Detritivore conversion of litter into faeces accelerates organic matter turnover.
Detritivore conversion of litter into faeces accelerates organic matter turnover.
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DOI：
10.1038/s42003-020-01392-4
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发表时间：
2020-11-11
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Subke JA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Joly FX;Coq S;Coulis M;David JF;Hättenschwiler S;Mueller CW;Prater I;Subke JA
众所周知，在概念性和机械性生物地球化学模型中，以凋落物为食的土壤动物被忽视了。然而，它们可能是分解的主要因素，因为它们将大量植物垃圾转化为粪便。在这里，我们通过一项实验测试来评估当凋落物被转化为粪便时发生的化学和物理变化如何改变它们在进一步分解过程中的命运，这项实验测试包括36种在系统发育上相距遥远的有害动物和落叶的组合，它们的物理化学特征截然不同。我们发现，在枯枝落叶和有害粪便物种中，枯枝落叶转化为有害粪便会增强有机质的不稳定性，从而加速碳循环。值得注意的是，对粪便质量和分解的正向转化效应随着完整凋落物质量和分解的降低而增加。这一总体模式在蜗牛和林虱等不同的有害食肉动物中是一致的，并减少了凋落物物种之间在质量和分解方面的差异。我们的数据表明，将凋落物转化为有害的更多粪便对理解和模拟陆地碳循环具有深远的影响。Joly等人通过进行一项与生态相关的实验，研究了凋落物组成的多样性和有害物种的种类。发现垃圾转化为粪便对有机质的稳定性和分解有深远的影响。这些发现对碳循环的生物地球化学模型有一定的影响。
Litter-feeding soil animals are notoriously neglected in conceptual and mechanistic biogeochemical models. Yet, they may be a dominant factor in decomposition by converting large amounts of plant litter into faeces. Here, we assess how the chemical and physical changes occurring when litter is converted into faeces alter their fate during further decomposition with an experimental test including 36 combinations of phylogenetically distant detritivores and leaf litter of contrasting physicochemical characteristics. We show that, across litter and detritivore species, litter conversion into detritivore faeces enhanced organic matter lability and thereby accelerated carbon cycling. Notably, the positive conversion effect on faeces quality and decomposition increased with decreasing quality and decomposition of intact litter. This general pattern was consistent across detritivores as different as snails and woodlice, and reduced differences in quality and decomposition amongst litter species. Our data show that litter conversion into detritivore faeces has far-reaching consequences for the understanding and modelling of the terrestrial carbon cycle. By performing an ecologically relevant experiment with variety in litter composition and detritivore species, Joly et al. find that litter conversion into faeces has a profound effect on organic matter lability and decomposition. These findings have implications for biogeochemical models of carbon cycling.