SP9: Multifunctionality and the biodiversity of higher trophic levels

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jörg Müller; Professor Dr. Simon Thorn
• Subject Area: Forestry ; Ecology of Land Use
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 459717468

Higher trophic levels can have an important influence on ecosystem processes. However, in biodiversity-ecosystem function research they are broadly neglected. In this subproject, we will make use of newly available methods for highly standardized assessments of biodiversity in taxa of higher trophic levels as consumer of 1st and 2nd order as well as predators. We will use a set of trap and sampling systems for arthropods, combined with conventional and metabarcoding techniques for identification, sound recorders for bats and birds with autonomous species identification and new adult and established caterpillar insect dummies to measure predation pressure. Furthermore, we will construct functional-phylogenetic distances between species for taxonomical groups of higher trophic level. Additionally, we will calculate multidiversity based on few major and rapidly available functions in the research unit to test three major hypotheses with focus on higher trophic level taxa: H1: Increasing diversity of taxa at higher trophic levels by ESC (α-scale) not only determines multifunctionality at their respective trophic level but also by propagating through different trophic levels. H 2: The variation in multifunctionality by ESC treatment is better explained by functional/phylogenetic than by taxonomic diversities in higher trophic levels. H3: The increase in γ-multifunctionality in ESBC districts compared to control districts is explained by β- and γ-diversities of higher trophic levels. Beyond our subproject, we will contribute substantially to the biodiversity data of the RU. Moreover, we will add the secondary above ground productivity, invertebrate herbivory resistance, predation and parasitism to the RU.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5375: Enhancing the structural diversity between patches for improving multidiversity and multifunctionality in production forests
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Wolfgang W. Weisser