Rewilding soil and litter invertebrates and fungi increases decomposition rates and alters detritivore communities.

ABSTRACT: Habitat degradation and associated reductions in ecosystem functions can be reversed by reintroducing or 'rewilding' keystone species. Rewilding projects have historically targeted restoration of processes such as grazing regimes or top-down predation effects. Few projects focus on restoring decomposition efficiency, despite the pivotal role decomposition plays in global carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling. Here, we tested whether rewilding entire communities of detritivorous invertebrates and fungi can improve litter decomposition efficiency and restore detritivore communities during ecological restoration. Rewilding was conducted by transplanting leaf litter and soil, including associated invertebrate and fungal communities from species-rich remnant sites into species-poor, and geo

SUBMITTER: Contos P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10925487 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature