The effects of fire severity on macroinvertebrate detritivores and leaf litter decomposition.

ABSTRACT: High severity wildfire events are a feature of forests globally and are likely to be more prevalent with climate change. As a disturbance process, fire has the potential to change important ecological functions, such as decomposition, through its impact on biodiversity. Despite the recognised importance of decomposition in terms of fuel loads and energy flow, little is known about the post-fire effects of fire severity on decomposition by litter-dwelling macroinvertebrate detritivores. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) increasing fire severity is associated with decreased rates of leaf litter decomposition by macroinvertebrate detritivores; and 2) the abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrate detritivores decreases with increasing fire severity, while body size increases. We used a litter

SUBMITTER: Buckingham S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4399839 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature