Abstract
Extremely little is known about the ecosystem‐level implications of below‐ground herbivory, which often represents the dominant form of consumption of primary productivity. We provide the first empirical evidence that low levels of below‐ground herbivory may promote soil nutrient flux and root growth of both host plants and companion plants. Low levels of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) root infection by clover cyst nematodes ( Heterodera trifolii Goffart) increased root growth by 141% and 219% in the host plant and the uninfected neighbouring grass ( Lolium perenne L.), respectively. Root infection increased the size of the soil microbial biomass in the root zone and the transfer of 15 N from the host plant to soil and the neighbouring grass. These data suggest that low amounts of below‐ground herbivory may increase the transfer of plant carbon and nitrogen below‐ground, leading to increases in root growth and soil nutrient recycling in grasslands. Presumably, such interactions will influence the competitive interactions between plant species, altering plant community structure in grasslands.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Low levels of root infection by clover cyst nematodes increased root growth of the host white clover by 141%.
- Taxon
- white clover
Trifolium repense1 - Treatment
- root infection by clover cyst nematodese1
- Interactor
- clover cyst nematodese1herbivore
- Outcome
- root growthe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 141%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) root infection by clover cyst nematodes ( Heterodera trifolii Goffart) increased root growth by 141%”
Claim · model-written summary
Low levels of root infection of white clover by clover cyst nematodes increased root growth of the uninfected neighbouring grass Lolium perenne by 219%.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenne L.
Lolium perennee2 - Treatment
- root infection by clover cyst nematodese1
- Interactor
- clover cyst nematodese1herbivore
- Outcome
- root growthe2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 219%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“root infection by clover cyst nematodes”
e2“increased root growth by 141% and 219% in the host plant and the uninfected neighbouring grass ( Lolium perenne L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Root infection by clover cyst nematodes increased the size of the soil microbial biomass in the root zone.
- Taxon
- white cloverTrifolium repense1
- Treatment
- Root infectione2
- Interactor
- clover cyst nematodese3herbivore
- Outcome
- size of the soil microbial biomasse2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Low levels of white clover”
e2“Root infection increased the size of the soil microbial biomass in the root zone”
e3“clover cyst nematodes”
Claim · model-written summary
Root infection increased the transfer of 15N from the host white clover to soil and to the neighbouring grass.
- Taxon
- white cloverTrifolium repense1
- Treatment
- Root infectione2
- Interactor
- clover cyst nematodese3herbivore
- Outcome
- transfer of 15 N from the host plant to soil and the neighbouring grasse2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Low levels of white clover”
e2“Root infection increased the size of the soil microbial biomass in the root zone and the transfer of 15 N from the host plant to soil and the neighbouring grass”
e3“clover cyst nematodes”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest that low amounts of below-ground herbivory may increase the transfer of plant carbon and nitrogen below ground, leading to increased root growth and soil nutrient recycling in grasslands.
- Treatment
- low amounts of below‐ground herbivorye1
- Outcome
- transfer of plant carbon and nitrogen below‐grounde1
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e1“low amounts of below‐ground herbivory may increase the transfer of plant carbon and nitrogen below‐ground, leading to increases in root growth and soil nutrient recycling in grasslands”
The same questions in other papers
infection · growth · Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- positive
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →infection · growth · Trifolium repens (white clover)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- negative
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.