| The relationship between ecosystem diversity, productivity and stability is a central theme in current ecological research, and evidence of multidirectional links between above-ground and below-ground ecosystems are becoming more apparent. These links are of particular importance in agro-ecosystems, where the soil organism community can have significant effects on plant productivity and health, but are greatly affected by the qualities of the plant community itself. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the qualities of establishing pasture sward and the functional diversity of soil microorganisms, by measuring the abundance diversity of organisms in soils with increasing plant species diversity and differing plant species composition. While plant diversity and composition did have effects on sward productivity, abundances and functional diversity of soil organisms were not significantly different (P>0.05) across treatments. I concluded that the functional diversity and abundance of soil organisms may not be responsive to changes in plant species diversity or composition in the short term, but that the structure of the soil community within functional groups may depend on the identity and diversity of plants present. |
