Differential effects of soil trophic networks on microbial decomposition activity in mountain ecosystems

Soil trophic networks are key to biogeochemical cycles, in particular decomposition. However, few studies have yet quantified how microbial decomposition activity along environmental gradients is jointly driven by bacteria, fungi, and their respective consumers. Here, we these direct indirect effects on contrasted them between forests open habitats using multiple elevational the French Alps. While control was comparable two habitats, pathways strengths of biotic predictors strongly differed. The fungal channel composition played a moderate role forests, while bacterial critical habitats. Importantly, found regulation consumers be modulator These results highlight need integrate when predicting future ecosystem functioning. • Comparable different Fungal weakly influences forests. Bacterial open-habitats. Top-down via soil network can affect