Abstract Title
How Burying Beetle Decomposition Affects Plants
Abstract
The decomposition is an important component of nutrient cycling in ecosystems. It is likely that carrion-breeding insects contribute to this essential ecosystem service through their manipulations of carrion resources. The purpose of this project is to determine the effect of burying beetles on soil nitrogen levels and plant growth. Burying beetles are a type of beetle that bury small dead animals, to rear their young on the carcass. This decomposes the carcass underground, thereby adding more nitrogen to the soil compared to when the dead animal decomposes on the surface. In this study, we measured how these different soil nitrogen levels affect plant growth. We grew wheat in soil samples: (1) where a mouse decomposed on the surface, (2) where burying beetles decomposed the mouse underground, (3) soil alone, and (4) potting soil. The different soil treatments and the data on the soil nitrogen levels were conducted in a different experiment by Sarah Herzog, Gretchen Lohse, and Amber Gonzales. Over a period of several weeks, we measured the growth of wheat (height). After ten weeks, the plants were harvested and dried in preparation for isotope sampling to measure the nitrogen levels in plants grown in the 4 soil treatments.
How Burying Beetle Decomposition Affects Plants
The decomposition is an important component of nutrient cycling in ecosystems. It is likely that carrion-breeding insects contribute to this essential ecosystem service through their manipulations of carrion resources. The purpose of this project is to determine the effect of burying beetles on soil nitrogen levels and plant growth. Burying beetles are a type of beetle that bury small dead animals, to rear their young on the carcass. This decomposes the carcass underground, thereby adding more nitrogen to the soil compared to when the dead animal decomposes on the surface. In this study, we measured how these different soil nitrogen levels affect plant growth. We grew wheat in soil samples: (1) where a mouse decomposed on the surface, (2) where burying beetles decomposed the mouse underground, (3) soil alone, and (4) potting soil. The different soil treatments and the data on the soil nitrogen levels were conducted in a different experiment by Sarah Herzog, Gretchen Lohse, and Amber Gonzales. Over a period of several weeks, we measured the growth of wheat (height). After ten weeks, the plants were harvested and dried in preparation for isotope sampling to measure the nitrogen levels in plants grown in the 4 soil treatments.