SP7: Interactions between saproxylic insects and consequences for wood decomposition

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Heike Feldhaar; Professor Dr. Jörg Müller
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 444827997

Dead wood decomposition plays an important role in nutrient cycling. In the tropics, insect contribute greatly to dead wood decomposition. Here predominantly termites, beetles and ants together with fungi drive the decay process in complex interactions. These biotic interactions are not well understood so far. However, since the degradation of tropical forests affects the diversity and abundance of decomposing organisms, the decomposition process should be affected as well. The resilience of these communities in dead wood as well as the potential of reassemby of these communities during recovery of tropical forests is unknown. Here, we aim to investigate the decay of wood and its colonizers along a forest recovery gradient from pastures to secondary forests to primary tropical forests, first in a survey approach and second in an experimental approach where we monitor reassembly processes of dead wood laid out in plots along the forest recovery gradient. Finally, disentangle the effects of soil disturbance as one type of forest interior degradation, the contribution of different taxa (termites, ants, beetles) and their interactions, on the decomposition process, we will conduct an exclusion experiment along the full recovery gradient. In our approaches, we will analyse community reassembly patterns using a network apporach. We will create several networks between host species, fungi, termites, beetles and ants together with the identification of species traits modulating the interactions. Specifically, we aim to characterize the responses of saproxylic communities to forest degradation, to analyse the reassembly of complex networks of saproxylic communities following anthropogenic disturbance, and to quantify the effect of saproxylic communities and their biotic interactions on decomposition rates along the forest recovery gradient in a tropical rainforest.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5207: Reassembly of species interaction networks – Resistance, resilience and functional recovery of a rainforest ecosystem
• International Connection: Ecuador
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. María-José Endara
• International Co-Applicant: Professor David Donoso, Ph.D.