Initial litter quality drives the consistent negative effects of fauna exclusion on litter decomposition in diverse ecosystems: A global meta-analysis

Aim: Despite the extensive research done on the consequences of faunal impacts on litter decomposition in different experimental contexts, a thorough assessment of their impacts and causes in various habitats around the world is still missing. Here, we aimed to explore general patterns and key drivers (e.g., climate, environment, litter quality) of faunal effects on litter decomposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Location: Global.
Time period: 1980-2022.
Major taxa studied: Plant litter and fauna.
Methods: We investigate the effects of fauna exclusion on litter decomposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through a meta-analysis of 819 pairs of observations from 110 studies on terrestrial litter decomposition and 402 pairs of observations from 60 studies on aquatic litter decomposition.
Results: Fauna exclusion reduced litter decomposition rates in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems by 34% and 46% on average, respectively. In terrestrial ecosystems, the faunal effects...