Handbook No. 379. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C.
Hart S C and Firestone M K 1991 Forest floor-mineral soil interactions in the internal nitrogen cycle of an old-growth forest. Biogeochemistry 12, 103–127.
Hart S C, Firestone M K, Paul E A and Smith J L 1993 Flow and fate of soil nitrogen in an annual grassland and a young mixed conifer forest.Soil Biol. Biochem. 25, 431–442.
Hattenschwiler S, Buhler S and Korner C 1999 Quality, decomposition and isopod consumption of tree litter produced under elevated CO2. Oikos85,271–281.
Hiol F H, Dixon R K and Curl E A 1994 The feeding preference of mycophagous collembola varies with the ectomycorrhizal symbiont.Mycorrhiza 5, 99–103.
Ineichen K, Wiemken V and Wiemken A 1995 Shoots, roots and ectomycorrhiza formation of pine seedlings at elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.Plant Cell Environ. 18,703–707.
Insam H, Baath B, Berreck M, Frostegard A, Gerzabek M H, Kraft A, Schinner F, Schweiger P and Tschuggnall G 1999 Responses of the soil microbiota to elevated CO2 in an artificial tropical ecosystem.J. Microbiol. Meth.36,45–54.
Jones D W, Cheng WJ and Ball J T 2000 Effects of CO2 and N fertilization on decomposition and N immobilization in ponderosa pine litter.Plant Soil224, 115–122.
Jones T H, Thompson L J, Lawton J H, Bezemer TM, Bardgett R D, Blackburn T M, Bruce K D, Cannon P F, Hall G S, Hartley S E, Howson G, Jones C G, Kampichler C, Kandeler E and Ritchie D A 1998 Impacts of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on model terrestrial ecosystems.Science 280,441–443.
Kaneko N, McLean M A and Parkinson D 1995 Grazing preference of Onychiurus subtenuis (Collembola) and Oppiella nova (Oribatei) for fungal species inoculated on pine needles.Pedobiologia 39, 538–346.
Klironomos J N, Rillig M C and Allen M F 1996 Below-ground microbial and microfaunal response to Artemisia tridentata grown under elevated atmospheric CO2.Funct. Ecol. 10, 527–734.
Klironomos J N and Kendrick W B 1996 Palatability of microfungi to soil arthropods in relation to the functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizae.Biol. Fertil. Soils21, 43–52.
Klironomos J N, Rillig M C, Allen M F, Zak D R, Kubiskes M and Pregitzer K S 1997 Soil fungal-arthropod responses to Populus temuloides grown under enriched atmospheric CO2 under field conditions.Global Change Biol. 3, 473–478.
Markkola, A M, Ohtonen A, Ahonen-Jonnarth U and Ohtonen R 1996 Scots pine responses to CO2 enrichment I. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil fauna.Environ. Poll. 94, 309–316.
Matamala R and Schlesinger W H 2000 Effects of atmospheric CO2 on fine root production and activity in an intact temperate forest ecosystem. Global Change Biol.6, 967–979.
Maraun R, Migge S, Schaefer M and Scheu S 1998 Selection of microfungal food by six oribatid mite species (Oribatida, Acari) from two different beech forests.Pedobiologia42, 232–240.
Mitchell M J and Parkinson D 1976 Fungal feeding of oribatid mites (Acari: Cryptostigmata) in an Aspen woodland soil.Ecology57, 302–312.
Moore J C, Ingham E R and Coleman D C 1987 Inter-and intraspecific feeding selectivity of Folsomia candida (Willem) (Collembola, Isotomidae) on fungi.Biol. Fert. Soils5,6–12.
Norton R A 1994 Evolutionary Aspects of Oribatid Mite Life Histories and Consequences of the Origin of the Astigmata. In Mites: Ecological and Evolutionary Analyses of Life History Patterns. Ed. M Houck. 357 p. Chapman & Hall, New York.
O'Neill E G 1994 Responses of soil biota to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.Plant Soil 165, 55–65.
Pearse A S 1946 Observations of the microfauna of the Duke Forest. Ecol. Monogr. 16, 128–150.
Perez-Moreno J and Read D J 2000 Mobilization and transfer of nutrients from litter to tree seedlings via the vegetative mycelium of ectomycorrhizal plants.New Phytol. 145,301–309.
Rouhier H and Read D J 1998 Plant and fungal responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide in mycorrhizal seedlings of Pinus sylvestris.Environ. Exp. Bot.42, 237–246.
Rouhier H and Read D J 1999 Plant and fungal responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 in mycorrhizal seedlings of Betula pendula. Environ. Exp. Bot.42, 231–241.
Runion GB, Curl E A, Rogers H H, Backman P A, Rodriquez-Kabana R and Helms B E 1994 Effects of free-air CO2 enrichment on microbial populations in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere of cotton.Agric. For. Meteorol. 70, 117–130.
Runion GB, Mitchell R J, Rogers H H, Prior S and Counts T K 1997 Effects of nitrogen and water limitation and elevated atmospheric CO2 on ectomycorrhiza of longleaf pine.New Phytol. 137,681–689.
SAS 1989 SAS/STAT User's Guide, Version 6. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina, USA.
Schultz P A 1991 Grazing preferences of 2 collembolan species, Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Pedobiologia 35, 313–325.
Shaw P J A 1988 A consistent hierarchy in the fungal feeding preferences of the Collembola Onychiurus armatus. Pedobiologia31, 179–187.
Yeates G W and Orchard V A 1993 Response of pasture soil faunal populations and decomposition processes to elevated carbon dioxide and temperature - a climate chamber experiment. In: Proceedings of the 6th Australian Grassland Invertebrate Ecology Conference. pp 148–154.
Yeates G W, Tate K R and Newton P C D 1997 Response of the fauna of a grassland soil to doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Biol. Fert. Soils 25, 307–315.
Zaller J G and Arnone J A III 1997 Activity of surface-casting earthworms in a calcareous grassland under elevated CO2. Oecologia 111,249 54. Section editor: G.R. Shaver
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hansen, R.A., Williams, R.S., Degenhardt, D.C. et al. Non-litter effects of elevated CO2 on forest floor microarthropod abundances. Plant and Soil 236, 139–144 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012705231992
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012705231992