Data associated to the paper: Detritivory to microbivory shift in soil invertebrates with decreasing litter quality (Tsurikov et al.)

Soil fauna regulate litter decomposition and carbon redistribution in soil, acting as both litter and microbial feeders. However, whether these feeding roles shift along environmental gradients remains unclear. We tested whether microbivory increases in cold climates and with lower litter quality – both factors limiting detritus digestion by fauna. Using stable isotope composition (<i>δ</i>¹³C, <i>δ</i>¹⁵N) of 7,263 soil invertebrate samples across temperate and tropical forests, we found that litter carbon percentage positively correlated with trophic level, indicating higher microbivory in low litter quality systems. This effect was more evident in mesofauna, while macrofauna showed an ability to incorporate more recalcitrant plant carbon. Climate type had no general effect on feeding strategies. Our findings suggest low litter quality shifts soil animals from detritivory to microbivory, highlighting the importance of litter quality over climate in shaping soil food webs. Understanding these shifts is crucial for predicting litter decomposition and global carbon cycling