do form an important component of detritus in the neretic, as well as the oceanic realms. The greater awareness of bacteria in marine detritus as compared to fungi may be attributed to the absence of a comprehensive review on the role of fungi in detrital proceses, bringing together information from widely scattered publications. While evaluating the role of fungi in these processes, it is esse...

Single-site experiments have demonstrated detritus quality in wetlands can have strongly negative, neutral, and even positive influences on wildlife. However, an examination of the influence of detritus quality across several regions is lacking and can provide information on whether impacts from variation in detritus quality are consistent across species with wide ranges. To address this gap in...

Woody detritus has become an important focus of many scientific and management questions in forests. Perspectives of the role of this part of the ecosystem have greatly changed over time. Today forest managers are moving away from a “blanket” removal of all the woody detritus possible to retaining and even enhancing the amounts in forests. To understand how much woody detritus is required to su...

Detritus particles derived from the decomposition of vascular plants appear to have a high sorptive capability for a wide range of pollutants. Evidence is presented and reviewed which shows detrital concentration of heavy metals, radionuclides, and organochlorine insecticides. A study of a roadside marsh indicates that lead originating from automobile exhausts may reach concentrations as high a...

Detritus processing is driven by a complex interplay between macroinvertebrate and microbial activities. Bioturbation/feeding activities of invertebrates in sediments are known to influence decomposition rates. However, direct effects of invertebrates on bacterial communities and detritus processing remain ill-defined, mainly because identifying interactions between invertebrates and sediments ...

Human presence and activity in tropical forest is thought to exert top-down regulation over the various 'green-world' pathways of plant-based foodwebs. However, these effects have never been explored for the 'brown-world' pathways of fecal-detritus webs. The strong effects of humans on tropical game mammals are likely to indirectly influence fecal detritivores (including Scarabaeine dung beetle...

1. Detritus that forms the basis for mosquito production in tree hole ecosystems can vary in type and timing of input. We investigated the contributions of plant- and animal-derived detritus to the biomass of Aedes triseriatus (Say) pupae and adults by using stable isotope ((15)N and (13)C) techniques in lab experiments and field collections.2. Lab-reared mosquito isotope values reflected their...

Nitrogen (N) cycling is a fundamental process central to numerous ecosystem functions and services. Accumulating evidence suggests that species within detritus- and plant-based food chains can play an instrumental role in regulating this process. However, the effects of each food chain are usually examined in isolation of each other, so it remains uncertain if their effects are equally importan...

Vascular plants strongly control belowground environments in most ecosystems. Invasion by vascular plants in coastal wetlands, and by cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) in particular, are increasing in incidence globally, with dramatic ecosystem-level consequences. We examined the trophic consequences of invasion by a Spartina hybrid (S. alterniflora x S. foliosa) in San Francisco Bay (USA) by documen...

Allocation patterns of carbon and nitrogen in animals are influenced by food quality and quantity, as well as by inherent metabolic and physiological constraints within organisms. Whole body stoichiometry also may vary between the sexes who differ in development rates and reproductive allocation patterns. In aquatic containers, such as tree holes and tires, detrital inputs, which vary in amount...