The Detri2match conceptual framework: Matching detritivore and detritus traits to unravel consumption rules in a context of decomposition

Abstract

Abstract From soil to freshwater ecosystems, decomposition can be conceived as the result of interactions between organic matter and a diversity of organisms. This function is driven in part by detritivores, invertebrates that feed on detritus or graze on its associated microbes and that have a significant but extremely variable contribution to decomposition. In order to better understand and predict detritivore–detritus pairwise interactions, we propose a conceptual framework, called Detri2match, to study the consumption of detritus by detritivores, using a trait‐matching approach at the individual detritivore level. Here, we focus on the interaction between saprophagous detritivores that fragment plant detritus. We propose a novel definition of a saprophagous detritivore as an animal that consumes plant detritus when its traits match sufficiently the traits of its resource, passing through five interaction facets of consumption. These include (1) a spatial match rule regarding the encounter, (2) a biomechanical match rule regarding ingestion, (3) a digestive match rule regarding assimilation, (4) an energetic match rule regarding the fulfilment of metabolic needs and (5) a nutritional match rule regarding the fulfilment of chemical element needs in adapted proportions. The main goal of this framework is to guide future research to establish generic rules of misunderstood detritus–detritivore pairwise interactions by identifying relevant interaction facets and their key associated traits for both detritivores and detritus. This investigation should be conducted over the temporal variability of trait‐matching constraints throughout the whole decomposition process. Coupled with adequate accumulation of trait information, the Detri2match framework could also facilitate predictions by inference of non‐tested pairwise detritivore–litter interactions. We also outline conceptual, methodological and analytical challenges of this framework. The main challenge would be to scale up these pairwise rules at the detrital network level and to test their genericity, which would contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of the detrital network and its contribution to decomposition. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.