Soil respiration at resin bag sites at canopy gradient sites

We tested whether inputs from canopy herbivores would affect soil processes such as respiration, nutrient cycling, and decomposition along an elevation gradient. The five treatments we used were frass additions, throughfall additions, removal of all litter that fell during the study, removal of greenfall that fell during the study, and controls. Soil respiration was significantly reduced on low and mid elevation sites in litter exclusion, greenfall exclusion and throughfall addition treatments (from 0.846 g CO2/m2/h for controls to 0.618, 0.667, and 0.708 g CO2/m2/h, respectively, for the three treatments).