Abstract Knowledge of the trophic ecology of soil animals is important for understanding
their high alpha diversity as well as their functional role in soil food webs and systems. In the …

Forest canopies maintain a high proportion of arthropod diversity. The drivers that structure
these communities, however, are poorly understood. Therefore, integrative research …

Abstract Knowledge on the trophic niche of animal species is important for understanding
their coexistence and hence animal diversity. Trophic niches have been shown to vary with …

Background Functional diversity is vital for forest ecosystem resilience in times of climate-
induced forest diebacks. Admixing drought resistant non-native Douglas fir, as a partial …

Biodiversity and biomass of aboveground arthropods in central European forests
continuously declined during the last decade. However, whether belowground …

Niche theory fundamentally contributed to the understanding of animal diversity. However, in
soil, the diversity of animals seems enigmatic since the soil is a rather homogeneous habitat …

Soil food webs rely on both brown and green energy, ie, litter material and root-derived
resources such as exudates. Earthworms have traditionally been viewed as macro …

Biodiversity loss and its potential threat on ecosystem functions call for a critical evaluation
of human impacts on forest ecosystems. Management practices based on stand …

Abstract Most forests in Central Europe are subject to human management, especially
timber harvesting, which alters soil conditions by creating gaps in the forest canopy and …

Forest soils are a critical component of terrestrial ecosystems and host a large number of
animal decomposer species. One diverse and abundant decomposer taxon is oribatid mites …