Zoogeochemistry: Breaking Down the Silos Between Biogeochemistry and Zoology

Abstract

The field of zoogeochemistry focuses on including the effects of animals in ecosystem and biogeochemical concepts and computational models. Animals are known to have an effect disproportionate to their biomass on key ecosystem processes, such as a carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, it is challenging to include them into our models because we often lack mechanistic explanations behind animal effects, including how they affect the ecosystem structure and biogeochemistry. Jonsson et al. (2025, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JG008598) report on a common garden experiment that provides a deeper mechanistic understanding of how nonnative earthworms impact soil carbon in the Scandinavian Arctic. They demonstrate that earthworms increased soil carbon in heath habitats by allowing plants to increase their rooting depth and root exudation. Conversely, they decreased soil carbon in meadow habitats by promoting the degradation of surface soil carbon. Their work is a compelling example of how to gather the mechanistic detail needed to incorporate animal effects into biogeochemical models.