scholarly journals Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1045-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo García-Palacios ◽  
Fernando T. Maestre ◽  
Jens Kattge ◽  
Diana H. Wall
Author(s):  
Romina Daiana Fernandez ◽  
María Laura Moreno ◽  
Natalia Pérez Harguindeguy ◽  
Roxana Aragón

Invasive plant species can alter litter decomposition rates through changes in litter quality, environment conditions and decomposer organisms (microflora and soil fauna) but limited research has examined the direct impact on soil fauna. We assessed the abundance and relative contribution of soil meso- and macrofauna to litter decomposition in invaded forest by Ligustrum lucidum and non-invaded forest in a subtropical mountain forest of northwest Argentina using litterbags (0.01, 2 and 6 mm mesh size). Additionally, we analyzed litter quality and soil properties of both forest types. Soil fauna abundance was lower in invaded than in non- invaded forest. The contribution of soil macrofauna to litter decomposition was important in both forest types, but soil mesofauna contribution was only significant in non-invaded forest. Litter decomposition was significantly faster in invaded than in non-invaded forest, consistent with its highest quality. Invaded forest had significantly lower litter accumulation, lower soil moisture and greater soil pH than non-invaded forest. Our results showed that, although soil fauna was less abundant and played a less pronounced role in litter decomposition in invaded forest; these changes did not translate into a reduced litter decomposition rate due to the higher quality of litter produced in the invaded forest.


Ecology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (10) ◽  
pp. 2834-2843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidong Zhang ◽  
Lin Chao ◽  
Qingpeng Yang ◽  
Qingkui Wang ◽  
Yunting Fang ◽  
...  

PeerJ ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. e12747
Author(s):  
Peng Zan ◽  
Zijun Mao ◽  
Tao Sun

Litter quality and climate have been presumed to be the dominant factors regulating litter decomposition rates on broad spatial scales. However, the role of soil fauna on litter decomposition is poorly understood, despite the fact that it could strongly influence decomposition by fragmentation and subsequent modification of the activities of microorganisms.In this study, we carried out a meta-analysis on the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates in Chinese forests, ranging from boreal to tropical forests, based on data from 20 studies. The effects of climatic factors on decomposition rate were assessed by comparing the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition from studies carried out at different latitudes.The degree of influence of the soil fauna was in the order tropical (200%) > subtropical (47%) > temperate forest (28%). Comparing the effect size of soil fauna, it was found that when soil fauna was excluded, the decomposition rate, calculated using Olson’s equation, was most affected in tropical forest (−0.77), while the litter decomposition rate both subtropical (−0.36) and temperate forest (−0.19) were also suppressed to varying degrees (P < 0.001). These results highlight that soil fauna could promote litter decomposition to different extents. Using stepwise multiple linear regression, the effect size of the soil fauna was negatively correlated with the cellulose and nitrogen concentrations of the initial litter material. In Chinese forests, litter decomposition rates were reduced, on average, by 65% when soil fauna was excluded. The impact of soil fauna on decomposition was shown to be closely related to climate and litter quality.


2016 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiru Kasahara ◽  
Saori Fujii ◽  
Toko Tanikawa ◽  
Akira S. Mori

2019 ◽  
Vol 658 ◽  
pp. 1614-1629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Tresch ◽  
David Frey ◽  
Renée-Claire Le Bayon ◽  
Andrea Zanetta ◽  
Frank Rasche ◽  
...  

Ecosystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Tan ◽  
Rui Yin ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Zhenfeng Xu ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  

Ecosystems ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1151-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur A. D. Broadbent ◽  
Kate H. Orwin ◽  
Duane A. Peltzer ◽  
Ian A. Dickie ◽  
Norman W. H. Mason ◽  
...  

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