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- Title
Periodical cicadas as resource pulses in North American forests.
- Authors
Yang, Louie H
- Abstract
Resource pulses are occasional events of ephemeral resource superabundance that occur in many ecosystems. Aboveground consumers in diverse communities often respond strongly to resource pulses, but few studies have investigated the belowground consequences of resource pulses in natural ecosystems. This study shows that resource pulses of 17-year periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) directly increase microbial biomass and nitrogen availability in forest soils, with indirect effects on growth and reproduction in forest plants. These findings suggest that pulses of periodical cicadas create "bottom-up cascades," resulting in strong and reciprocal links between the aboveground and belowground components of a North American forest ecosystem.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 2004, Vol 306, Issue 5701, p1565
- ISSN
1095-9203
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.1103114