Macrofauna invertebrates of forest floors provide important functions in the decomposition process of soil organic matter, which is affected by the nutrient stoichiometry of the leaf litter. Climate change effects on forest ecosystems include warming and decreasing litter quality (e.g. higher C : nutrient ratios) induced by higher atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. While litter-bag experiments u...

Effects of tree species diversity on decomposition can operate via a multitude of mechanism, including alterations of microclimate by the forest canopy. Studying such effects in natural settings is complicated by the fact that topography also affects microclimate and thus decomposition, so that effects of diversity are more difficult to isolate. Here, we quantified decomposition rates of standa...

Facilitative or positive interactions are ubiquitous in nature and play a fundamental role in the configuration of ecological communities. In particular, habitat modification and niche construction, in which one organism locally modifies abiotic conditions and favours other organisms by buffering the effects of adverse environmental factors, are among the most relevant facilitative interactions...

Blair, J.M., Crossley, D.A., Jr. and Callaham, L.C., 1991. A litterbasket technique for measurement of nutrient dynamics in forest floors. Agric. Ecosystems Environ., 34: 465-471. We describe a litterbasket technique for quantifying litter decomposition and changes in litter and forest floor nutrient pools over time. Litterbaskets are constructed of wire hardware cloth, 10x10x10 cm. Intact core...

Freshwater organisms are often sensitive to pesticides, but their sensitivity varies across different taxa and with pesticide type action mode, as shown by multiple acute toxicity tests. Such variability hampers predictions about how freshwater ecosystems may be altered toxicity, which is especially critical for understudied areas of the world such tropics. Furthermore, there little information...

Viral and bacterial pathogens are a significant economic concern to the US broiler industry and the ecological epicenter for poultry pathogens is the mixture of bedding material, chicken excrement and feathers that comprises the litter of a poultry house. This study used high-throughput sequencing to assess the richness and diversity of poultry litter bacterial communities, and to look for conn...

Extensive research in the last decade has defined that most chronic diseases display dysregulation of multiple cell signaling pathways that have been linked to inflammation. Neuroinflammation is reaction of living nervous tissue to injury. It may be initiated in response to neurological disease. Including infection, traumatic brain injury, toxic metabolites and autoimmunity. The natural compoun...

Diversity and habitat preference of macroinvertebrates were studied in Macaé River basin, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, along its longitudinal gradient. We selected stream reaches corresponding to 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th orders. A Surber sampler was used to collect four macroinvertebrates samples of each substrate (sand, litter in pool areas, stones, and litter in riffle areas) during the th...

The Genus Gaeolaelaps Evans & Till, 1966 is currently one of the largest genera of the family Laelapidae Berlese. The known representatives of this genus are active predators of small invertebrates such as other mites, insect eggs and nematodes. Gaeolaelaps iranicus Kavianpour & Nemati sp. n., was collected from soil and litter in various parts of Iran. The description and figures of this speci...