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A global synthesis of below‐ground carbon responses to biotic disturbance: a meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Zhang Baocheng,
Zhou Xuhui,
Zhou Lingyan,
Ju Ruiting
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
global ecology and biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.164
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1466-8238
pISSN - 1466-822X
DOI - 10.1111/geb.12235
Subject(s) - disturbance (geology) , environmental science , ecosystem , ecology , biotic component , biomass (ecology) , soil carbon , carbon cycle , population , biology , abiotic component , soil water , paleontology , demography , sociology
Aim Climate change, especially the wider occurrence of extreme events, is likely to increase the intensity and frequency of insect/pathogen outbreaks (referred to as biotic disturbance), which may considerably affect plant ecophysiological traits and thus the ecosystem carbon ( C ) cycle. Little is known, however, about the ways in which biotic disturbance quantitatively affects ecosystem C processes, especially those that occur below ground. We reveal the general patterns of below‐ground C responses to biotic disturbance from field manipulative experiments and opportunistic events. Location Global. Method We carried out a meta‐analysis examining the effects of biotic disturbance on 16 variables associated with below‐ground C processes, based on 64 experimental studies. Results Biotic disturbance significantly decreased below‐ground C pools with relatively long residence times (e.g. root biomass and soil organic carbon, SOC ), but increased labile C pools (e.g. microbial biomass carbon, MBC ; dissolved organic carbon, DOC ), soil respiration ( R s ) and its components, and microbial population sizes. Compared with the neutral or positive effects of other environmental changes on below‐ground C pools and fluxes, biotic disturbance had a negative effect on plant biomass and SOC but a larger positive effect on MBC , DOC and R s . Main conclusions Biotic disturbance can have stronger impacts on below‐ground C processes than other environmental changes, and the sensitive responses of soil labile C pools and C fluxes to biotic disturbance decrease long‐term below‐ground C sequestration. More research efforts are, however, needed to reduce the uncertainties in quantifying the effects of biotic disturbance and to improve forecasting of the feedback between the carbon cycle and climate.