Exploring carbon flow through the root channel in a temperate forest soil food web

    Authors

    K. J. Gilbert; T. J. Fahey; J. C. Maerz; R. E. Sherman; P. Bohlen; J. J. Dombroskie; P. M. Groffman;J. B. Yavitt

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Soil Biol. Biochem.

    Keywords

    Ants; Carbon; Earthworms; Energy flow; Invasive species; Salamander; NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS; GROUND-NESTING SONGBIRDS; SUGAR MAPLE FOREST; EARTHWORM INVASION; NONNATIVE EARTHWORMS; FEEDING ECOLOGY; GENUS; PLETHODON; INVERTEBRATES; SALAMANDER; FUMIGATION; Soil Science

    Abstract

    Soil food webs play an important role in forest ecosystem functions that may be sensitive to global environmental change. We traced a pulse of C-13 from the root systems of young sugar maple stands through the soil food web to explore energy flow from roots to soil heterotrophs. Invasive earthworms (Lumbricidae) were the most highly-enriched taxa sampled, indicating that they were consuming significant quantities of live fine roots and mycorrhizae and assimilating significant amounts of root-derived C. Another invasive invertebrate, a weevil (Barypeithes pellucidus) also appeared to consume significant amounts of roots or root-derived C. High isotope enrichment in ants (Formicidae) may reflect their feeding on phloem-sucking coccids in soil. All the predators collected from the litter layer also exhibited high isotope enrichment, including the salamander Plethodon cinereus. Moreover, in the absence of invasive earthworms all the taxa of animals collected from surface soil were similarly highly-enriched in root-derived isotopes. The apparent importance of the root channel in supplying energy to the soil food web suggests that forest ecosystem functions could be highly sensitive to global changes that alter proportional tree C allocation belowground. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Soil Biology & Biochemistry

    Volume

    76

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    45

    Last Page

    52

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000339695900006

    ISSN

    0038-0717

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