The influence of forest types including native and non-native tree species on soil macrofauna depends on site conditions.

ABSTRACT: The ongoing climate change calls for managing forest ecosystems in temperate regions toward more drought-resistant and climate-resilient stands. Yet ecological consequences of management options such as planting non-native tree species and mixing coniferous and deciduous tree species have been little studied, especially on soil animal communities, key in litter decomposition and pest control. Here, we investigated the taxonomic and trophic structure of soil macrofauna communities in five forest types including native European beech (Fagus sylvatica), range-expanding Norway spruce (Picea abies) and non-native Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) as well as conifer-beech mixtures across loamy and sandy sites in northern Germany. Abundance of primary decomposers (feeding p

SUBMITTER: Wenglein R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11410562 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature