Multi‐trophic bottom‐up effects of plant functional diversity on arthropod communities in a tropical forest restoration experiment

作者：Esther Sebastián‐González, Anuhea Robins, Robert Peck, Trebor Hall, Maya J. Munstermann, Nicole DiManno, Susan Cordell, Paul Banko, Santiago Soliveres, Rebecca Ostertag · 发表于：Functional Ecology · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1111/1365-2435.70393 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Isotope Analysis in Ecology、Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

Abstract Plant diversity affects both ecosystem functioning and the functional and taxonomic diversity of multiple trophic levels. However, in the literature, it is unclear if this pattern is driven by species richness per se or by the functional diversity or composition (e.g. resource‐use strategy) of the community. Here, we use a novel Hawaiian lowland restoration experiment where plots were planted with the same number of plant species ( n = 10), but different functional diversities and different resource‐use strategies. The different plant combinations created a range of trait values with species placed in trait space according to their life history traits under the fast–slow plant economics spectrum. Because resource quality varied for detritivores, we were able to test how litter mixtures influenced litter decomposition rates and ground‐dwelling arthropod taxonomic and functional diversity and abundance at high (predators) and low (detritivores, fungivores) trophic levels. Using Structural Equation Models, we found that plant functional diversity (measured using functional dispersion and Rao's Q indices) but not resource‐use strategy increased both litter decomposition rates and low trophic level arthropod richness and functional diversity. Arthropod abundance increased arthropod taxonomic richness at the two trophic levels but decreased functional diversity at the low level. Finally, we also found indirect bottom‐up effects of plant functional diversity on arthropod fu...