Converting forest to pasture can alter the roles of biota in ecosystem functioning, while vegetation restoration should arguably assist functional recovery. Since tests of this are scarce, this study quantifies both litter decomposition rates and their association with decomposer invertebrates, across 25 sites representing different phases of deforestation and subsequent reforestation of rain forest. Open and closed (to exclude macro‐invertebrates) mesh bags containing forest leaves were exposed in the field for up to eight months, and invertebrates were extracted from separate collections of ground surface litter. Sites spanned five vegetation categories (five sites in each): reference states of both old‐growth forest and grazed pasture; unassisted woody regrowth aged 20–50 years on former pasture; and assisted regeneration aged 1–3 and 5–10 years after interventions were applied to similar regrowth. Decomposition rates in open bags were about 50% slower in pasture than old‐growth forest, and abundances of macro‐ and meso‐decomposer invertebrates were 95% and 77% lower, respectively. However, in all restoration site‐types, decomposition rates had recovered to 83% of old‐growth values, and abundances of invertebrate decomposers were similar in old‐growth forest. Decomposer community composition at a broad taxonomic level differed strongly between pasture and all other vegetation types. Exclusion of macro‐invertebrates decreased decomposition rates by only about 3.1%, but decomposition rates in open bags were significantly correlated (across sites) with abundances of both macro‐ and meso‐decomposers, most strongly so for meso‐decomposers. Drawing useful generalizations across studies is impeded by differing methodologies and because few include both agricultural and forest reference sites.

中文翻译：

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废弃牧场雨林恢复过程中分解率和分解者无脊椎动物的恢复

将森林转变为牧场可以改变生物群在生态系统功能中的作用，而植被恢复可以说有助于功能恢复。由于这方面的测试很少，因此本研究量化了凋落物分解率及其与分解者无脊椎动物的关联，跨越 25 个代表不同阶段的森林砍伐和随后的雨林重新造林。打开和关闭（以排除大型无脊椎动物）包含森林树叶的网袋在田间暴露长达八个月，并从单独的地表垃圾收集中提取无脊椎动物。站点跨越五个植被类别（每个站点五个站点）：原始森林和放牧牧场的参考状态；在原牧场上进行 20-50 年的无辅助木本再生；在对类似的再生应用干预后 1-3 年和 5-10 年的辅助再生。牧场中开袋的分解速度比原始森林慢约 50%，大型和中型分解无脊椎动物的丰度分别低 95% 和 77%。然而，在所有恢复地点类型中，分解率已恢复到原始森林的 83%，无脊椎动物分解者的丰度在原始森林中相似。在广泛的分类学水平上，分解者群落组成在牧场和所有其他植被类型之间存在很大差异。排除大型无脊椎动物后，分解率仅降低了约 3.1%，但开袋中的分解率与大型和中观分解者的丰度显着相关（跨地点），中观分解者的丰度最强烈。