Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effects Of Detritivores On Nutrient Dynamics And Corn Biomass In Mesocosms, Josephine Lindsey-Robbins, Angélica Vázquez-Ortega, Kevin Mccluney, Shannon Pelini

School of Earth, Environment and Society Faculty Publications

(1) Background: Strategies aimed at managing freshwater eutrophication should be based on practices that consider cropland invertebrates, climatic change, and soil nutrient cycling. Specifically, detritivores play a crucial role in the biogeochemical processes of soil through their consumptive and burrowing activities. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of increasing detritivore abundance as a strategy for nutrient management under varied rainfall. (2) Methods: We manipulated soil macroinvertebrate abundance and rainfall amount in an agricultural mesocosms. We then measured the phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon levels within the soil, corn, invertebrates, and soil solution. (3) Results: Increasing detritivore abundance in our soil significantly increased …