TY - JOUR

T1 - Soil fauna effects on litter decomposition are better predicted by fauna communities within litterbags than by ambient soil fauna communities

AU - Peng, Yan

AU - Vesterdal, Lars

AU - Peñuelas, Josep

AU - Peguero, Guille

AU - Wu, Qiqian

AU - Heděnec, Petr

AU - Yue, Kai

AU - Wu, Fuzhong

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Aims: Soil fauna is one of the major drivers of plant litter decomposition. This study aims to assess how soil fauna density and diversity may affect litter decomposition. Also, we assessed whether faunal communities inside the litterbags that are used to control the access of faunal groups or communities in ambient soils are better for predicting their effects on litter decomposition, given that soil fauna frequently move into and out of such litterbags. Methods: To answer this question, we synthesized 5336 observations extracted from 46 publications to assess the effects of soil fauna communities, their density and diversity on the rate of litter decomposition (k) and litter mass loss. Results: Results showed that (1) the presence of soil fauna significantly increased k by an average of 33.0% and that the effects were mainly controlled by initial litter concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium, (2) the density and diversity of soil fauna in litterbags significantly affected k and/or mass loss, but ambient communities had limited effects, and (3) the effects of soil fauna in litterbags on k were most significant during the early stages of decomposition (0 − 30% mass loss). Conclusions: Our study clearly showed that litterbag communities were better for predicting the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition, and that their effects were most significant during the early stages of decomposition. These results improve our ability to estimate the contribution of soil fauna in liter decomposition and the associated carbon and nutrient cycling.

AB - Aims: Soil fauna is one of the major drivers of plant litter decomposition. This study aims to assess how soil fauna density and diversity may affect litter decomposition. Also, we assessed whether faunal communities inside the litterbags that are used to control the access of faunal groups or communities in ambient soils are better for predicting their effects on litter decomposition, given that soil fauna frequently move into and out of such litterbags. Methods: To answer this question, we synthesized 5336 observations extracted from 46 publications to assess the effects of soil fauna communities, their density and diversity on the rate of litter decomposition (k) and litter mass loss. Results: Results showed that (1) the presence of soil fauna significantly increased k by an average of 33.0% and that the effects were mainly controlled by initial litter concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium, (2) the density and diversity of soil fauna in litterbags significantly affected k and/or mass loss, but ambient communities had limited effects, and (3) the effects of soil fauna in litterbags on k were most significant during the early stages of decomposition (0 − 30% mass loss). Conclusions: Our study clearly showed that litterbag communities were better for predicting the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition, and that their effects were most significant during the early stages of decomposition. These results improve our ability to estimate the contribution of soil fauna in liter decomposition and the associated carbon and nutrient cycling.

KW - Decomposition rate

KW - Decomposition stage

KW - Mass loss

KW - Meta-analysis

KW - Soil fauna density

KW - Soil fauna diversity

U2 - 10.1007/s11104-023-05902-1

DO - 10.1007/s11104-023-05902-1

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85147156187

VL - 487

SP - 49

EP - 59

JO - Plant and Soil

JF - Plant and Soil

SN - 0032-079X

ER -