| Changes in canopy structure, which are likely to occur at faster rates due to climate change, affect leaf litter structure and the ecology of litter-dwelling organisms. One such change is the increased abundance of lianas in tropical forest canopies. Here, I quantify effects of these changes on tropical leaf litter arthropod communities by surveying patches of Panamanian forest where lianas have been removed, and experimentally isolating two aspects of the litter environment affected by canopy structure: incident light and litter depth.;Increased litter produced by liana cutting resulted in increases in ant species richness and arthropod abundance. Structural complexity was responsible for the highest community variability. Arthropod community composition did not vary across treatments of increased shade or litter, thus nutrient availability is likely a stronger determinant. These results provide insight into the relationships between arthropods, habitat space and leaf litter complexity, as well as canopy-litter interactions. |
