Moth herbivory enhances resource turnover in subarctic mountain birch forests?

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology (Durham) 2013-02, Vol.94 (2), p.267-272
Main Authors: Kaukonen, Maarit, Ruotsalainen, Anna Liisa, Wäli, Piippa R., Männistö, Minna K., Setälä, Heikki, Saravesi, Karita, Huusko, Karoliina, Markkola, Annamari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid soils
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Betula - physiology
Betula pubescens
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Butterflies & moths
carbon allocation
Ecosystem
Epirrita autumnata
Finnish Lapland
Forest soils
Forests
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fungi
General aspects
Herbivores
Herbivory - physiology
Humus
humus and soil chemistry
Insecta
Invertebrates
Mineral soils
moth herbivory
Moths
Moths - physiology
mountain birch
Mountain soils
Nutrients
Operophtera brumata
Population Dynamics
resource turnover
soil decomposers
Soil ecology
Soil fungi
Soil nutrients
subarctic ecosystems
Synecology
Trees - physiology
Worms
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0012-9658
1939-9170
DOI:10.1890/12-0917.1