Macro-detritivores Assist Resolving the Dryland Decomposition Conundrum by Engineering an Underworld Heaven for Decomposers

Sagi, Nevo; Zaguri, Moshe; Hawlena, Dror

doi:10.1007/s10021-020-00504-9

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…These effects are expected to be most pronounced in drylands where soil surface is often covered with biological soil crust that limits water infiltration and aeration, and rapidly dries up following precipitation events. In the Negev desert, the climatic facilitation in arthropod burrows enables prolonged mineralization episodes after rain events that substantially alter the typical pulse dynamics of litter decomposition in drylands [47]. This effect leads to twofold higher litter mass loss in artificial holes that mimic just the climatic facilitation of animal burrows than aboveground [47].…”

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Negev desert, the climatic facilitation in arthropod burrows enables prolonged mineralization episodes after rain events that substantially alter the typical pulse dynamics of litter decomposition in drylands [47]. This effect leads to twofold higher litter mass loss in artificial holes that mimic just the climatic facilitation of animal burrows than aboveground [47].…”

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, animal burrows provide also essential resources that facilitate microbial and meso-decomposer activity. This resource facilitation may lead, for example, to higher plant litter mass loss in nutritionally enriched burrows of desert isopods compared to the same plant litter in artificial holes of similar dimensions [47].…”

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The integrative effect of the climatic and nutrient facilitation provides favorable conditions for the activity of microorganisms and mesofauna, accelerating the mineralization of litter-derived nutrients (i.e., fecal pellets and litter residues) within the burrow [47]. This potentially important pathway of litter decomposition highlights the need to shift research attention from focusing on abiotic factors that assist in explaining decomposition rates on the dry desert surface to biotic vectors that remove surface litter to the microbial havens belowground.…”

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arthropods as the Engine of Nutrient Cycling in Arid Ecosystems

Sagi

Hawlena

2021

Insects

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Nutrient dynamics in most terrestrial ecosystems are regulated by moisture-dependent processes. In drylands, nutrient dynamics are often weakly associated with annual precipitation, suggesting that other factors are involved. In recent years, the majority of research on this topic focused on abiotic factors. We provide an arthropod-centric framework that aims to refocus research attention back on the fundamental role that macro-arthropods may play in regulating dryland nutrient dynamics. Macro-arthropods are prevalent in drylands and include many detritivores and burrowing taxa that remain active during long dry periods. Macro-arthropods consume and process large quantities of plant detritus and transport these nutrients to the decomposer haven within their climatically buffered and nutritionally enriched burrows. Consequently, arthropods may accelerate mineralization rates and generate a vertical nutrient recycling loop (VRL) that may assist in explaining the dryland decomposition conundrum, and how desert plants receive their nutrients when the shallow soil is dry. The burrowing activity of arthropods and the transportation of subterranean soil to the surface may alter the desert microtopography and promote desalinization, reducing resource leakage and enhancing productivity and species diversity. We conclude that these fundamental roles and the arthropods’ contribution to nutrient transportation and nitrogen fixation makes them key regulators of nutrient dynamics in drylands.

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Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regulation Of Plant Litter Decomposition Via Engineering Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Arthropods as the Engine of Nutrient Cycling in Arid Ecosystems

Sagi

Hawlena

2021

Insects

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“…Burrowing animals like lugworms, crabs, rodents, and isopods are ecosystem engineers that can have profound impacts on soil and sediment dynamics (Cadée, 1976;Davidson & Lightfoot, 2008;Kristensen & Alongi, 2006;Sagi et al, 2019Sagi et al, , 2021Wang et al, 2010). For example, desert isopod burrows serve as nutrient "hotspots" that accelerate carbon mineralization and plant litter decomposition (Sagi et al, 2019(Sagi et al, , 2021.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stratified vertical sediment profiles increase burrowing crab effects on salt marsh edaphic conditions

et al. 2023

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Burrowing animals can profoundly affect the biological structure and ecosystem functions of their environments. For instance, burrowing crabs increase sediment deposition and facilitate sediment homogenization and turnover, with potential impacts to sediment biogeochemistry. However, the relative importance of burrowing crabs on sediment dynamics can vary considerably between, and within, habitats. Sediment properties influence how burrowing crabs will affect edaphic conditions, but these studies often assume homogenous sediment conditions and fail to consider how sediment properties change with depth.Thus, understanding how burrowing crab effects on sediment properties are influenced by the vertical sediment profile should inform where burrowing crabs structure edaphic conditions. Here, we conducted an intensive field survey across three tidal salt marshes with variable sediment properties to understand if marsh vertical sediment profiles can help predict the nature of burrowing crab-sediment relationships. We found that burrowing crabs homogenize sediments in all marshes, but their effects on sediment homogenization and edaphic conditions were greater in marshes with highly stratified vertical sediment profiles. Our study suggests that understanding the vertical sediment profile of a salt marsh may provide critical insights into how crab burrowing may influence the edaphic conditions and physical characteristics of marsh surface sediments-especially in restored, created, and managed salt marshes.

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Soil Organisms and Ecological Processes

Souza

2022

Soil Biology in Tropical Ecosystems

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Macro-detritivores Assist Resolving the Dryland Decomposition Conundrum by Engineering an Underworld Heaven for Decomposers

Cited by 10 publications

References 43 publications

Arthropods as the Engine of Nutrient Cycling in Arid Ecosystems

Arthropods as the Engine of Nutrient Cycling in Arid Ecosystems

Stratified vertical sediment profiles increase burrowing crab effects on salt marsh edaphic conditions

Soil Organisms and Ecological Processes

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