Above- and belowground biodiversity jointly tighten the P cycle in agricultural grasslands

Yvonne Oelmann (), Markus Lange, Sophia Leimer, Christiane Roscher, Felipe Aburto, Fabian Alt, Nina Bange, Doreen Berner, Steffen Boch, Runa S. Boeddinghaus, François Buscot, Sigrid Dassen, Gerlinde De Deyn, Nico Eisenhauer, Gerd Gleixner, Kezia Goldmann, Norbert Hölzel, Malte Jochum, Ellen Kandeler, Valentin H. Klaus, Till Kleinebecker, Gaëtane Le Provost, Peter Manning, Sven Marhan, Daniel Prati, Deborah Schäfer, Ingo Schöning, Marion Schrumpf, Elisabeth Schurig, Cameron Wagg, Tesfaye Wubet and Wolfgang Wilcke
Additional contact information
Yvonne Oelmann: Geoecology, University of Tübingen
Markus Lange: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Sophia Leimer: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Christiane Roscher: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Physiological Diversity
Felipe Aburto: Universidad de Concepción
Fabian Alt: Geoecology, University of Tübingen
Nina Bange: Geoecology, University of Tübingen
Doreen Berner: University of Hohenheim
Steffen Boch: WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute
Runa S. Boeddinghaus: University of Hohenheim
François Buscot: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Soil Ecology Department
Sigrid Dassen: Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Gerlinde De Deyn: Netherlands Institute of Ecology
Nico Eisenhauer: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Gerd Gleixner: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Kezia Goldmann: UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Soil Ecology Department
Norbert Hölzel: University of Münster
Malte Jochum: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Ellen Kandeler: University of Hohenheim
Valentin H. Klaus: Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich
Till Kleinebecker: Justus-Liebig-University Gießen
Gaëtane Le Provost: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F)
Peter Manning: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F)
Sven Marhan: University of Hohenheim
Daniel Prati: University of Bern
Deborah Schäfer: University of Bern
Ingo Schöning: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Marion Schrumpf: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Elisabeth Schurig: Geoecology, University of Tübingen
Cameron Wagg: University of Zürich
Tesfaye Wubet: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Wolfgang Wilcke: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Experiments showed that biodiversity increases grassland productivity and nutrient exploitation, potentially reducing fertiliser needs. Enhancing biodiversity could improve P-use efficiency of grasslands, which is beneficial given that rock-derived P fertilisers are expected to become scarce in the future. Here, we show in a biodiversity experiment that more diverse plant communities were able to exploit P resources more completely than less diverse ones. In the agricultural grasslands that we studied, management effects either overruled or modified the driving role of plant diversity observed in the biodiversity experiment. Nevertheless, we show that greater above- (plants) and belowground (mycorrhizal fungi) biodiversity contributed to tightening the P cycle in agricultural grasslands, as reduced management intensity and the associated increased biodiversity fostered the exploitation of P resources. Our results demonstrate that promoting a high above- and belowground biodiversity has ecological (biodiversity protection) and economical (fertiliser savings) benefits. Such win-win situations for farmers and biodiversity are crucial to convince farmers of the benefits of biodiversity and thus counteract global biodiversity loss.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24714-4

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