ffect of vertebrate exclusion on leaf litter decomposition in the coastal Atlantic forest of southeast Brazi

Author(s)

Medeiros, Gabriela Garcia ^[1] ; Antonio, Juliana ^[1] ; Harrison, Michelle ^[2] ; Della Coletta, Luciana ^[1] ; Soltangheisi, Amin ^[1] ; Banks-Leite, Cristina ^[2] ; Duarte-Neto, Paulo Jose ^[3] ; Martinelli, Luiz Antonio ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Nucl Energy Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Imperial Coll London, Dept Life Sci, Silwood Pk Campus, Buckhurst Rd, Ascot SL5 7PY, Berks - England

^[3] Univ Fed Rural Pernambuco, Dept Stat & Informat, BR-52171900 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Tropical Ecology; v. 63, n. 1 NOV 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Forest fragmentation is the main cause of biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene and it is triggering a top-down cascade effect that may influence leaf litter decomposition. However, the link between biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystem processes is not fully understood. We conducted an experiment to evaluate whether the exclusion of vertebrates affects the decomposition rates of different litter types (grass, a pioneer species and a mix of litters from a well preserved secondary forest). To answer this question, we placed litter bags inside artificial exclusion plots that were built in two types of vegetation coverage (abandoned pastureland and preserved forest) in the Atlantic forest of southeast Brazil. Our hypothesis is that vertebrate exclusion will change decomposition rates of different litter types due to the top-down cascade effect on soil invertebrates. We found out that vertebrate exclusion did not affect decomposition rates, possibly due to the overlap of ecological functions in the soil fauna responsible for the decomposition process. Furthermore, grass litter was decomposed faster (k value), possibly due to its initial nutrient content and hence litter quality which plays a significant role on decomposition rates. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/09092-0 - Evaluation of the experimental exclusion of vertebrates on the decomposition of three species of plants under different land uses in Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Gabriela Garcia Medeiros
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• FAPESP's process: 14/01245-0 - Evaluation of the experimental exclusion of insectivores vertebrates on the decomposition of three species of plants under diferents land uses in the State Park Serra do Mar, nucleus Santa Virginia
• Grantee: Gabriela Garcia Medeiros
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master