Abstract
Abstract Wetland plant litter decomposition influences many wetland processes and is itself driven by a complex web of interacting parameters. Invertebrates and fungi make up one portion of that web by processing organic material; however, their role is poorly understood. To explore invertebrate and fungal influence on plant litter decomposition rate, we measured the decomposition of litter in three mitigated (created wetlands) and three reference wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands of West Virginia, USA. Litter decomposition rates and most invertebrate metrics were not statistically different between mitigated and reference wetlands; only oligochaetes (worms) and the functional feeding group (FFG) collector/gatherers had numbers that were statistically higher in mitigated wetlands. Invertebrate metrics were able to explain 25% (FFG) to 31% (taxonomic groups) of variance during the first phase of decomposition (
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