For the past 3.8 billion years, the geochemistry of the Earth's surface-its atmosphere, waters
and exposed crust-has been determined by the presence of biota. Photosynthetic organisms …

We discuss the dynamics of plant litter, the effects of litter on the chemical and physical
environment, the direct and indirect effects of plant litter on plant populations and …

I examine, through an extensive compilation of published reports, the nature and variability
of carbon flow (ie, primary production, herbivory, detrital production, decomposition, export …

Drylands occupy large portions of the Earth, and are a key terrestrial biome from the socio-
ecological point of view. In spite of their extent and importance, the impacts of global …

The objective of this study was to evaluate for an 8‐yr period the ecosystem‐level impacts of
no grazing vs. sustained moderate and heavy cattle grazing in terms of:(1) plant species …

Describing the relative magnitude and controls of herbivory and decomposition is important
in understanding the trophic transference, recycling, and storage of carbon and nutrients in …

A 2 year study in south central North Dakota determined the responses of (1) litter and root
decomposition and nitrogen (N) release, and (2) soil N mineralization to grazing intensity …

We examined the effects of water supplementation and nitrogen amendment on biomass,
cover, and density of annual plants on a termite—free and a termite—present area in the …

Studies of the effects of precipitation on litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in
arid and semiarid environments have demonstrated contradictory results. We conducted a …

We examined the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions and roots with depth to
improve our understanding of belowground carbon dynamics in the shortgrass steppe of …