Consumer - interaction webs and the effect of aboveground vertebrates and invertebrates on ecosystem processes

无脊椎动物食草性对生态系统进程的影响将通过从使用杀生物剂的所有实验地块的5米x5米子地块中排除地上无脊椎动物来测试。净初级生产力和其他生态系统过程将在处理和未处理的地块部分进行量化，以研究植物多样性，无脊椎动物植食性和生态系统功能之间的关系。该项目的第二个目标是测试植物多样性、植物生产力和无脊椎动物群落结构之间的相互作用。将从所有草地样地重复采样地面无脊椎动物，并分配到一定的营养角色，即草食动物，捕食者，寄生虫，或食草动物。统计模型将揭示植物多样性操作对无脊椎动物密度和不同营养级无脊椎动物多样性的影响。

The effects of invertebrate herbivory on ecosystem processes will be tested by excluding above-ground invertebrates from 5 m x 5 m subplots of all experimental plots using biocides. Net primary productivity and other ecosystem processes will be quantified in both treated and unmanipulated parts of the plot to study the relationships between plant diversity, invertebrate herbivory and ecosystem functioning. A second objective of this project is to test the interactions between plant diversity, plant productivity and the structure of the invertebrate community. Above-ground invertebrates will be sampled repeatedly from all grassland plots and allocated to a certain trophic role, i.e. herbivore, predator, parasitoid, or detritivore. Statistical modeling will reveal the influence of plant diversity manipulations on invertebrate density and invertebrate diversity at different trophic levels.