DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15783843
title: The role of soil fauna in modulating the effect of mixed litter diversity on microbial communities during decomposition

description: This study provides novel insights into the tripartite interactions among litter diversity, soil fauna, and microbial communities in subtropical forests. Our experimental results demonstrate that soil fauna serve as key mediators in decomposition processes by: (1) significantly altering microbial biomass and community structure, (2) counteracting the inhibitory effects of plant diversity on bacterial populations, and (3) fundamentally modifying the relationships between litter characteristics and specific microbial groups. These findings advance our understanding of trophic cascades in detrital food webs by emphasizing the pivotal regulatory role of soil fauna in linking aboveground plant diversity with belowground microbial dynamics during organic matter decomposition.
description: In this study, we used two types of litterbags with different mesh sizes. 25 μm mesh size litterbags were used to allow microbes access but exclude most of the soil fauna, while litterbags with 4 mm (upper part of the litter bags) and 0.5 mm (lower part facing the soil surface) were used to allow access of the soil fauna while avoiding loss of litter fragments. Each litterbag (10 cm 15 cm in size) was filled with 3 g litters of different species combinations as follows: litter bags contained a single litter species (i.e., 3 g litter of C, E, M and S, respectively), mixtures of two litter species (i.e., 1.5 g litter of two species in all possible combinations), mixtures of three litter species (i.e., 1 g litter of three species in all possible combinations) and litter of all four species (i.e., 0.75 g litter of each species), resulting in 15 different leaf litter treatments. The litterbags were cultured and placed in four blocks. In each block, 30 litterbags (15 litter mixture types × 2 mesh size of litterbags) were randomly placed. The litterbags were fastened to the forest floor using plastic nails. Then, all litterbags were harvested after 460 days of field exposure.
description: 1. PLFA.xlsx

Description: This document presents the composition of microbial PLFA in different combinations.

Variables

GP:Gram-positive bacteria

GN:gram–negative bacteria

C:Castanopsis fargesii

E:Elaeocarpus japonicus

M:Machilus nanmu

S:Symplocos lucida

2. File: The relationship between microbial PLFA and litter diversity.csv

Description: This document presents data used to analyze the relationship between microbial PLFA and litter diversity.

Variables

GP:Gram-positive bacteria

GN:gram–negative bacteria

C:Castanopsis fargesii

E:Elaeocarpus japonicus

M:Machilus nanmu

S:Symplocos lucida

CWM:community-weighted mean

FD:functional diversity

AMF:arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

3. File: The relationship between microbial PLFA and soil fauna diversity.csv

Description: This document presents data used to analyze the relationship between microbial PLFA and soil faunal diversity.

Variables

GP:Gram-positive bacteria

GN:gram–negative bacteria

C:Castanopsis fargesii

E:Elaeocarpus japonicus

M:Machilus nanmu

S:Symplocos lucida

CWM:community-weighted mean

FD:functional diversity

AMF:arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi