Energy flux in soil food webs: Environmental drivers of multi-trophic biodiversity

Postdoctoral Researcher

Research Outline

Energy flux in soil food webs accounts for most of the secondary production in temperate forests. However, the impact of Douglas fir on energy flux in soil food webs has not been investigated. Quantification of energy fluxes allows insight and judgement of important functions performed by animals, such as decomposition, herbivory, and top-down control of prey species. Further, energy flux in soil food webs provides an approach to synthesize the response of multi-trophic consumers as a common currency to compare biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across ecosystems. This work will not only provide new knowledge on the functioning of soil food webs, but also have implications for science-based decisions on planting Douglas-fir in pure or in mixed stands.