Climate and litter quality are primary drivers of terrestrial decomposition and, based on evidence from multisite experiments at regional and global scales, are universally factored into global decomposition models. In contrast, soil animals are considered key regulators of decomposition at local scales but their role at larger scales is unresolved. Soil animals are consequently excluded from global models of organic mineraliz...

Summary The distribution and metabolic activity of sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) in a shallow, suboxic aquifer were studied. A radioimaging technique was used to visualize and quantify the activity of sulfate reducers in sediments at a centimetre‐level scale. The distribution of SRB metabolic activity was heterogeneous with areas showing little activity far outnumbering areas with high activity. Variation in sulfate‐reducing...