Aim Terrestrial ecosystems sequester about 25% of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions annually; however, nitrogen ( N ) and phosphorus ( P ) limitation of plant productivity and microbial functioning could curtail this key ecosystem service in the future. Our aim is to address variations in nutrient resupply during decomposition – especially whether the N : P ratio of nutrient recycling via mineralization varies within and across div...

Changes in the redox state of iron (Fe) can be coupled to the biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen, and phosphorus, and thus regulate soil C, ecosystem nutrient availability, and greenhouse gas production. However, its importance broadly in non‐flooded upland terrestrial ecosystems is unknown. We measured Fe reduction in soil samples from an annual grassland, a drained peatland, and a humid tropical forest. We incuba...

Although belowground ecosystems have been studied extensively and soil biota play integral roles in biogeochemical processes, surprisingly we have a limited understanding of global patterns in belowground biomass and community structure. To address this critical gap, we conducted a meta‐analysis of published data (> 1300 datapoints) to compare belowground plant, microbial and faunal biomass across seven of the major biomes on...