Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal: Ecohydrology

Volume number: 14

Issue number: 6

ISSN: 1936-0584

eISSN: 1936-0592

Open access status: Green

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2301

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 

Evidence from experimental and established grasslands indicates that plant biodiversity can modify the water cycle. One suspected mechanism behind this is a higher infiltration capacity (nu(B)) and hydraulic conductivity (K) of the soil on species-rich grasslands. However, in established and agriculturally managed grasslands, biodiversity effects cannot be studied independent of land-use effects. Therefore, we investigated in established grassland systems how land-use intensity and associated biodiversity of plants and soil animals affect nu(B) and K at and close to saturation. On 50 grassland plots along a land-use intensity gradient in the Biodiversity Exploratory Schwabische Alb, Germany, we measured nu(B) with a hood infiltrometer at several matrix potentials and calculated the saturated and unsaturated K. We statistically analysed the relationship between nu(B) or K and land-use information (e.g., fertilising intensity), abiotic (e.g., soil texture) and biotic data (e.g., plant species richness, earthworm abundance). Land-use intensity decreased and plant species richness increased nu(B) and K, while the direction of the effects of soil animals was inconsistent. The effect of land-use intensity on nu(B) and K was mainly attributable to its negative effect on plant species richness. Our results demonstrate that plant species richness was a better predictor of nu(B) and K at and close to saturation than land-use intensity or soil physical properties in the established grassland systems of the Schwabische Alb.

Harvard Citation style: Leimer, S., Berner, D., Birkhofer, K., Boeddinghaus, R., Fischer, M., Kandeler, E., et al. (2021) Land-use intensity and biodiversity effects on infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity of grassland soils in southern Germany, Ecohydrology, 14(6), Article e2301. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2301

APA Citation style: Leimer, S., Berner, D., Birkhofer, K., Boeddinghaus, R., Fischer, M., Kandeler, E., Kuka, K., Marhan, S., Prati, D., Schäfer, D., Schöning, I., Solly, E., Wolters, V., & Wilcke, W. (2021). Land-use intensity and biodiversity effects on infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity of grassland soils in southern Germany. Ecohydrology. 14(6), Article e2301. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2301