Abstract Litter decomposition is a major component of the nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems. It is generally accepted that higher initial quality and litter mixture contribute to increased mass loss, and the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition is context-dependent. Meanwhile, the formation of gaps alters the hydrological and thermal conditions of the forest through the redistribution of light and precipitation, ultimately influencing the distribution and activity of the soil biota. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either litter species or forest gaps on soil microbes. However, the combined effects of litter species and gap size on the composition and structure of the soil fauna during litter decomposition have not been thoroughly examined. By analyzing litter collected over the course of one year from a Pinus massoniana plantation, shifts in the soil fauna, including indicator groups and guilds based on feeding habits, were correlated with changes of litter substrate, gap size, and incubation time. It was also observed that mesofauna (including microarthropods, nematodes, etc.) were more susceptible to these examined factors than macrofauna. Furthermore, litter type has higher influence on the abundance and richness of soil fauna than litter diversity. In general, small to intermediate sized gaps improved soil fauna diversity, richness, and functional diversity of indicator taxa. The relative abundance of guilds varied with gap size, litter species, and incubation time. The relative abundance of carnivores increased with gap size, whereas fungivores and detritivores increased with incubation time. The observed relative abundance of herbivores was higher in P. massoniana leaf litter than in Cinnamomum camphora and mixed-species leaf litters. Overall, the data presented here indicated that the creation of small to intermediate sized gaps will increase the diversity of soil fauna and accelerate litter mass loss in P. massoniana plantations. The subsequent effects on the return of bioavailable nutrients and soil carbon storage require additional long-term studies.

中文翻译：

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马尾松人工林凋落物分解过程中间隙大小和凋落物种类对土壤动物群定植的影响

摘要 凋落物分解是森林生态系统养分循环的主要组成部分。人们普遍认为，较高的初始质量和凋落物混合物会导致质量损失增加，土壤动物群对凋落物分解的影响取决于环境。同时，间隙的形成通过光和降水的重新分布改变了森林的水文和热力条件，最终影响了土壤生物群的分布和活动。以前的研究集中在凋落物种类或森林间隙对土壤微生物的影响。然而，凋落物种类和间隙大小对凋落物分解过程中土壤动物群组成和结构的综合影响尚未得到彻底研究。通过分析马尾松种植园一年内收集的凋落物，土壤动物群的变化，包括基于摄食习惯的指标组和行会，与凋落物基质、间隙大小和孵化时间的变化相关。还观察到中型动物群（包括微型节肢动物、线虫等）比大型动物群更容易受到这些检查因素的影响。此外，凋落物类型对土壤动物群的丰度和丰富度的影响大于凋落物多样性。一般来说，小到中等大小的间隙改善了指示类群的土壤动物多样性、丰富度和功能多样性。公会的相对丰度因间隙大小、窝产仔数和孵化时间而异。食肉动物的相对丰度随着间隙的大小而增加，而食真菌动物和食腐动物则随着孵化时间的增加而增加。观察到的草食动物相对丰度在马尾松落叶中高于香樟和混合种落叶中。总体而言，此处提供的数据表明，在马尾松种植园中，创建中小型间隙将增加土壤动物群的多样性并加速凋落物质量损失。对生物可利用养分返回和土壤碳储存的后续影响需要额外的长期研究。此处提供的数据表明，在马尾松种植园中，中小间隙的形成将增加土壤动物群的多样性并加速凋落物质量损失。对生物可利用养分返回和土壤碳储存的后续影响需要额外的长期研究。此处提供的数据表明，在马尾松种植园中，中小间隙的形成将增加土壤动物群的多样性并加速凋落物质量损失。对生物可利用养分返回和土壤碳储存的后续影响需要额外的长期研究。