Soil ecologists have long been aware of the general contributions that arthropods make to carbon and nutrient cycling in soil. Similar attention has been paid to the responses of soil arthropods to agricultural and horticultural management practices. Despite the large body of literature that has emerged from these research areas, our understanding of the mechanisms by which animals govern soil processes in managed ecosystems remains incomplete. In this talk I will present results from recent field experiments involving modifications to soil animal density and community composition to quantify their unique contributions to belowground carbon and nutrient cycling. I will also highlight ways in which management practices in urban grass systems alter the role of both decomposers and root herbivores in soil processes.
