Plant litter strengthens positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships over time

Wei-Ping Zhang; Dario Fornara; Hao Yang; Rui-Peng Yu; Ragan M Callaway; Long Li

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2022.12.008

Plant litter strengthens positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships over time

Trends Ecol Evol. 2023 May;38(5):473-484. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.12.008. Epub 2023 Jan 2.

Authors

Wei-Ping Zhang¹, Dario Fornara², Hao Yang¹, Rui-Peng Yu¹, Ragan M Callaway³, Long Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Davines Group-Rodale Institute European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC), Via Don Angelo Calzolari 55/a, 43126, Parma, Italy.
³ Division of Biological Sciences and Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
⁴ Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: lilong@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 36599737
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.12.008

Abstract

Plant biodiversity-productivity relationships become stronger over time in grasslands, forests, and agroecosystems. Plant shoot and root litter is important in mediating these positive relationships, yet the functional role of plant litter remains overlooked in long-term experiments. We propose that plant litter strengthens biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships over time in four ways by providing decomposing detritus that releases nitrogen (N) over time for uptake by existing and succeeding plants, enhancing overall soil fertility, changing soil community composition, and reducing the impact of residue-borne pathogens and pests. We bring new insights into how diversity-productivity relationships may change over time and suggest that the diversification of crop residue retention through increased residue diversity from plant mixtures will improve the sustainability of food production systems.

Keywords: biodiversity–ecosystem functioning; litter mixture; nitrogen transfer; plant litter; residue-borne pathogens; soil organic carbon.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodiversity*
Ecosystem*
Nitrogen
Plants
Soil

Substances

Nitrogen
Soil