Wild Ungulates and Cattle Have Different Effects on Litter Decomposition as Revealed by Fecal Addition in a Northeast Asian Temperate Forest.

ABSTRACT: Litter decomposition is critical for maintaining productivity and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Large herbivores play an essential role in determining the processes of nutrient cycling. Asian temperate forests are becoming degraded and fragmented by the widespread intensification of anthropogenic activities, including excessive livestock grazing. However, the effects of livestock grazing and wild ungulates on forest litter decomposition remain less explored. In this study, we used a litterbag experiment to investigate the effects of the addition of cattle (Bos taurus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) feces on litter decomposition. The study was conducted in Northeast China from July 2022 to October 2023. We found that the addition of deer feces significantly reduced lit

SUBMITTER: Hu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11563707 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature