Interactions between plant species and earthworm casts in a calcareous grassland under elevated CO2

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that the spatial proximity of a plant species to nutrient-rich earthworm casts (e.g., 100% more ammonium and 30% more phosphate than in adjacent soil) is an important determinant of a plant's responsiveness to elevated atmospheric CO2. In 1995 we mapped the location of both earthworm surface casts and plants in each of 16 1.2-m2 plots in a species-rich calcareous grassland in northwestern Switzerland. Eight plots have been maintained under current ambient CO2 concentrations (350 μL CO2/L), and eight have been maintained at elevated CO2 (600 μL CO2/L) since March 1994. In addition, total ramet production of each species, as a measure of performance, and cumulative east production at each location (cell) were recorded at peak community biomass in 1995. Plant species within functional groups (graminoids, non-legume forbs, and legumes) differed markedly in their degree of association with casts; however, after two growing seasons elevated CO2 had no effect on plant species or functional group associations with casts. No statistically significant relationship could be demonstrated between plant-species response (i.e., ramet production) to elevated CO2 and the degree of association with casts within any of the functional groups. However, a positive relationship was observed between the mean response of graminoid species to elevated CO2 (measured as the percentage change in mean total tamer production of graminoid species, relative to mean total ramet production at ambient CO2) and their mean degree of association (%) with surface casts at ambient CO2. Thus, graminoid species more frequently associated with casts (e.g., Anthoxanthum odoratum and Carex caryophyllea) produced more ramets per square meter at elevated CO2 than those less frequently associated with casts (e.g., Agrostis tenuis and Danthonia decumbens). These results, along with the strong and significant positive correlations observed between ramet production and associated cumulative cast mass across CO2 treatments for most plant species in all functional groups demonstrate: (1) that plant species differ significantly in their degree of association with nutrient-rich earthworm surface casts, regardless of the relative abundance of plant species in the community; (2) that graminoid species that are more highly associated with casts may respond more strongly to rising CO2 than those less highly associated with casts; and (3) that nutrient-rich earthworm casts stimulate the growth (ramet production) of most plant species in these grassland communities, even at current levels of atmospheric CO2. The data further suggest that these species-specific relationships between plants and casts have helped define the current structure of these highly diverse grassland communities and will likely influence their future structure as global CO2 levels continue to rise.