Linking effect traits of soil fauna to processes of organic matter transformation

Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) transformation processes are regulated by the activities of plants, microbes, and fauna. Compared with plants and microbes, effects of soil fauna are less understood because of their high taxonomic and functional diversity, and mix of direct and indirect effect mechanisms. Trait‐based approaches offer a generic perspective to quantify mechanistic relationships between soil fauna and SOM transformations, including decomposition, translocation, and stabilisation of organic carbon. Yet, at present, we lack a consensus concerning relevant key effect traits of soil fauna (i.e. those affecting ecosystem functioning). Here, we address this knowledge gap by focusing on relationships between soil fauna effect traits and SOM transformations. Based on existing literature, we identify key processes linked to SOM transformations, and fauna effect traits universally applicable across taxa and soil types, and discuss the process‐trait links. We define eight SOM transformation processes that are directly affected by soil fauna: (i) litter mass loss, (ii) litter fragmentation, (iii) SOM aggregation in faeces, (iv) SOM aggregation in soil mineral particles, (v) decomposition of faeces, (vi) SOM and mineral translocation, (vii) pore space creation and maintenance and (viii) SOM stabilisation. We link these processes to general effect traits classified into four categories: (a) food selection and ingestion, (b), digestion and excretion, (c) mobility, and (d) body mass and metabolic rate. We also propose proxies when effect trait measurements are laborious. The proposed links between effect traits and SOM transformation processes need to be validated in targeted experiments. We urge researchers to obtain quantitative experimental data, together with metabolic approaches, to integratively quantify soil fauna contributions to soil functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Publication Details

Journal
Functional Ecology
Published
2024-12-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14720
Citations
23
Primary Topic
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
13.79

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article

Linking effect traits of soil fauna to processes of organic matter transformation

Oren Shelef, Irene Calderón‐Sanou, Ting‐Wen Chen, David J. Russell et al.
23 citations
Functional Ecology
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
13.79
article

Linking effect traits of soil fauna to processes of organic matter transformation

Oren Shelef, Irene Calderón‐Sanou, Ting‐Wen Chen, David J. Russell, Davorka K. Hackenberger, Zheng Zhou, Camila Pérez-Roig, Anton Potapov, Karin Hohberg, Gerrit Angst, Nico Eisenhauer, Paul Henning Krogh, Christian Mulder, Pierre Ganault, Matty P. Berg, María J.I. Briones, Andrey G. Zuev, Erminia Conti, Olga Ferlian, Jonathan Bonfanti, Mickaël Hedde, Florine Degrune, Amelie Hauer
article en
23 citations

Abstract

Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) transformation processes are regulated by the activities of plants, microbes, and fauna. Compared with plants and microbes, effects of soil fauna are less understood because of their high taxonomic and functional diversity, and mix of direct and indirect effect mechanisms. Trait‐based approaches offer a generic perspective to quantify mechanistic relationships between soil fauna and SOM transformations, including decomposition, translocation, and stabilisation of organic carbon. Yet, at present, we lack a consensus concerning relevant key effect traits of soil fauna (i.e. those affecting ecosystem functioning). Here, we address this knowledge gap by focusing on relationships between soil fauna effect traits and SOM transformations. Based on existing literature, we identify key processes linked to SOM transformations, and fauna effect traits universally applicable across taxa and soil types, and discuss the process‐trait links. We define eight SOM transformation processes that are directly affected by soil fauna: (i) litter mass loss, (ii) litter fragmentation, (iii) SOM aggregation in faeces, (iv) SOM aggregation in soil mineral particles, (v) decomposition of faeces, (vi) SOM and mineral translocation, (vii) pore space creation and maintenance and (viii) SOM stabilisation. We link these processes to general effect traits classified into four categories: (a) food selection and ingestion, (b), digestion and excretion, (c) mobility, and (d) body mass and metabolic rate. We also propose proxies when effect trait measurements are laborious. The proposed links between effect traits and SOM transformation processes need to be validated in targeted experiments. We urge researchers to obtain quantitative experimental data, together with metabolic approaches, to integratively quantify soil fauna contributions to soil functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Functional EcologyVol. 39(2)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR), University of Groningen (NL), Université de Montpellier (FR), Czech Academy of Sciences (CZ), Aarhus University (DK), Charles University (CZ), AgroParisTech (FR), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE), Agricultural Research Organization (IL), University of Catania (IT), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Ecologie fonctionnelle & biogéochimie des sols & des agro-systèmes (FR), Rural Development Agency (LA), Institute of Soil Biology (CZ), Institut Agro Montpelier (FR), Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz (DE), International University Institute (IHI) Zittau (DE), Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane (GF), Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution (RU), Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (AR), Fondation Pour la Recherche Sur la Biodiversité (FR), Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre (CZ), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), L'Institut Agro (FR), Université de Rouen Normandie (FR), Universidade de Vigo (ES), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE), University of Göttingen (DE), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversite, Akademie Věd České Republiky, Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
13.79
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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