Extracellular enzyme activity and fragment size.

<p>Extracellular enzyme activity (μmol pNP g^-1 litter h^-1) in litter was significantly correlated with log fragment size (m²) for three extracellular enzymes involved in cellulose degradation, a. β-glucosidase (p = 0.035) and b. cellobiohydrolase (p = 0.022), and chitin degradation, c. <i>N</i>-acetyl-glucosaminidase (p = 0.002). Fitted line is shown with corresponding R² value.</p

Percent mass remaining of field incubated litter bags was related to fungal taxa richness.

<p>Mass remaining (%) in litter bags was related to the number of fungal taxa (R² = 0.516, p = 0.012) in these litter bags. Symbols represent levels of plant species richness of litter in litter bags.</p

Extracellular enzyme activity and plant richness.

<p>Extracellular enzyme activity (μmol pNP g^-1 litter h^-1) in litter was significantly correlated with plant richness in the fragments for three extracellular enzymes involved in chitin and cellulose degradation: a. β-glucosidase (p = 0.017), b. cellobiohydrolase (p = 0.008), and c. <i>N</i>-acetyl-glucosaminidase (p < 0.001). Fitted line is shown with corresponding R² value.</p

Coastal sage shrubland.

<p>Coastal sage scrub habitat and native vegetation in southern California.</p

Percent mass remaining and fungal richness of field incubated litter bags.

<p>Percent mass remaining and fungal richness of litter bags containing different levels of plant litter richness after one year. Following field incubation, litter bags containing more species of plant litter had less plant litter mass remaining than litter bags with fewer plant species (R² = 0.456, p = 0.0001, Fig 4a). Percent mass remaining values are shown for each sample in our litter diversity manipulation. Fungal richness increased with plant species richness in field incubated litter bags. Fungal richness (number of fungal taxa, i.e., operational taxonomic units or # OTUs) increased with greater numbers of plant species (# species) represented within litter bags (F_1,7 = 13.64, p = 0.008, Fig 4b). Fungal taxa richness values (±1 SE) of mean fungal taxa richness by plant species richness within our plant litter diversity treatments.</p

Native plant species in our fragments.

<p>Native plant species in our fragments.</p

Extracellular enzymes assayed from litter.

<p>Extracellular enzymes assayed from litter.</p