Field experiments that varied the composition of both plant litter and the organisms that break it down have revealed that, across ecosystems, lower biodiversity slows the rate of litter decomposition. See Letter p.218
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McLaren, J. Diversity in the afterlife. Nature 509, 173–174 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/509173a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/509173a
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