Shortname:
FOR891_sp09e foodweb
Name:
SP09e Aboveground multi-trophic plant-insect interactions in a Chinese subtropical forest
Description:
Plant biodiversity and site productivity shape the complexity of multi-trophic interactions,
which, in turn, can influence plant performance and community structure. Analyses of multitrophic interactions are therefore crucial to understand the role of tree composition, diversity,
and extinction for ecosystem processes in forest habitats.
We will focus on the multi-trophic interaction structure within two food web systems: cavitynesting
bees and predatory and parasitic wasps (system 1), as well as interactions between
leaf-sucking aphids, tending ants and their parasitoids and hyper-parasitoids (system 2).
Moreover, interactions between both systems will be investigated, e.g. the effects of ants on
the trophic interactions of the cavity-nesting community. We will link food web structure
(system 2) to the quantity and diversity of sugars and amino acids in the aphids’ honeydew
both in the main experiment and the CSPs. The importance of specific honeydew
compounds to their interacting ant partners will be examined with choice experiments. In
cooperation with our Chinese counterparts, we will link ant- to termite food webs to help
explaining termite-mediated decomposition rates.
This proposed sub-project will provide year-round data on trophic cascades and food web
structure. Such data are critical to study the role of top-down versus bottom-up effects for a
better understanding of how plant diversity can be used to stabilize forest ecosystems.
Created at:
2011-04-01
Updated at:
2019-12-17
No information available
No information avialable
Filter:
Alexandra-Maria
Klein
Klein
Roles:
Principle investigator
Principle investigator
Owner of:
20 Datasets
20 Datasets
Involved in:
4 Projects
E-Mail
Profile
4 Projects
Nico
Blüthgen
Blüthgen
Roles:
2nd Principle investigator
2nd Principle investigator
Owner of:
4 Datasets
4 Datasets
Involved in:
1 Projects
E-Mail
Profile
1 Projects
No information available
Filter:
CSPs: Ant data CSPs complete
Abstract:
This data set contains all ant workers that have been collected in the 27 CSPs in the Gutianshan National Nature Reserve. Ants have been collected with a range of complementary methods (baiting at breast height / baiting on the ground / beating lo...
Id:
502
People:
3
Projects:
2
Version:
2
Attachments:
1
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2019-07-12
CSPs: Ants (Formicidae) of pitfall traps in the CSPs 2009
Abstract:
Pitfall traps (four traps per plot, located at the corners of the central 10 x 10 m subplot) were used to assess the activity abundance and species richness of Formicidae in relation to the plots' woody plant diversity. The data allow to test to w...
Id:
272
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
3
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2013-02-18
Updated at:
2017-03-31
CSPs: Parasitoid data
Abstract:
Trap nests (eigth traps per plot; four traps each attached to a wooden post; located at two randomly selected corners the corners of the central 10 x 10 m subplot) were used to collect the parasiotids of solitary bees and wasps in the CSPs. Parasi...
Id:
486
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
3
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2015-04-22
Updated at:
2017-03-31
CSPs: Trap nest data CSPs (solitary cavity-nesting Hymenoptera)
Abstract:
Trap nests (eigth traps per plot; four traps each attached to a wooden post; located at two randomly selected corners the corners of the central 10 x 10 m subplot) were used to collect solitary bees and wasps in the CSPs. Abundance and species ric...
Id:
487
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
2
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2015-04-22
Updated at:
2017-03-31
Data for Schuldt et al. "Belowground top-down and aboveground bottom-up effects structure multitrophic community relationships in a biodiverse forest" (Scientific Reports 2017)
Abstract:
This dataset accompagnies the paper by Schuldt et al. "Belowground top-down and aboveground bottom-up effects structure multitrophic community relationships in a biodiverse forest"
Id:
587
People:
5
Projects:
5
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-04-27
Updated at:
2017-09-06
Data for Schuldt et al. "Biodiversity across trophic levels drives multifunctionality in highly diverse forests"
Abstract:
Human-induced biodiversity change may impair ecosystem functions crucial to human well-being. However, the consequences of this change for ecosystem multifunctionality are poorly understood beyond effects of plant species loss, particularly in reg...
Id:
599
People:
10
Projects:
9
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2018-04-23
Updated at:
2018-04-23
Data for Schuldt et al. "Tree species richness attenuates the positive relationship between mutualistic ant–hemipteran interactions and leaf chewer herbivory" (Proceedings B 2017)
Abstract:
Interactions across trophic levels influence plant diversity effects on ecosystem functions, but the complexity of these interactions remains poorly explored. For example, the interplay between different interactions (e.g. mutualism, predation) mi...
Id:
588
People:
3
Projects:
2
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-05-04
Updated at:
2017-09-06
General: Overview information on trap-nesting Hymenoptera
Abstract:
Trap nests are a well established tool to monitor cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and to assess parasitism rates. Despite only 5-10% of all non parasitoid solitary bee and wasp species are colonizing trap nests, it has been show that the cavity-nesting...
Id:
427
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
0
Attachments:
1
Created at:
2013-10-11
Updated at:
2017-01-26
General: Overview information on trophobiosis
Abstract:
Trophobiosis are common tri-trophic trophic interaction between plants, sap-sucking insects and ants. While sap-sucking insects directly exploit plants in a cryptic form of herbivory, the ants establish a mutualistic relationship with the sap-suck...
Id:
442
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
0
Attachments:
1
Created at:
2013-10-23
Updated at:
2017-01-26
Main Experiment: Amino acids in extrafloral nectar of tree species in the main experiment, 2012
Abstract:
Extrafloral nectar (EFN) is rich in sugars and amino acids and mediates the protection-for-food mutualism between EFN-plants and ants. We analyzed (via HPLC) 8 samples for the 3 EFN-tree species (Ailanthus altissima, Melia azedarach, Triadica coch...
Id:
500
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2016-10-07
Main Experiment: Ant-wound-interactions Main Experiment
Abstract:
Ants are abundant and functionally important arthropods in tropical and subtropical forests. The vast majority of vegetation-foraging ants were thought to be predacious or omnivorous, until studies of stable isotopes showed that those ants are ess...
Id:
504
People:
4
Projects:
1
Version:
2
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2016-10-07
Main Experiment: Leaf-litter inhabiting ants site A 2015
Abstract:
Under the canopy of 10 site A tree species (Castanea henryi, Castanopsis sclerophylla, Choerosbondias axillaris, Cunninghammia lanceolata, Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Liquidamber formosana, Lithocarpus glaber, Nyssa sinensis, Pinus massoniana, Schima ...
Id:
503
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
2
Attachments:
1
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2019-07-12
Main Experiment: Sugar and amino acid choice experiment (Site A, 2012)
Abstract:
Vegetation foraging ants feed to a considerable part on liquid plant exudates or on Hemipteran honeydew. Those liquids contain mainly sugars and amino acids (AA), which are attractive for the ants. We conducted a choice experiment using different ...
Id:
499
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2016-10-07
Main Experiment: Sugars in extrafloral nectar of tree species in the main experiment, 2012
Abstract:
Extrafloral nectar (EFN) is rich in sugars and amino acids and mediates the protection-for-food mutualism between EFN-plants and ants. We analyzed (via HPLC) 8 samples for the 2 EFN-tree species (Ailanthus altissima, Triadica cochinchinensis) plan...
Id:
501
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2016-03-22
Updated at:
2016-10-07
Main Experiment: Trap nest data Site A 2014/15
Abstract:
Trap nests are a well-established tool to monitor cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and to assess parasitism rates. Despite only 5-10% of all non-parasitoid solitary bee and wasp species are colonizing trap nests, it has been show that the cavity-nesting...
Id:
564
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-02-07
Updated at:
2017-03-31
Main Experiment: Trap nest data Site A preliminary
Abstract:
Trap nests (eigth traps per plot; four traps each attached to a wooden post; located at two randomly selected corners the corners of the central 10 x 10 m subplot; traps belonging to the same wooden post in a plot are marked with a "-" or left wit...
Id:
432
People:
2
Projects:
1
Version:
2
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2013-10-17
Updated at:
2019-07-12
Main Experiment: Trap nest data Site B 2014/15
Abstract:
Trap nests are a well-established tool to monitor cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and to assess parasitism rates. Despite only 5-10% of all non-parasitoid solitary bee and wasp species are colonizing trap nests, it has been show that the cavity-nesting...
Id:
565
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-02-07
Updated at:
2017-03-31
Main Experiment: Trophobioses data site A 2011
Abstract:
We sampled trophobioses from 21 May to 20 August 2011 on site A. We selected in total 146 plots from tree diversity level 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16. Because there are only two plots with tree diversity 24, we did not study the highest available tree dive...
Id:
488
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
3
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2015-04-22
Updated at:
2016-07-25
Main Experiment: Trophobioses data site A 2014
Abstract:
We sampled trophobioses from 29 May to 31 July 2014 and 11 September to 8 October on site A and B dayly alternating between sites (for data on Site B see dataset 567). We selected in total 150 plots from tree diversity level 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 at ...
Id:
566
People:
4
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-02-08
Updated at:
2017-03-31
Main Experiment: Trophobioses data site B 2014
Abstract:
We sampled trophobioses from 29 May to 31 July 2014 and 11 September to 8 October on site A and B dayly alternating between sites (for information on the trophobioses on Site A in 2014 see dataset 566). We selected in total 150 plots from tree di...
Id:
567
People:
4
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2017-02-08
Updated at:
2017-03-31
Main Experiment: Visitors of extrafloral nectaries (2012)
Abstract:
Trees with extrafloral nectaries (EFN) are common in tropical and subtropical forests and the presence of EFN trees within a tree community may influence tree growth. In this dataset EFN-tree-visiting arthropods were collected on all EFN tree spec...
Id:
498
People:
3
Projects:
1
Version:
1
Attachments:
0
Created at:
2016-03-21
Updated at:
2016-03-22
No information available
Filter:
Ant community structure during forest succession in a subtropical forest in South-East China
Abstract:
Understanding how communities respond to environmental gradients is critical to predict responses of species to changing habitat conditions such as in regenerating secondary habitats after human land use. In this study, ground-living ants were sam...
Id:
101
Users:
10
Datafiles:
2
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2013-12-04
Updated at:
2017-02-09
Tree phylogenetic diversity promotes host-parasitoid interactions
Abstract:
Evidence from grassland experiments suggests that a plant community’s phylogenetic diversity (PD) is a strong predictor of ecosystem processes, even stronger than species richness per se. This has, however, never been extended to species-rich fore...
Id:
148
Users:
12
Datafiles:
2
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2015-02-11
Updated at:
2018-07-26
Tree diversity promotes predator but not omnivore ants in a subtropical Chinese forest
Abstract:
1. Epigeic ants are functionally important arthropods in tropical and subtropical forests, particularly by acting as predators. High predation pressure has been hypothesized to be a mechanism facilitating high diversity across trophic levels.
2. ...
Id:
86
Users:
9
Datafiles:
2
Attachments:
1
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2013-06-20
Updated at:
2015-08-30
Tree diversity and nectar composition affect arthropod visitors on extrafloral nectaries in a diversity experiment
Abstract:
Aims
Plants with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in tropical and subtropical habitats and, despite many other arthropods also forage for EFN, most studies solely focused on the defense mutualisms between EFN plants and ants. This ...
Id:
149
Users:
4
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2015-02-11
Updated at:
2017-07-22
Observational natural history and morphological taxonomy are indispensable for future challenges in biodiversity and conservation
Abstract:
Global biodiversity is rapidly declining, leading inevitably to a loss of ecosystem functionality when species and their associated life-history traits vanish. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, a large proportion of Earth’s species are yet ...
Id:
118
Users:
2
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2014-08-14
Updated at:
2017-07-22
Tree diversity and nectar composition affect arthropod visitors on extrafloral nectaries in a diversity experiment
Abstract:
Aims
Plants with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in tropical and subtropical habitats and, despite many other arthropods also forage for extrafloral nectar, most studies solely focused on the defense mutualisms between EFN plants and ants...
Id:
199
Users:
5
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Prep
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2016-11-03
Updated at:
2016-11-03
Ants at plant wounds - A little-known trophic interaction with evolutionary implications for ant-plant interactions
Abstract:
Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) allow plants to engage in mutualisms with ants preventing herbivory in exchange for food. EFNs occur scattered through the plant phylogeny and likely evolved independently from herbivore-created wounds subsequently vis...
Id:
161
Users:
7
Datafiles:
2
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2015-09-28
Updated at:
2019-02-20
A new species of the Aenictus wroughtonii group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from South-East China
Abstract:
A new species of army ant from the Aenictus wroughtonii group is described and illustrated based on the worker caste. Aenictus gutianshanensis Staab sp. n. is distributed in the subtropical forests of South-East China, and is probably most closely...
Id:
111
Users:
0
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
1
Board:
Prep
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2014-02-20
Updated at:
2014-06-10
A Unique Nest-Protection Strategy in a New Species of Spider Wasp
Abstract:
Hymenoptera show a great variation in reproductive potential and nesting behavior, from thousands of eggs in sawflies to just a dozen in nest-provisioning wasps. Reduction in reproductive potential in evolutionary derived Hymenoptera is often faci...
Id:
98
Users:
2
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2013-10-18
Updated at:
2017-01-27
Tree diversity alters the structure of a tri-trophic network in a biodiversity experiment
Abstract:
Species and processes in ecosystems are part of multi-trophic interaction networks. Plants represent the lowest trophic level in terrestrial ecosystems, and experiments have shown a stabilizing effect of plant diversity on higher trophic levels. S...
Id:
138
Users:
2
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Prep
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2015-01-27
Updated at:
2016-03-22
Aenictus hoelldobleri sp. n., a new species of the Aenictus ceylonicus group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with a key to the Chinese A. ceylonicus group species
Abstract:
Aenictus is the most species-rich genus of army ants in the subfamily Dorylinae and one of the most species rich ant genera in China and the World. In this paper a new species of the Aenictus ceylonicus group, Aenictus hoelldobleri Staab sp. n., i...
Id:
129
Users:
0
Datafiles:
0
Attachments:
0
Board:
Final
State:
Accepted
Created at:
2014-12-02
Updated at:
2018-07-26
No information available