Impacts of detritivore diversity loss on instream decomposition are greatest in the tropics

Luz Boyero (), Naiara López-Rojo, Alan M. Tonin, Javier Pérez, Francisco Correa-Araneda, Richard G. Pearson, Jaime Bosch, Ricardo J. Albariño, Sankarappan Anbalagan, Leon A. Barmuta, Ana Basaguren, Francis J. Burdon, Adriano Caliman, Marcos Callisto, Adolfo R. Calor, Ian C. Campbell, Bradley J. Cardinale, J. Jesús Casas, Ana M. Chará-Serna, Eric Chauvet, Szymon Ciapała, Checo Colón-Gaud, Aydeé Cornejo, Aaron M. Davis, Monika Degebrodt, Emerson S. Dias, María E. Díaz, Michael M. Douglas, Andrea C. Encalada, Ricardo Figueroa, Alexander S. Flecker, Tadeusz Fleituch, Erica A. García, Gabriela García, Pavel E. García, Mark O. Gessner, Jesús E. Gómez, Sergio Gómez, Jose F. Gonçalves, Manuel A. S. Graça, Daniel C. Gwinn, Robert O. Hall, Neusa Hamada, Cang Hui, Daichi Imazawa, Tomoya Iwata, Samuel K. Kariuki, Andrea Landeira-Dabarca, Kelsey Laymon, María Leal, Richard Marchant, Renato T. Martins, Frank O. Masese, Megan Maul, Brendan G. McKie, Adriana O. Medeiros, Charles M. M’ Erimba, Jen A. Middleton, Silvia Monroy, Timo Muotka, Junjiro N. Negishi, Alonso Ramírez, John S. Richardson, José Rincón, Juan Rubio-Ríos, Gisele M. Santos, Romain Sarremejane, Fran Sheldon, Augustine Sitati, Nathalie S. D. Tenkiano, Scott D. Tiegs, Janine R. Tolod, Michael Venarsky, Anne Watson and Catherine M. Yule
Additional contact information
Luz Boyero: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Naiara López-Rojo: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Alan M. Tonin: University of Brasília (UnB)
Javier Pérez: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Francisco Correa-Araneda: Universidad Autonoma de Chile
Richard G. Pearson: James Cook University
Jaime Bosch: Oviedo University
Ricardo J. Albariño: INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET)
Sankarappan Anbalagan: Melur
Leon A. Barmuta: University of Tasmania
Ana Basaguren: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Francis J. Burdon: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Adriano Caliman: Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
Marcos Callisto: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Adolfo R. Calor: Universidade Federal da Bahia
Ian C. Campbell: Rhithroecology Pty Ltd.
Bradley J. Cardinale: Penn State University
J. Jesús Casas: University of Almería
Ana M. Chará-Serna: Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria (CIPAV)
Eric Chauvet: CNRS
Szymon Ciapała: University of Physical Education
Checo Colón-Gaud: Georgia Southern University
Aydeé Cornejo: Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Laboratory Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (COZEM-ICGES)
Aaron M. Davis: James Cook University
Monika Degebrodt: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Emerson S. Dias: Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
María E. Díaz: Universidad Católica de Temuco
Michael M. Douglas: The University of Western Australia
Andrea C. Encalada: Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Ricardo Figueroa: Universidad de Concepción
Alexander S. Flecker: Cornell University
Tadeusz Fleituch: Polish Academy of Sciences
Erica A. García: Charles Darwin University
Gabriela García: Autonomous University of Chiriqui
Pavel E. García: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
Mark O. Gessner: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Jesús E. Gómez: Universidad de Puerto Rico
Sergio Gómez: Cornell University
Jose F. Gonçalves: University of Brasília (UnB)
Manuel A. S. Graça: University of Coimbra
Daniel C. Gwinn: Biometric Research
Robert O. Hall: University of Montana
Neusa Hamada: Coordenação de Biodiversidade–COBIO
Cang Hui: Stellenbosch University
Daichi Imazawa: University of Yamanashi
Tomoya Iwata: University of Yamanashi
Samuel K. Kariuki: Egerton University
Andrea Landeira-Dabarca: Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Kelsey Laymon: Georgia Southern University
María Leal: Universidad del Zulia
Richard Marchant: Museums Victoria
Renato T. Martins: Coordenação de Biodiversidade–COBIO
Frank O. Masese: University of Eldoret
Megan Maul: Oakland University
Brendan G. McKie: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Adriana O. Medeiros: Universidade Federal da Bahia
Charles M. M’ Erimba: Egerton University
Jen A. Middleton: The University of Western Australia
Silvia Monroy: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Timo Muotka: Centre de Lyon‐Villeurbanne
Junjiro N. Negishi: Hokkaido University
Alonso Ramírez: North Carolina State University
John S. Richardson: University of British Columbia
José Rincón: Universidad del Zulia
Juan Rubio-Ríos: University of Almería
Gisele M. Santos: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Romain Sarremejane: Centre de Lyon‐Villeurbanne
Fran Sheldon: Griffith University
Augustine Sitati: University of Eldoret
Nathalie S. D. Tenkiano: Université Julius N’Yerere de Kankan
Scott D. Tiegs: Oakland University
Janine R. Tolod: Hokkaido University
Michael Venarsky: Griffith University
Anne Watson: University of Tasmania
Catherine M. Yule: University of the Sunshine Coast

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The relationship between detritivore diversity and decomposition can provide information on how biogeochemical cycles are affected by ongoing rates of extinction, but such evidence has come mostly from local studies and microcosm experiments. We conducted a globally distributed experiment (38 streams across 23 countries in 6 continents) using standardised methods to test the hypothesis that detritivore diversity enhances litter decomposition in streams, to establish the role of other characteristics of detritivore assemblages (abundance, biomass and body size), and to determine how patterns vary across realms, biomes and climates. We observed a positive relationship between diversity and decomposition, strongest in tropical areas, and a key role of abundance and biomass at higher latitudes. Our results suggest that litter decomposition might be altered by detritivore extinctions, particularly in tropical areas, where detritivore diversity is already relatively low and some environmental stressors particularly prevalent.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23930-2

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