Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs

Abstract In the last decades, lowland tropical rainforest has been converted in large into plantation systems. Despite the evident changes above ground, the effect of rainforest conversion on the channeling of energy in soil food webs was not studied. Here, we investigated community‐level neutral li...

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Main Authors: Winda Ika Susanti, Melanie M. Pollierer, Rahayu Widyastuti, Stefan Scheu, Anton Potapov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-08-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5449
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author Winda Ika Susanti
Melanie M. Pollierer
Rahayu Widyastuti
Stefan Scheu
Anton Potapov
author_facet Winda Ika Susanti
Melanie M. Pollierer
Rahayu Widyastuti
Stefan Scheu
Anton Potapov
author_sort Winda Ika Susanti
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In the last decades, lowland tropical rainforest has been converted in large into plantation systems. Despite the evident changes above ground, the effect of rainforest conversion on the channeling of energy in soil food webs was not studied. Here, we investigated community‐level neutral lipid fatty acid profiles in dominant soil fauna to track energy channels in rainforest, rubber, and oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. Abundant macrofauna including Araneae, Chilopoda, and Diplopoda contained high amounts of plant and fungal biomarker fatty acids (FAs). Lumbricina had the lowest amount of plant, but the highest amount of animal‐synthesized C20 polyunsaturated FAs as compared to other soil taxa. Mesofauna detritivores (Collembola and Oribatida) contained high amounts of algal biomarker FAs. The differences in FA profiles between taxa were evident if data were analyzed across land‐use systems, suggesting that soil fauna of different size (macro‐ and mesofauna) are associated with different energy channels. Despite that, rainforest conversion changed the biomarker FA composition of soil fauna at the community level. Conversion of rainforest into oil palm plantations enhanced the plant energy channel in soil food webs and reduced the bacterial energy channel; conversion into rubber plantations reduced the AMF‐based energy channel. The changes in energy distribution within soil food webs may have significant implications for the functioning of tropical ecosystems and their response to environmental changes. At present, these responses are hard to predict considering the poor knowledge on structure and functioning of tropical soil food webs.
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spelling doaj-art-e11798d6922a4bcd9c31ad46a02cf2772025-08-20T02:15:23ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-08-019169027903910.1002/ece3.5449Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food websWinda Ika Susanti0Melanie M. Pollierer1Rahayu Widyastuti2Stefan Scheu3Anton Potapov4J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Goettingen GermanyJ.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Goettingen GermanyDepartment of Soil Sciences and Land Resources Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) Bogor IndonesiaJ.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Goettingen GermanyJ.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Goettingen GermanyAbstract In the last decades, lowland tropical rainforest has been converted in large into plantation systems. Despite the evident changes above ground, the effect of rainforest conversion on the channeling of energy in soil food webs was not studied. Here, we investigated community‐level neutral lipid fatty acid profiles in dominant soil fauna to track energy channels in rainforest, rubber, and oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. Abundant macrofauna including Araneae, Chilopoda, and Diplopoda contained high amounts of plant and fungal biomarker fatty acids (FAs). Lumbricina had the lowest amount of plant, but the highest amount of animal‐synthesized C20 polyunsaturated FAs as compared to other soil taxa. Mesofauna detritivores (Collembola and Oribatida) contained high amounts of algal biomarker FAs. The differences in FA profiles between taxa were evident if data were analyzed across land‐use systems, suggesting that soil fauna of different size (macro‐ and mesofauna) are associated with different energy channels. Despite that, rainforest conversion changed the biomarker FA composition of soil fauna at the community level. Conversion of rainforest into oil palm plantations enhanced the plant energy channel in soil food webs and reduced the bacterial energy channel; conversion into rubber plantations reduced the AMF‐based energy channel. The changes in energy distribution within soil food webs may have significant implications for the functioning of tropical ecosystems and their response to environmental changes. At present, these responses are hard to predict considering the poor knowledge on structure and functioning of tropical soil food webs.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5449biomarkerfatty acidsland‐use changemacrofaunamesofaunasoil fauna
spellingShingle Winda Ika Susanti
Melanie M. Pollierer
Rahayu Widyastuti
Stefan Scheu
Anton Potapov
Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
Ecology and Evolution
biomarker
fatty acids
land‐use change
macrofauna
mesofauna
soil fauna
title Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
title_full Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
title_fullStr Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
title_full_unstemmed Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
title_short Conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
title_sort conversion of rainforest to oil palm and rubber plantations alters energy channels in soil food webs
topic biomarker
fatty acids
land‐use change
macrofauna
mesofauna
soil fauna
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5449
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