ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4800-8031
Current Organisation
University of Bristol
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1111/BTP.12762
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-10-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-08-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15488
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.17553
Abstract: Soil invertebrates make significant contributions to the recycling of dead plant material across the globe. However, studies focussed on the consequences of decomposition for plant communities largely ignore soil fauna across all ecosystems, because microbes are often considered the primary agents of decay. Here, we explore the role of invertebrates as not simply facilitators of microbial decomposition, but as true decomposers, able to break down dead organic matter with their own endogenic enzymes, with direct and indirect impacts on the soil environment and plants. We recommend a holistic view of decomposition, highlighting how invertebrates and microbes act in synergy to degrade organic matter, providing ecological services that underpin plant growth and survival.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 11-01-2019
Abstract: In many tropical regions, where drought is predicted to become more frequent in the coming years, termites are key components of ecosystem function. Ashton et al. experimentally manipulated termite communities to quantify their role during the 2015–2016 “super El Niño” drought in a Malaysian tropical rainforest. Termite relative abundance more than doubled in control plots during drought, maintaining three major ecosystem processes: decomposition, nutrient heterogeneity, and moisture retention. Seedling mortality increased where termites were suppressed. Science , this issue p. 174
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 28-09-2022
Abstract: Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its store size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond to changing temperature and precipitation. Termites are also important decomposers in the tropics but are less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities is needed to estimate climate change effects on wood carbon pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite wood discovery and consumption were highly sensitive to temperature (with decay increasing .8 times per 10°C increase in temperature)—even more so than microbes. Termite decay effects were greatest in tropical seasonal forests, tropical savannas, and subtropical deserts. With tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth’s surface.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Hannah Griffiths.