Geographical trends of soil-associated biodiversity changes due to tree plantations in South America: biome and climate constraints revealed through meta-analysis

Aim
Evaluate the interaction between climate and biome structure when explaining changes in species richness of soil-associated communities due to tree plantations developed in different biomes. Compare the response of plants, soil invertebrates, and soil microorganisms, and test whether they should be considered sensitive-coupled biotas. Location Continental South America.
Time period
1996–2023 
Major taxa studied
Plants, soil invertebrates and soil microorganisms 
Methods
Through a meta-analysis, the change in species richness (i.e., response ratio) associated with tree plantations was evaluated in 127 points of study across South America, considering soil-associated communities of plants, invertebrates and microorganisms. The influence of biome structure (open vs. closed habitats) on the response ratio and its interaction with the actual evapotranspiration (AET) and temperature seasonality was evaluated. Differentiated responses of different taxa were tested by comparing models wit..., ,