Approximately 25 years ago, ecologists became increasingly interested in the question of
whether ongoing biodiversity loss matters for the functioning of ecosystems. As such, a new …

Soil organic matter (SOM) anchors global terrestrial productivity and food and fiber supply.
SOM retains water and soil nutrients and stores more global carbon than do plants and the …

The amount of carbon stored in deadwood is equivalent to about 8 per cent of the global
forest carbon stocks. The decomposition of deadwood is largely governed by climate,,–with …

Soils harbor a substantial fraction of the world's biodiversity, contributing to many crucial
ecosystem functions. It is thus essential to identify general macroecological patterns related …

Soil fauna consumes substantial amounts of litter and can even consume the entire annual
litterfall in some ecosystems. The assimilation efficiency of fauna may reach 50% but is …

1. Litter decomposition is a biogeochemical process fundamental to element cycling within
ecosystems, influencing plant productivity, species composition and carbon storage. 2 …

Soil fungi and bacteria are the key players in the transformation and processing of carbon
and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems, yet controls on their abundance and activity are not …

The decomposition of dead organic matter is a major determinant of carbon and nutrient
cycling in ecosystems, and of carbon fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere …

Global fire regimes are shifting due to climate and land use changes. Understanding the
responses of belowground communities to fire is key to predicting changes in the ecosystem …

Intensive land use reduces the diversity and abundance of many soil biota, with
consequences for the processes that they govern and the ecosystem services that these …