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Cited by 17Invertebrate Taxonomy and EcologyIsotope Analysis in EcologySoil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

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Effects of leaf litter traits on terrestrial isopod and millipede consumption, assimilation and growth

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Lam, Weng Ngai, Slade, Eleanor M., Wardle, David A.·2024·Functional Ecology
DOI 10.1111/1365-2435.14520
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Abstract

Nutrient cycling through leaf litter consumption is an essential ecological function performed by macrodetritivorous invertebrates such as isopods and millipedes. Leaf litter consumption rates can vary greatly depending on the environment, consumer identity and litter traits, but generalizations about the effects of plant traits on macrodetritivore leaf litter consumption, assimilation and growth are not well established and are mostly indirectly inferred. We conducted a systematic search of the global literature and obtained 456 standardized measures from laboratory experiments of relative consumption (RCR), assimilation (RAR) and growth (RGR) rates of terrestrial isopods and millipedes, extracted from 56 different articles. We investigated if commonly measured leaf traits, plant functional groups, prior microbial conditioning of leaves and climatic conditions affected these rates. We obtained data on commonly measured leaf traits from the TRY global plant trait database, inferred plant functional groups from taxonomic groupings and obtained climatic data from information reported within articles. RCR, RAR and RGR varied greatly among macrodetritivore and plant species, but overall, there were no differences between isopods and millipedes. Microbial conditioning of litter greatly increased RCR. Plant functional group was an important predictor of RCR, with eudicot trees and forbs being consumed in greater quantities than magnoliid trees and grasses. Fresh leaf N:P ratio had a positive effect on RAR, and leaf N and C:N ratio had positive and negative effects on RGR, respectively, while climatic variables had weak effects on the three rates. Our work shows that plant traits (both those associated with plant functional groups and commonly measured leaf traits) exert strong effects on resource processing rates by terrestrial macrodetritivores. Further, prior microbial conditioning of leaf litter has a large and globally consistent positive effect on macrodetritivore litter consumption, suggesting that they may consume little, if any, freshly senesced leaf material when microbially conditioned litter is available. Our results suggest that, where extremes of temperature or precipitation do not occur, variables reflective of food quality (leaf traits and microbe conditioning) are more important drivers of macrodetritivore leaf litter consumption than are extrinsic climatic variables. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Metadata

Authors
Lam, W. N., Slade, E. M., & Wardle, D. A.
Affiliations
  • Nanyang Technological University (SG)
  • Umeå University (SE)
Corresponding author
Lam, Weng Ngai
ORCID
Venue
Functional Ecology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2024-02-06
Volume
38
Issue
5
Pages
1018-1031
ISSN
  • 0269-8463 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2435
DOI
10.1111/1365-2435.14520
OpenAlex
W4391611025
Cited by
17
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3
FWCI
6.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Functional Ecology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • DR-NTU (Nanyang Technological University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Ministry of Education, India
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Isotope Analysis in Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
Keywords
leaf litter, terrestrial isopods, millipedes, assimilation, growth rate, plant functional groups, leaf traits, nutrient cycling, leaf N:P ratio, C/N ratio, food quality, climatic conditions

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