School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Theses
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ItemHabitat complexity impacts soil biodiversity and ecological processes in urban ecosystems( 2015)In urban ecosystems human management alters the structural complexity of vegetation, litter and soil creating novel habitat combinations not observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate how habitat complexity affects soil biodiversity, soil biogeochemical and hydrological processes using novel field experimental settings. In this PhD thesis, I tested whether urban habitat complexity operates as a trait-based environmental filter able to shape the diversity of ant assemblages. I found a higher habitat complexity to be detrimental for ant species richness. Nonetheless, habitat complexity did not operate as an environmental filter for ant species acting upon their morphological traits, suggesting the presence of other more complex ecological mechanisms structuring urban ant assemblages. The second aim of the project was to investigate the effects of urban habitat complexity upon macrofauna detritivores, litter and soil microbes, relating their diversity and community composition to organic matter comminution and decomposition processes. A strong positive relationship between habitat complexity and decomposition and comminution processes was found. Organic matter comminution was significantly enhanced by macrofauna detritivore species richness and abundance. Nonetheless, while habitat complexity did not affect soil and litter microbial functional diversity, it did affect litter microbial community composition. Litter microbial community composition was also correlated to the decomposition status of organic matter, but not microbial functional diversity. A final component of this study evaluated effects of the complexity of the habitat components, vegetation, litter and soil upon urban hydrological processes. Canopy stormwater interception, litter water storage and soil water infiltration were higher under more complex urban habitats. This research suggests that urban habitat complexity can exert significant effects on soil biodiversity, biogeochemical and hydrological processes as previously observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Management practices targeting urban habitat complexity through the modification of vegetation, litter and soil components can be designed to promote soil biodiversity and key ecological processes sustained by soil organisms.