Citation
Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems
TL;DR
Decomposer diversity increases decomposition efficiency
This review examined how decomposer diversity affects decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. The finding that diverse decomposer communities process organic matter more efficiently and completely has implications for organizational design: diverse approaches to failure analysis and value extraction (multiple 'decomposer' functions) yield better results than single-method approaches.
Key Findings from Hättenschwiler et al. (2005)
- Decomposer diversity increases decomposition efficiency
- Different decomposer species specialize in different materials and stages
- Loss of decomposer diversity can significantly slow nutrient cycling