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Updated: Sep 6, 2025
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Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
Published on: March 12, 2013
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A quantitative analysis of microbial community structure-function relationships in plant litter decay
Bonnie Waring1, Anna Gee1, Guopeng Liang2
1Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BU, UK.
Iscience
|June 27, 2022
Summary
Soil microbial community composition significantly impacts litter decomposition rates, comparable to litter chemistry. Understanding these microbial dynamics is key to predicting soil functions.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Soil Science
Background:
- Soil microbes are crucial for ecosystem element cycling.
- A key question is how microbial community composition affects biogeochemical process rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively review and evaluate mechanisms driving variation in microbial community structure-function relationships.
- To determine the extent to which soil microbial taxonomic composition mediates biogeochemical process rates.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of studies on the decomposition of sterilized plant litter.
- Inoculation of litter with different microbial assemblages was monitored.
Main Results:
- Microbial community composition has a pervasive and strong influence on litter decay.
- This influence is comparable in magnitude to the effect of litter chemistry.
- No single environmental or experimental factor correlated with variations in the microbial inoculum effect.
Conclusions:
- Understanding microbial community structure-function relationships is vital for predicting soil biogeochemical functions.
- Further research into microbial ecological dynamics, like cross-feeding networks, is needed.
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