Soil fauna and ecosystem functions: Current knowledge and future perspectives in Latin America

Abstract

Soil supports a large number of organisms that regulate multiple ecosystem functions globally. Nevertheless, research addressing soil fauna and ecosystem functioning in Latin America remains limited in scope and fragmented across countries, limiting our understanding of developing effective soil conservation strategies.This study assessed the geographical and biome distribution of research efforts, trends in scholarly networks, the taxonomic focus of soil fauna, ecosystem functions, and soil properties. We conducted a systematic literature review of 388 publications from 1989 to 2024, analyzing the relationships between soil fauna, ecosystem functions (e.g., litter decomposition, soil respiration, bioturbation, nutrient cycling), and soil properties (e.g., pH, soil organic carbon, macronutrients). Our analysis revealed a strong geographic bias, with most studies conducted in Brazil (42%) and tropical forests (67%), with scarce collaboration between Latin American countries. Most studies addressed macrofauna (68%), whereas meso- (25%) and microfauna (6%) received less attention. Most articles studied soil properties (84%) in comparison with ecosystem functions (41%). Decomposition was the most investigated soil function (23%), while others (e.g., fertility, bioturbation) were less studied. Our review highlights significant geographic and thematic gaps in soil fauna and ecosystem function studies. Promoting local and regional scientific networks could facilitate the exchange of research resources and taxonomic expertise for studying soil fauna and ecosystem functions in Latin America.