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Rainforest conversion to plantations fundamentally alters energy fluxes and functions in canopy arthropod food webs
  • +7
  • Melanie Pollierer,
  • Jochen Drescher,
  • Anton Potapov,
  • Kasmiatun Kasmiatun,
  • Amanda Mawan,
  • Mega Mutiari,
  • Rizky Nazarreta,
  • Purnama Hidayat,
  • Damayanti Buchori,
  • Stefan Scheu
Melanie Pollierer
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Fakultat fur Biologie und Psychologie

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Jochen Drescher
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Fakultat fur Biologie und Psychologie
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Anton Potapov
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Fakultat fur Biologie und Psychologie
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Kasmiatun Kasmiatun
Bogor Agricultural University Faculty of Agriculture
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Amanda Mawan
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Fakultat fur Biologie und Psychologie
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Mega Mutiari
Bogor Agricultural University Faculty of Agriculture
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Rizky Nazarreta
Bogor Agricultural University Faculty of Agriculture
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Purnama Hidayat
Bogor Agricultural University Faculty of Agriculture
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Damayanti Buchori
Bogor Agricultural University Faculty of Agriculture
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Stefan Scheu
Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen Fakultat fur Biologie und Psychologie
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Abstract

Tropical rainforests around the world are rapidly converted into cash crop agricultural systems. The associated massive losses of plant and animal species lead to changes in arthropod food webs and the energy fluxes therein. These changes are poorly understood, in particular in the extremely biodiverse canopies of tropical ecosystems. Using canopy fogging followed by stable isotope and energy flux analyses, we show that land-use conversion from rainforest to rubber and oil palm plantations not only causes a drastic reduction in energy fluxes of up to 75%, but also shifts fluxes among trophic groups. While rainforest featured high levels of both herbivory and algae-microbivory, and a balanced ratio of herbivory to predation, relative fluxes were shifted towards predation in rubber and towards herbivory in oil palm plantations, indicating profound shifts in ecosystem functioning. Our results highlight that the ongoing loss of animal biodiversity and biomass in tropical canopies degrades animal-driven functions and restructures canopy food webs.
13 Jan 2023Submitted to Ecology Letters
19 Jan 2023Submission Checks Completed
19 Jan 2023Assigned to Editor
19 Jan 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Jan 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
20 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
14 Apr 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Apr 20231st Revision Received
17 Apr 2023Assigned to Editor
17 Apr 2023Submission Checks Completed
20 Apr 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 May 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
01 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
01 Jun 20232nd Revision Received
01 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
01 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
01 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Jun 2023Editorial Decision: Accept