/leibniz-lib.de/fileadmin/user_upload/home/Bilder/LIB/Projekte/SPRINT.JPG%3F1724069006 "Heuballen")
- Title of the project
SPRINT - Seed predation and diversity of arthropod communities in response to land use INTENSITY
Management
Dr David Ott
Org. categorisation
Anthropogenic land use
Description of the
Land use and arthropods
Land use intensification is an important cause of biodiversity loss in terrestrial ecosystems. Studies in grassland ecosystems have shown that changes in local plant species richness can have bottom-up effects on higher trophic levels, biotic interactions and associated ecosystem processes.
One of these processes, post-dispersal seed predation, can in turn have severe effects on plant species demography and ultimately alter biodiversity and community structure in a system. To date, we do not know exactly how seed predation and the underlying communities respond to changes in grassland management along the entire land-use gradient.
Grassland experiments
The SPRINT project is embedded in the Biodiversity Exploratories, namely in a new, cross-site grassland experiment. The Biodiversity Exploratories are a research project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Three large-scale and long-term research sites (Exploratories) serve as an open research platform for biodiversity and ecosystem research.
In this context, we aim to study soil-dwelling arthropod communities and seed predation in response to changes in land-use intensity (e.g. altered mowing or grazing and fertilisation) and vegetation characteristics (i.e. local plant community composition, biomass production and seed rain).
Research focus
(i) Monitoring changes in arthropod species richness and functional groups, trait diversity and community composition in all three regions of the Biodiversity Exploratories on the plots of the new multisite grassland experiments (REX and LUX). We use funnel traps to sample soil-dwelling arthropods, with a focus on carabid beetles.
(ii) Quantification of seed predation through a field experiment focussing on the Hainich-Dün Exploratory. We will also decipher the relative contribution of different taxa of seed predators using a cafeteria-style experimental design with exclusion treatments.
(iii) Assessing the food preferences of arthropod seed predators. We will perform measurements of traits such as body size and mandibular width using HD microscope techniques. In addition, measurements of the elemental content of both consumers and seed resources will provide new insights into feeding interactions (i.e. stoichiometric constraints on consumer-resource interactions).
Dr. David Ott
- Head of Section Experimental & Applied Ecology
- Ecological laboratory (zbm facilities, field sites, upcoming station)
Phone: +49 228 9122 452
E-Mail: d.ott@leibniz-lib.de
Financing
/leibniz-lib.de/fileadmin/user_upload/home/Bilder/LIB/Projekte/Logos/Finanzierung/dfg_logo_englisch_blau_en.gif%3F1739958316 "Logo DFG"){kind=logo}
Team
Dr. David Ott
zbm Applied & Experimental Ecology ScientistPhone: +49 228 9122 452
E-mail: d.ott@leibniz-lib.deJonas Rochlitz
zbm Applied & Experimental Ecology Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 455
E-mail: j.rochlitz@leibniz-lib.deProf. Dr. Christoph Scherber
zbm Center for Biodiversity Monitoring & Conservation Research (zbm) Deputy DirectorPhone: +49 228 9122 450
E-mail: c.scherber@leibniz-lib.de