An analysis of leaf litter breakdown in climatically diverse habitats shows that decomposition by larger invertebrates dominates in hot, dry regions and warmer seasons.
Researchers have shown that larger insects such as woodlice and beetles play as much of a crucial role in leaf litter decomposition across different habitats and seasons as microbes and smaller invertebrates.
"Evidence suggests that decomposition is faster under warm and wet conditions, and this has led to an assumption that microorganisms dominate in the decomposition process, largely ignoring growing recognition that animals may also play an important role," says co-lead author Viraj Torsekar, at the time a postdoctoral scholar at The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and now an Assistant Professor at GITAM University,...
The puzzle of why plant litter decomposition in arid land is faster than expected has perplexed scientists for half a century and has been called 'the desert decomposition conundrum'. Previous attempts to resolve this have proposed that plant litter degradation in the desert might be facilitated by light, heat, fog, dew or humidity.
Even bugs as small as woodlice can disperse seeds they eat, setting a new record for smallest animal recorded to do so. The discovery underscores the crucial yet often overlooked role that small ...
Soil Types Organic Mating And Breeding Desert Environmental Issues Global Warming Pollution
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