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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Roger Smith, Dr Robert Shiel, Dr Simon Peacock, Dr Janet Simkin
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Parasitic plants are one of the most ubiquitous groups of generalist parasites in both natural and managed ecosystems, with over 3,000 known species worldwide1-3. Although much is known about how parasitic plants influence host peformance1-4, their role as drivers of community- and ecosystem-level properties remains largely unexplored5. Parasitic plants have the potential to influence directly the productivity and structure of plant communities because they cause harm to particular host plants, indirectly increasing the competitive status of non-host species6-10. Such parasite-driven above-ground effects might also have important indirect consequences through altering the quantity and quality of resources that enter soil, thereby affecting the activity of decomposer organisms3,11-13. Here we show in model grassland communities that the parasitic plant Rhinanthus minor, which occurs widely throughout Europe and North America14, has strong direct effects on above-ground community properties, increasing plant diversity and reducing productivity. We also show that these direct effects of R. minor on the plant community have marked indirect effects on below-ground properties, ultimately increasing rates of nitrogen cycling. Our study provides evidence that parasitic plants act as a major driver of both above-ground and below-ground properties of grassland ecosystems. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group.
Author(s): Bardgett RD, Smith RS, Shiel RS, Peacock S, Simkin JM, Quirk H, Hobbs PJ
Publication type: Letter
Publication status: Published
Journal: Nature
Year: 2006
Volume: 439
Issue: 7079
Pages: 969-972
ISSN (print): 0028-0836
ISSN (electronic): 1476-4687
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature04197
DOI: 10.1038/nature04197
PubMed id: 16495998
