Interactive Effects of White-Tailed Deer, an Invasive Shrub, and Exotic Earthworms on Leaf Litter Decomposition

• Published in: Ecosystems (New York) Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 1523 - 1535
• Main Authors: Mahon, Michael B., Fisk, Melany C., Crist, Thomas O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media 01.11.2020; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbon sequestration; Deciduous forests; Decomposition; Deer; Ecology; Ecosystems; Environmental Management; Forests; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Hardwoods; Herbivores; Hydrology/Water Resources; Invasive plants; Invasive species; Leaf litter; Life Sciences; Lonicera caerulea; Macroinvertebrates; Nitrogen; Nutrient retention; Odocoileus virginianus; Oligochaeta; Original Papers; Plant Sciences; Retention; Soil structure; Soil surfaces; Soils; Temperate forests; White-tailed deer; Worms; Zoology; above–belowground interactions; litter disappearance; temperate deciduous forest; earthworms

Herbivore overabundance and species invasions could alter decomposition rates in temperate forests, with consequent effects on carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, and other ecosystem processes. At local scales, herbivores, invasive plants, and soil macroinvertebrates can be important drivers o...