The role of herbivory in mediating ecosystem functions in species-rich forests

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Andreas Schuldt
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2011 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 35758305

• Final Report Year: 2018

Final Report Abstract

In summary, the study results of SP8 provide novel and detailed insights into not only the local-scale interplay between tree diversity, herbivory, and interacting groups of organisms in species-rich subtropical forest stands, but also the ecosystem-level context from local to larger scales in which these relationships are embedded.

Publications

• (2010). Tree diversity promotes insect herbivory in subtropical forests of south-east China. Journal of Ecology 98:917-926
  Schuldt A, Baruffol, M., Böhnke, M., Bruelheide, H., Härdtle, W. Lang, A.C., Nadrowski, K., Von Oheimb, G., Voigt, W., Zhou, H.Z. & Assmann, T et al.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01659.x)
• (2011). Predator diversity and abundance provide little support for the enemies hypothesis in forests of high tree diversity. PLoS ONE 6:e22905
  Schuldt A, Both S, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Schmid B, Zhou HZ, Assmann T
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0022905)
• (2012). Plant traits affecting herbivory on tree recruits in highly diverse subtropical forests. Ecology Letters 15:732-739
  Schuldt A, Bruelheide H, Durka W, Eichenberg D, Fischer M, Kröber W, Härdtle W, Ma KP, Michalski S, Palm WU, Schmid B, Welk E, Zhou HZ, Assmann T
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01792.x)
• (2014) Tree diversity promotes functional dissimilarity and maintains functional richness despite species loss in predator assemblages. Oecologia 174:533-543
  Schuldt A, Bruelheide H, Durka W, Michalski SG, Purschke O, Assmann T
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-013-2790-9)
• (2014). Functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants drive herbivory in a highly diverse forest. New Phytologist 202:864-873
  Schuldt A, Assmann T, Bruelheide H, Durka W, Eichenberg D, Härdtle W, Kröber W, Michalski SG, Purschke O
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12695)
• (2014). Woody plant phylogenetic diversity mediates bottom-up control of arthropod biomass in species-rich forests. Oecologia 176:171-182
  Schuldt A, Baruffol M, Bruelheide H, Chen S, Chi XL, Michalski S, Wall M, Assmann T
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-014-3006-7)
• (2015) Tree species richness strengthens relationships between ants and the functional composition of spider assemblages in a highly diverse forest. Biotropica 47:339-346
  Schuldt A, Staab M
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12209)
• (2015). Early positive effects of tree species richness on herbivory in a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment influence tree growth. Journal of Ecology 103:563-571
  Schuldt A, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Assmann T, Li Y, Ma KP, von Oheimb G, Zhang, JY
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12396)
• (2017). Tree diversity increases levels of herbivore damage in a subtropical forest canopy: evidence for dietary mixing by arthropods? Journal of Plant Ecology 10:13-27
  Brezzi M, Schmid B, Niklaus PA, Schuldt A
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtw038)
• (2017). Tree diversity promotes generalist herbivore community patterns in a young subtropical forest experiment. Oecologia 183:455-467
  Zhang JY, Bruelheide H, Chen XF, Eichenberg D, Xu XW, Xu LT, Schuldt A
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-016-3769-0)