The Functional and Structural Succession of Mesic-Grassland Soil Microbiomes Beneath Decomposing Large Herbivore Carcasses.

ABSTRACT: Plant detritus is abundant in grasslands but decomposes slowly and is relatively nutrient-poor, whereas animal carcasses are labile and nutrient-rich. Recent studies have demonstrated that labile nutrients from carcasses can significantly alter the long-term soil microbial function at an ecosystem scale. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the functional and structural response and temporal scale of soil microbiomes beneath large herbivore carcasses. This study compared microbiome functions and structures of soil beneath Connochaetes taurinus (hereafter 'wildebeest') carcasses at various postmortem intervals of decomposition to matched control samples over 18 months. Microbial functions were compared by their community-level physiological profiles determined by sole-carbon substrat

SUBMITTER: Fouche J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11742492 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature