INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PLANT SPECIES AND EARTHWORM CASTS IN A CALCAREOUS GRASSLAND UNDER ELEVATED CO 2

We tested the hypothesis that the spatial proximity of a plant species to nutrient‐rich earthworm casts (e.g., 100% more ammonium and 30% more phosphate than in adjacent soil) is an important determinant of a plant’s responsiveness to elevated atmospheric CO 2 . In 1995 we mapped the location of both earthworm surface casts and plants in each of 16 1.2‐m 2 plots in a species‐rich calcareous grassland in northwestern Switzerland. Eight plots have been maintained under current ambient CO 2 concentrations (350 μL CO 2 /L), and eight have been maintained at elevated CO 2 (600 μL CO 2 /L) since March 1994. In addition, total ramet production of each species, as a measure of performance, and cumulative cast production at each location (cell) were recorded at peak community biomass in 1995. Plant species within functional groups (graminoids, non‐legume forbs, and legumes) differed markedly in their degree of association with casts; however, after two growing seasons elevated CO 2 had no effect on plant species or functional group associations with casts. No statistically significant relationship could be demonstrated between plant‐species response (i.e., ramet production) to elevated CO 2 and the degree of association with casts within any of the functional groups. However, a positive relationship was observed between the mean response of graminoid species to elevated CO 2 (measured as the percentage change in mean total ramet production of graminoid species, relative to mean total ramet production at ambient CO 2 ) and their mean degree of association (%) with surface casts at ambient CO 2 . Thus, graminoid species more frequently associated with casts (e.g., Anthoxanthum odoratum and Carex caryophyllea ) produced more ramets per square meter at elevated CO 2 than those less frequently associated with casts (e.g., Agrostis tenuis and Danthonia decumbens ). These results, along with the strong and significant positive correlations observed between ramet production and associated cumulative cast mass across CO 2 treatments for most plant species in all functional groups demonstrate: (1) that plant species differ significantly in their degree of association with nutrient‐rich earthworm surface casts, regardless of the relative abundance of plant species in the community; (2) that graminoid species that are more highly associated with casts may respond more strongly to rising CO 2 than those less highly associated with casts; and (3) that nutrient‐rich earthworm casts stimulate the growth (ramet production) of most plant species in these grassland communities, even at current levels of atmospheric CO 2 . The data further suggest that these species‐specific relationships between plants and casts have helped define the current structure of these highly diverse grassland communities and will likely influence their future structure as global CO 2 levels continue to rise.