Litter quality drives soil fauna species replacement without altering decomposition function in bamboo-invaded forests

Background and aims

Invasive plant species threaten ecosystems globally by disrupting native habitats, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions. This study examines how moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) invasion affects soil fauna communities in subtropical forests.

Methods

We conducted reciprocal litter transplants between uninvaded broadleaf and bamboo-invaded forests to test how litter quality influences soil fauna diversity and composition.

Results

Reciprocal litter transplants reshaped soil fauna communities via species replacement, without altering diversity or decomposition function, indicating functional redundancy. Notably, high-quality bamboo litter selectively altered fauna composition in low-quality litter habitats, whereas low-quality litter showed no reciprocal influence in bamboo-invaded soils.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal that litter quality mediates invasion impacts by altering community composition rather than function, highlighting the stabilizing role of functional redundancy. To mitigate invasion effects, management strategies should focus on reducing high-quality invader litter (e.g., removing P. edulis leaves) to limit its disproportionate influence on native soil fauna. These findings underscore the complex link between litter quality, soil communities, and ecosystem resilience under plant invasion.