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Cited by 16Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsInvertebrate Taxonomy and EcologyMycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions

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A soil food web approach to integrate soil fauna into multitrophic biogeochemistry

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Lejoly, Justine D. M., Mason-Jones, Kyle, Veen, G. F. Ciska·2026·Communications Earth & Environment
DOI 10.1038/s43247-026-03322-4PMC PMC13065481
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Abstract

Soil fauna is essential in mediating the formation and turnover of soil organic matter, the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon, yet remains absent from nearly all existing biogeochemical conceptual frameworks. Soil fauna impacts element cycling via trophic (microbivory, herbivory, detritivory, predation) and non-trophic (bioturbation, dispersal, waste products) pathways. These effects should be integrated into multitrophic biogeochemistry by considering the environmental context (abiotic constraints, quality and quantity of carbon inputs), by including soil food web structure, and by accounting for the role of soil fauna as agents of connectivity. We highlight the need for better quantification of soil fauna and consideration of carcasses and feces as substantial carbon flows. Based on a soil food web approach, these concepts will improve the quantification of the impact of soil fauna on carbon cycling and help to predict how soil fauna will affect carbon cycling under future global change scenarios.

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Fig. 1 Five key concepts to integrate soil fauna into multitrophic biogeochemistry. This figure illustrates pathways by which soil fauna can influence soil carbon (C) cycling and contribute to particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) pools: (1) The abiotic constraints for soil fauna and SOM formation pathways are represented in the ‘Climate’ and ‘Soil type’ panes; (2) the importance to consider quality and quantity of C inputs is showed in the ‘Litter quality’ and ‘Ecosystem size hypothesis’ panes, as well as in the different soil compartments associated with contrasting plant inputs (the rhizosphere primarily associated with root exudates, the detritusphere with litter fragments, and the bulk soil with sporadic inputs from litter leachates (orange drops) and bioturbation; (3) the role of soil fauna feeding preferences and how C flows through the soil food web and into SOM pools is illustrated in different soil compartments, of which (4) soil fauna increases the connectivity; and (5) soil fauna pools beyond living biomass are presented in the ‘Carcasses’ and ‘Consumption and excretion’ panes. The latter also links to important feeding traits: a detritivore such as an isopod ingests a great amount of litter, most of which is excreted as feces, because of lower food quality and assimilation rates, while a predator such as a centipede comparatively ingests much smaller amounts of prey, as a result of higher food quality and assimilation rates. Purple arrows indicate C flows through living organisms and black arrows after-life transfers of C and nutrients into SOM pools. The figure was entirely designed by CPiG (Carolina Levicek), including all individual elements.
Fig. 1 Five key concepts to integrate soil fauna into multitrophic biogeochemistry. This figure illustrates pathways by which soil fauna can influence soil carbon (C) cycling and contribute to particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) pools: (1) The abiotic constraints for soil fauna and SOM formation pathways are represented in the ‘Climate’ and ‘Soil type’ panes; (2) the importance to consider quality and quantity of C inputs is showed in the ‘Litter quality’ and ‘Ecosystem size hypothesis’ panes, as well as in the different soil compartments associated with contrasting plant inputs (the rhizosphere primarily associated with root exudates, the detritusphere with litter fragments, and the bulk soil with sporadic inputs from litter leachates (orange drops) and bioturbation; (3) the role of soil fauna feeding preferences and how C flows through the soil food web and into SOM pools is illustrated in different soil compartments, of which (4) soil fauna increases the connectivity; and (5) soil fauna pools beyond living biomass are presented in the ‘Carcasses’ and ‘Consumption and excretion’ panes. The latter also links to important feeding traits: a detritivore such as an isopod ingests a great amount of litter, most of which is excreted as feces, because of lower food quality and assimilation rates, while a predator such as a centipede comparatively ingests much smaller amounts of prey, as a result of higher food quality and assimilation rates. Purple arrows indicate C flows through living organisms and black arrows after-life transfers of C and nutrients into SOM pools. The figure was entirely designed by CPiG (Carolina Levicek), including all individual elements.CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 2 Conceptualization of the role of different soil fauna trophic groups under contrasting plant inputs. The quality and availability of plant inputs can be seen as a continuum from the rhizosphere to the detritusphere associated with contrasting soil faunal and microbial communities. The three-way interaction between plant carbon inputs, soil microbes, and soil fauna determine the dominant mechanisms for soil organic matter (SOM) formation and the dominant SOM pools (particulate organic matter, POM, and mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM), given that abiotic conditions are kept constant.
Fig. 2 Conceptualization of the role of different soil fauna trophic groups under contrasting plant inputs. The quality and availability of plant inputs can be seen as a continuum from the rhizosphere to the detritusphere associated with contrasting soil faunal and microbial communities. The three-way interaction between plant carbon inputs, soil microbes, and soil fauna determine the dominant mechanisms for soil organic matter (SOM) formation and the dominant SOM pools (particulate organic matter, POM, and mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM), given that abiotic conditions are kept constant.CC BY · PubMed Central
Box Fig 1. Impacts of earthworm invasion on soils. The figure was created using soil organism sketches designed by CPiG (Carolina Levicek).
Box Fig 1. Impacts of earthworm invasion on soils. The figure was created using soil organism sketches designed by CPiG (Carolina Levicek).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Metadata

Authors
Lejoly, J. D. M., Mason-Jones, K., & Veen, G. F. C.
Affiliations
Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NL)
Corresponding author
Lejoly, Justine D. M.
ORCID
Venue
Communications Earth & Environment
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2026-02-28
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
322-322
ISSN
2662-4435 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s43247-026-03322-4
PMC
PMC13065481
OpenAlex
W7132851949
Cited by
16
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 16
FWCI
9.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Communications Earth & Environment (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • KNAW Research Portal (The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • European Commission (101105509)
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (521889691)
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
  • Research Executive Agency
  • H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
Keywords
soil fauna, soil food webs, soil organic matter turnover, soil carbon cycling, element cycling, bioturbation, herbivory, detritivory, predation, global change

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